The New 4473 & ATF
Laurel notes the new form 4473s and an ATF re-imagining of the law:
I’d heard that the new Form 4473 now includes a category for “other,” no longer just differentiating between long guns and handguns. “Other” covers receivers and frames, apparently.
What I hadn’t heard until tonight is that the BATFE has also decided that while receivers and frames count as firearms, but are not rifles or shotguns, they are not legal to transfer to persons under 21 – even receivers that can only be made into rifles or shotguns.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:29 am
+1
-1
Still sucking, ATF.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 am
It also includes suppressors.
(I can’t think of a bare receiver that can’t be made into a pistol. Can you?)
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:19 am
Well, by playing word games with the law, I’d have to say a shotgun a receiver. 😉
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:27 am
Ah, but it can be made into an NFA weapon, which is illegal to own for anyone under 21.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:50 am
Tam, persons 18-20 can own NFA, they just can’t buy them from a dealer.
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I didn’t think there was any way to transfer NFA weapons except through a dealer.
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Private party transfer – form 4 to form 4 in state. A form 1 can also be done.
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
An unfinished shotgun receiver can be made into a legal pistol … just add a pistol grip and a rifled short 12g. barrel.
No AOW paperwork needed.
This controversy was started mostly over Thompson Center Encores … if they sell them without barrels, then the buyer can decide if the frame is a rifle or a pistol by buying either a rifle or a pistol wood and barrel set.
And since the weapon is “unfinished”, TC had been able to skate on paying the Roos/Pitmann taxes … but if a clerk barrels the frame, the store is suddenly liable for that tax. Lots of real fun here ( not ).
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:57 pm
OH, and BTW … if you are a dealer, or work for a dealer, do not barrel a TC frame in inventory … doing this has been interpreted as being a firearms manufacturer without having paid the SOT … The buyer can do it, but the FFL had best not get caught doing it.
November 3rd, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Speaking as someone who has worked for FFLs, I thought this was a good clarification.
I always felt weird filling out the 4473 on a suppressor, with fifty-eleven different ATF interpretations on what to do with the check box:
“Just check ‘long gun’ or ‘handgun’ based on what the customer’s going to stick it on.”
“Leave it blank.”
“Never leave a spot blank! Write “silencer’ in small letters and put a check next to that.“
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Heh. Tam’s comment reminds of that episode of
M.A.S.H. where somebody (Col. Potter?) is
trying to order a popcorn machine (?) and the
supply guy says to just use the form (some
number), cross out “machine gun” and write in
popcorn machine.
November 4th, 2008 at 1:59 am
Well i guess i wont be buying any more serialed recievers . I do have several lathes , and a cheezy mill . When a reciever was a rifle ( AR as an example ) with attendent legal requirements for disposal of records well its all the same . IMHO there is no legal requirement for the class of ” other ” and you know a fella that makes guns just might have a few .