As a young gun nerd with lofty aspirations but limited resources, I knew the clock was ticking.
[Not sure what these terms are?
Read:What Does NFA Mean?]
Ever wonder how you can legally own a machine gun? The process is straightforward — but very expensive.
Some CLEOs were cool, while others were not so much.
This one was a family friend.
A stripped M16 receiver set me back $600.
The process of obtaining a transferable fully automatic weapon is the same as what is required to buy a sound suppressor or a short-barreled shotgun like this one.
The lightly used, but fully automatic, 9mm MAC-10 was $650.
It took maybe three months to process the forms.
I thought that was an eternity.
Transferable vintage automatic firearms like thisGerman MP40were typically brought back by G.I.’s returning from WWII.
Fast Forward to Today
Much has changed in the intervening 36 years.
However, the basic concept remains nonetheless unchanged.
The last paper Form 4 I submitted took 13 months.
Pristine examples of really cool machine guns like thisGerman MP43can command steep prices.
I dont understand it, either.
What has changed astronomically is the prices involved.
This shady bit of legislative subterfuge was legitimately paradigm-shifting.
A pre-86 dealer sampleMG34like this one costs about a third of what a transferable version might.
However, gun bans really began in 1986 with that aspect of the FOPA.
That kicked off a most fascinating phenomenon.
The supply of transferable machine guns was immediately frozen at 175,977.
This pre-sampleM3A1 Grease Guncan be freely bought and sold between Class III dealers and can be retained by a dealer once he gives up his license.
However, each year a new crop of gun geeks comes of age and covets one of their own.
What followed was a classic example of fixed supply and ever-growing demand.
In fact, there have been PhD theses in economics that have been penned over this curious little experiment.
That $600 M16 receiver I bought in 1987 would require around $30,000 to replace today.
Details
There are three different categories of machine guns in America.
They are just stupid expensive.
Post-86 dealer sample machineguns were made after 1986.
These guns are worth basically a bit more than the price of the parts.
Pre-86 dealer sample prices are somewhere between post-86 guns and transferable automatic firearms.
Owning a Machine Gun
Acquiring a fully automatic machine gun is like buying any other NFA weapon.
You find what you want, pay for it, and then start the transfer process.
When the Form 4 comes back approved, you might take possession of the gun.
Before you take a machine gun to the range, you oughta be prepared to make some new buddies.
Its always a good idea to keep photocopies of your approved Form 4s with you while shooting yours.
Ask me how I know this.
You cant loan it to anybody.
you might, however, put the weapon in a trust just as you might a sound suppressor.
