Grenade Launcher Follow Up
Thanks to an email from a reader, I have the answer to the question I posed about whether or not grenade launchers are Destructive Devices. Turns out, the receiver is transferable as a long gun through a Form 1 (i.e., it’s a NFA transferable weapon subject to the $200 tax and is considered a firearm, like a machine gun). However, if you have the 40MM barrel, then it’s a destructive device, which still is subjected to the same regulation (i.e., LEO sign off, $200, filling out forms, etc.) but has a different name.
Seems I was right but for the wrong reasons. And the receivers cost about $2,300, in addition to taxes. And the barrels about $2,600, plus taxes. And this doesn’t include grenades, which are destructive devices.
March 26th, 2004 at 6:12 pm
My Yugo SKS has a grenade launcher on it. The whole rig cost less than $200 and is not covered under NFA.
March 26th, 2004 at 11:03 pm
I think you have a flare launcher, which can also maybe shoot grenades.
March 27th, 2004 at 4:54 am
Actually the “flare launcher” designation came about as an attempt to divert bad press from the anti-gunners. “Flare launchers” are in reality grenade launchers. Not that different than calling a pre-ban Ak-47 a homeland defense rifle. It’s just a name game to try to keep the anti’s from using it as a sound byte. If you look dillegently enough you can find inert practice grenades that can be launched by grenade launchers. But the “flare” thing also got a boost b/c someone saw that a lot fo people had grenade launchers & didn’t want to spend the time or cash getting the grenades – so they designed flares that could be launched from the grenade launchers.
& keep in mind there are two different typs of grenade launchers – those that are firearms by themselves (i.e. they have their own barrel) & those that are simply attachments to a rifle (such as those for the Ak, or SKS or Garand). The AWB is obviously referring to the attachment type of grenade launchers & those have never been regulated by law.
So to sum up grenades themselves & stand alone grenade launchers (i.e. launchers that have their own barrel& receiver) have been regulated since ’34 (unconstitutionally I might add) but attachable grenade launchers (like the ones you put on Garands or SKS’) weren’t discussed by law until the AWB.