| On your journey to getting your Federal Firearms | | | | the Title II weapons that are covered by the NFA. |
| License, (FFL), you'll undoubtedly run across a wide | | | | Machine gun--This is any gun with the ability to |
| variety of acronyms, confusing definitions, and just | | | | discharge more than one cartridge from a single |
| plain dense legalese. At first glance, the task of | | | | trigger pull. Also included within this category are the |
| getting an FFL may seem insurmountable, but it's not. | | | | parts that make up a machine gun. |
| Don't let this be a deterrent. As cryptic as these | | | | Short barreled shotgun, (SBS)--This includes any |
| regulations seem, once you familiarize yourself with | | | | smooth bore shotgun with a barrel length of less |
| the terminology and basic ideas behind them, getting | | | | than 18" or an overall length of less than 26" |
| a license becomes much easier. With that in mind, | | | | Short barreled rifle, (SBR)--Much like the Short |
| let's talk about the NFA and the types of weapons | | | | barreled shotgun, the short barreled rifle is any rifled |
| covered by it. | | | | bore firearm that has an overall length of less than |
| When dealing with firearms, you'll often run across | | | | 26", or an overall barrel length of less than 16". |
| the term NFA firearms or NFA weapons. It stands | | | | Silencers--These include any devices or parts that are |
| for the National Firearms Act and is a law that was | | | | designed to silence, muffle, or disguise the sound of |
| enacted in 1934. Not only does this law call for the | | | | any portable firearm. |
| mandatory registration of all Title II weapons, it | | | | Destructive Device, (DD)--This category |
| requires that an excise tax be paid on the | | | | encompasses two separate classes. The first covers |
| manufacture and sale or transfer of these weapons. | | | | grenades or explosive devices, poison gas weapons, |
| Another important facet of this law is that it requires | | | | or bombs and incendiary devices. The second class |
| that any transfer of title II weapons across state | | | | covers large bore, non-sporting firearms. By definition |
| lines is to be reported to the Department of Justice. | | | | anything that's not used for sporting with a bore |
| So what are Title II weapons you ask? Well, in the | | | | over 1/2" falls under this class. |
| eyes of the government, there are two types of | | | | Any other Weapons (AOW)--This category is for |
| weapons--Title I and Title II. Title I weapons are | | | | weapons and parts that don't fit the other |
| primarily rifles, shotguns, and handguns. Title II | | | | categories. It covers any shoulder fired weapon with |
| weapons are machine guns, silencers, short barreled | | | | a barrel length between 12"-18". These can be either |
| shotguns, short barreled rifles, and the any other | | | | smooth or rifled bore. It also covers smooth bore |
| weapon category, (AOW). One common | | | | pistols, cane guns, and pen guns. |
| misconception regarding Title II weapons is that | | | | This is only a general overview and should in no way |
| they're often called class 3 weapons. This is wrong, | | | | be considered as definitive. If you're in doubt or need |
| there is no class 3 weapon. class 3 refers to the class | | | | specific answers, check directly with the Bureau of |
| 3 SOT, a special class of license that's needed to | | | | Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Their |
| become a dealer of NFA firearms. | | | | technology branch can definitively answer any of |
| Now that you know a little bit about the NFA, and | | | | your questions. |
| the two types of weapons, let's look a little closer at | | | | |