Full auto legal

[ServiceSoon]

Aside from closing the machine gun registry in 1986 causing a limited number of full autos and artificially high prices, there is no defacto ban.

Ok, you just said, "Aside from running that red light, I have never broken a traffic law." If you ran a red light you broke a traffic law.

I'm not concerned with aow, sbr's or suppressors. Other than being treated like I have already committed a crime I can get those easily. Its just red tape. However, there is a de facto ban on full auto...no two ways about it. I want one, but I can't afford one for no reason other than the registry being closed and the artificially high prices.

 

[ctdonath]

922(o) has inflicted a de-facto ban. Anything made prior to '86 is subject to what amounts to a 1200% (and rising) tax on increasingly worn-out (or unshootably collectible) goods, and anything less than 20 years old (i.e.: modern) is completely verboten.

That some machineguns may be obtained amounts to a red herring. There is simply and absolutely nowhere near the product availability to match the demand. To say "oh, but there isn't a ban because there's a few available at exorbitant prices" ... well, that's just being willfully thick and stupidly legalistic.

 

[anotherKevin]

As an ex-Brit, the only full auto I've ever wanted is a Tommy gun, like Winny posed with. CA prohibits that, but other states don't. Mad Ogre once posted about a Thompson in the shop he works at (UT) being in for a day or so, and going for a grand, so they're out there. I wonder if my dream of owning that which is denied my previous countrymen can be reasonably realized once I move to a better state?

 

[Prince Yamato]

Obtaining a full auto is as much an exercise in economics as it is in law. Once you know it's legally possible for you to obtain one, you need to find one at a reasonable price (assuming that money is an issue). From what I have researched (ie, browsed the web for prices over the years) it seems to go as follows:

Every 4 years or so, the market for weapons appears to dry up, then all of a sudden, there's a flood of weapons at similar or slightly higher prices. Because it's a niche market, essentially for the rich, not everyone is quick to buy. As a result of inventory not moving, prices drop. All of a sudden, people start buying, supply dwindles, prices rise again. Rinse and repeat every 4 years.

That's why full auto Uzis went from $600-$1200-$3000-$6000

Every 4 years it's like the rule of doubling. The price increases x 2.

Mac-10s for instance. 3-4 years ago, they were in the $2000-3000 range. Now, they're moving up to $4000 range. ~Double.


Machineguns are as much a rich man's toy, as they are a status symbol amongst class 3 owners. It's sort of a way of saying, "look how much money I have to piss away". Same thing with destructive devices (the ones that you have to register each piece of ordnance they shoot). I'm looking into class 3, but I'm looking at the poor man's route- used shotgun, sawed off, sub $200 + $200 tax. The $400 NFA item.