Fully Automatic and Suppressed Rifles

Rjeezie · June 12, 2012, 12:47 PM

Not sure if this is the right place, but a guy at work was talking about fully automatic guns and suppressors... Honestly, I think he's a moron, but I just wanted to know if anybody knew the laws on these for Texas.

Legal vs Illegal? Tax stamps? etc. Thank you

jimbob86 · June 12, 2012, 12:59 PM

Dunno about Texas, but Nebraska is pretty NFA friendly. Get the Form 4's and CLEO signature (or form a trust) and pay your $200 tax, and you can have a pre-1986 macnine gun (if you can afford it, as they are pricey), buy or make a short barreled rifle or shotgun, buy a suppressor (there's several dealers selling them in my area) ..... it's not illegal, just more complicated than just walking in and buying a gun.

Capybara · June 12, 2012, 02:13 PM

All NFA weapons are legal in Texas. You do need to research it, you don't need a license or a permit, you do need to be able to legally own a gun, you do need your local chief law enforcement officer to sign off, or start up an NFA trust (typically about $500.00 to do it right), you do need to submit the paperwork to the ATF and wait 6-8 months and you do need to pay a $200.00 tax stamp per item other than AOWs, which require only a $5.00 tax stamp to transfer. There also dealer to dealer transfers if your NFA dealer doesn't have what you want.

It isn't difficult or illegal, you just have to do all of the paperwork, get all of the proper sign-offs and pay Uncle Sam $200.00.

Rjeezie · June 12, 2012, 02:50 PM

Thanks. I'm not interested, just wondering because I thought you could own one but not fire it legally for some reason. But there was other stuff said I no wasn't right, so this is clearing it up for me.

RyeDaddy · June 12, 2012, 04:10 PM

There are places where they are legal to own, but not to use. Washington state was like this, you could legally own one after going through the ATF process, but they were still illegal to fire in Washington state. I know of a guy who traveled to Idaho to shoot with his can. I believe that law changed this year and they're ok in WA now.

Here in Texas they've even legalized them for deer hunting, I can't wait for November!

Charles S · June 12, 2012, 04:58 PM

Texas just legalized hunting with a suppressed/silenced weapon.

James K · June 12, 2012, 05:26 PM

A summary: State and local laws are changing all the time, but in general, full auto weapons have never been illegal in the United States, but they have been in some states/cities. The National Firearms Act, which dates to 1934, requires registration (not licensing); transfer of a full auto weapon requires payment of a $200 tax and approval of the BATFE. In 1986, a change to the law froze further registration of automatic weapons for other than government agencies; the result has been much demand chasing too few legal weapons, and the price has gone way up.

Jim

Capybara · June 13, 2012, 12:50 PM

Slidefire is the best solution for the vast majority of average shooters.

June 12, 2012, 12:47 PM	#1
Rjeezie Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2010 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 232	Fully Automatic and Suppressed Rifles Not sure if this is the right place, but a guy at work was talking about fully automatic guns and suppressors... Honestly, I think he's a moron, but I just wanted to know if anybody knew the laws on these for Texas. Legal vs Illegal? Tax stamps? etc. Thank you

June 12, 2012, 12:59 PM	#2
jimbob86 Junior member Join Date: October 4, 2007 Location: All the way to NEBRASKA Posts: 8,722	Dunno about Texas, but Nebraska is pretty NFA friendly. Get the Form 4's and CLEO signature (or form a trust) and pay your $200 tax, and you can have a pre-1986 macnine gun (if you can afford it, as they are pricey), buy or make a short barreled rifle or shotgun, buy a suppressor (there's several dealers selling them in my area) ..... it's not illegal, just more complicated than just walking in and buying a gun. Last edited by Brian Pfleuger; June 12, 2012 at 02:32 PM. Reason: subforum reference removed on thread move

June 12, 2012, 04:58 PM	#6
Charles S Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2002 Location: North East Texas Posts: 950	Texas just legalized hunting with a suppressed/silenced weapon. __________________ "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

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June 12, 2012, 02:13 PM	#3
Capybara Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2012 Posts: 180	All NFA weapons are legal in Texas. You do need to research it, you don't need a license or a permit, you do need to be able to legally own a gun, you do need your local chief law enforcement officer to sign off, or start up an NFA trust (typically about $500.00 to do it right), you do need to submit the paperwork to the ATF and wait 6-8 months and you do need to pay a $200.00 tax stamp per item other than AOWs, which require only a $5.00 tax stamp to transfer. There also dealer to dealer transfers if your NFA dealer doesn't have what you want. It isn't difficult or illegal, you just have to do all of the paperwork, get all of the proper sign-offs and pay Uncle Sam $200.00.

June 12, 2012, 02:50 PM	#4
Rjeezie Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2010 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 232	Thanks. I'm not interested, just wondering because I thought you could own one but not fire it legally for some reason. But there was other stuff said I no wasn't right, so this is clearing it up for me.

June 12, 2012, 04:10 PM	#5
RyeDaddy Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2007 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 140	There are places where they are legal to own, but not to use. Washington state was like this, you could legally own one after going through the ATF process, but they were still illegal to fire in Washington state. I know of a guy who traveled to Idaho to shoot with his can. I believe that law changed this year and they're ok in WA now. Here in Texas they've even legalized them for deer hunting, I can't wait for November!

June 12, 2012, 05:26 PM	#7
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	A summary: State and local laws are changing all the time, but in general, full auto weapons have never been illegal in the United States, but they have been in some states/cities. The National Firearms Act, which dates to 1934, requires registration (not licensing); transfer of a full auto weapon requires payment of a $200 tax and approval of the BATFE. In 1986, a change to the law froze further registration of automatic weapons for other than government agencies; the result has been much demand chasing too few legal weapons, and the price has gone way up. Jim

June 13, 2012, 12:50 PM	#8
Capybara Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2012 Posts: 180	Slidefire is the best solution for the vast majority of average shooters.