Why not buy NFA?

[Prince Yamato]

I've been wondering:

People are currently paying upwards of $1700+ for ARs these days. If people are going to spend that much on a gun, why aren't more of us (you) purchasing NFA items? What's $200 more for an SBR when you're nearly paying $2000 for a rifle anyway? There was a recent thread about paying $1800 for a Colt AR. I was browsing a website and saw that Colt SBR AR-15s were about $200-300 cheaper than standard title I weapons. Why not just pay the tax? You can configure an SBR however you'd like.

Just curious...

 

[Gunnerpalace]

SBR's and Silencer's are illegal here,

922o for FA,

Molotov cocktails (DD) and pen guns (AOW) sound boring but are legal here,

Otherwise I'd be there.

 

[rogertc1]

In my state one can not buy such firearms. Laws aginst it. Your name gets imbedded deaper too on the ATF files.

 

[kingpin008]

That's kinda like asking why someone who's spent thousands customizing an old car into a hot-rod why they didn't just drop the cash into some fancy sports car.

It's not necessarily about the money. Some of us just aren't interested in NFA toys. Some of us don't want to deal with the paperwork. And as mentioned, others live in states where such items are prohibited.

 

[Tommygunn]

Well, I am not greatly interested in NFA weapons overall.
As one might tell from my moniker, I do have an affection for Thompsons, but if one of those could be found (that was transferable and the model I like) it would probably cost as much as a compact car ... or more.
While I might be able to swing the cash, truth be told, I really can't justify it.
Somethings are just a little too ridiculous.

 

[CoRoMo]

I'm in. I'll buy NFA, but they seem to be just as scarce in my locality. Or else they are way overpriced in online auctions.
What website were you browsing?

 

[Lone_Gunman]

I don't want or need a short barrelled AR. Thats the main reason. There is no advantage to having one for what I am going to do with it. If I was going to kick down doors and clear houses, a short barrel would be good I guess.

 

[Justin]

I'm hoping to make an NFA purchase or two in the next year or so. Right now, SBR's are of limited utility to me, so they don't hold a lot of interest. Suppressors, on the other hand...

 

[BhmBill]

some people feel the paperwork (fingerprints, photos, sent to the sheriff, blah blah), extra money ($200+), and time (2 - 4 months) it takes to get your weapon aren't worth it.

If you can buy a 16" barrel Ar15 for $1500 out the door, it'll be costing you another $200 -$400 on top of that with the tax and extra transfer fees (dealers around here usually charge $100+ for NFA transfers) for the same gun with 1" less barrel.

Alot of people can't justify the expense.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I'd like to buy or make a SBR AR-15. Not terribly useful but a fun toy nonetheless. I think I'd need to factor in another $800 or so for a .223 can and stamp on top of the SBR though if it's anything like the PLR-16. That sucker barks.

 

[Eyesac]

I've got the money in hand and I'm trying to buy a silencer. There's so much info online, I'm trying to sift through the BS and hearsay to get my stuff in order:
To trust, not to trust, willmaker for $40, lawyer for $600 etc, will my local sheriff sign off if I don't trust? WHAT TO DO? Not to mention finding a class III dealer in town that won't hump me on transfer fees.

I just don't know anyone locally that has done it, so I'm stuck with web drivel... What a pain in the rear so far and I haven't even done anything yet...:banghead:

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Eyesac-their must be a NV machinegun club. That where to get your info.

 

[oldFred]

Was at one of my favorites stores the other day. They had an 80's model M16 HBAR full auto for $10,000.00

Now THAT is a joke, unless of course you like to empty your expensive ammo in a quick pull of the trigger.

 

[Phydeaux642]

I'd like to have some suppressors but don't want to go through the hassle. In my opinion, suppressors should be mandantory for shooting ranges. (Okay, not really mandantory, but you shouldn't have to jump through the hoops to purchase one.)

 

[RyanM]

I'm hoping to make an NFA purchase or two in the next year or so. Right now, SBR's are of limited utility to me, so they don't hold a lot of interest. Suppressors, on the other hand...

But an SBR is the perfect platform to suppress, probably even better than a handgun. I definitely plan on getting a 7-8" barreled AR in .300 Whisper. Given that top handloads are 240 gr at ~1400 fps from a 16", 7-8" should still be able to get a 240 gr bullet to ~1050 fps, no problem. And judging from the performance of AK "pistols," 125 gr loads should still be in the neighborhood of 2,000-2,100 fps.

With a relatively compact can intended for the Whisper instead of full power .308, it could still be SBR length with the suppressor on.

Shorter than an M4 with flash hider, and with a choice between .45 +P power and just the noise of the action, or darn close to 7.62x39mm power and about as much noise as an unsuppressed .22. That'd be great.

 

[Valkman]

Not intersted in SBR, but I do own a Uzi. It's not that big a hassle as people make out to get one.

 

[wally]

SBR and silencers are not worth the $200 tax and hassle to me and I suspect most folks.

OTOH, DaSwitch most certainly is, problem is since Bush the elder and the FOPA froze the supply your $1700 gun became $13,000+ making the $200 NFA tax less than your local sales tax.

If I had an extra $13K to blow I'd be there!

--wally.

PS I do own one pre-Bush the elder NFA Tommy gun and its the best investment % wise I'd ever made! and a boat load of fun -- its what got me into reloading

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

problem is since Bush the elder and the FOPA froze the supply

Bush Sr. was president in 1986?
From what I've heard the FOPA was a great bill and loosened up a lot of restrictions. The amendment Sen. Hughes slipped in (by an unrecorded voice vote at midnight after the pro-gun senators had gone home) was awful.

 

[Trebor]

What's the advantage of a SBR over a 16" barrel AR?

I mean, if you want a SBR, fine, but if you just want a AR, why pay more money for less barrel? There's no real advantage to a shorter barrel for most purposes.

And, if you are talking full-auto, the price for a full-auto M-16 is still about 10 times that of a semi-auto.

 

[Prince Yamato]

It's not that big a hassle as people make out to get one.

Exactly. It's actually a relatively simple process.

I mean, if you want a SBR, fine, but if you just want a AR, why pay more money for less barrel?

Because with current prices, things are evening out.

What's the advantage of a SBR over a 16" barrel AR?

More convenient to put a suppressor on. You can have the gun in ANY configuration that you want. You can put a forward grip or a stock on a pistol.

 

[CapnMac]

some people feel the paperwork (fingerprints, photos, sent to the sheriff, blah blah), extra money ($200+)

or, excatly the same hassle Texas puts upon CHL applicants (ok, 1st 4 years of CHL are only $140, but that does not include the classroom fees).

 

[4Freedom]

If you have an NFA license for your weapon, can you convert it to fully auto? Can fully auto weapons only be owned that started at fully auto? I was thinking that if the gun is semi-auto perhaps converting it to fully auto is a big no-no, regardless of whatever license you have. I was just curious about the laws. Why do people pay like $4000 for an gun tha normally goes for like $1000, just because its fully auto?

 

[CapnMac]

If you have an NFA license for your weapon, can you convert it to fully auto?

My understanding (and YMMV) is that you (individual citizen and/or trust) may only purchase f/a items NFA registered before October '86.

There are other methods, I'm told, too--most of them get complicated quick, too.

The "advantanage" to buying a registered f/a lower/reciever, though, is that, one f/a, it can be other things as well, like an SBR or AOW (subject to State law, naturally). But, the reverse in not true (except ins very specific circumstances).

 

[Birddog1911]

Anyone paying upwards of $1700 for a basic AR platform is a bloody fool. I built and outfitted mine for FAR less than that.

Now, I don't need an SBR...cool, but not worth that kind of money.
I would love to suppress every firearm I have, but as of right now, my money is going to make sure that I get what I want, just in case.

 

[Trebor]

Because with current prices, things are evening out.

An AR that is a SBR is not going to be any cheaper then an AR that is NOT an SBR. Unless you have a specific need for a short barrel, why pay the extra $200 tax?

What's the advantage of a SBR over a 16" barrel AR?

More convenient to put a suppressor on.

That assumes you 1. Live in a state that allows suppressors. Not all do. and 2. Want a suppressor.

By the time you pay the taxes for the SBR and the suppressor you've added $400 in taxes to the cost. And that doesn't even include the cost of the suppressor.

That kind of makes your idea that "It's only a little more money for a NFA item instead of a standard AR" a weak argument.

You can have the gun in ANY configuration that you want. You can put a forward grip or a stock on a pistol.

Yeah, if you *want* to take a pistol and make it a SBR or a AOW, yeah, sure, it's not that big a deal, assuming you live in a state that allows such things. (Mine doesn't).

You're assumption seems to be that SBR items are "better" then non-NFA items. That's the assumption I'm challenging. Take a SBR AR-15 for instance. Sure, it's easier to supress, but not eveyone wants to suppress their rifle. And, you do lose velocity by cutting the barrel length down.

I have nothing against NFA items, and own one myself, but I don't see them as the "be all and end all" of firearms and I think there of plenty of good reaons NOT to go the NFA route with most stuff, the extra cost being one of many.