Ithaca M6 registration?

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saemetric

saemetric

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I had a chance to obtain an Ithaca M6 USAF survival rifle. It’s 22 Hornet over 410. It has 14” bbls I don’t think it’s ever been registered hence no tax stamp. Is there any way to register it as an AOW to me as it has no known history.
 
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Some times a registered owner dies, the estate finds a M6 or other NFA firearm but have no idea it existed or was even registered. This is especially true of war trophies with official "bring back papers" treated by ATF as registration. Owners of NFA firearms should make plans to avoid complicated surprises to their heirs.

Other forums have advised finders of NFA firearms of questionable status should contact someone with a 07 or 02 federal firearms license. Or an estate lawyer with a background in handling NFA inheritances. And let the expert familiar with NFA handle it.

Contacting ATF regulatory is better than being caught by ATF enforcement. Voluntarily surrendering contraband is better than being arrested with contraband.

The original Ithaca M6 is classified by ATF as a curio or relic firearm of more value as a collectible than as a weapon. It is subject to the NFA as an AOW and a unregistered NFA item is regarded as contraband.
 
It may have been registered by a previous owner at some point- if so, I wonder if there is a process for transfer?
 
Not an NFA expert.

I think you can look it up by serial # in the registry as a start point. That should give you some idea of a possible path to take. If it is not there then an option I have heard of was to take it apart (store parts in different locations) and have the barrels extended permanently with a brake or such on them. Bit of a grey area though so take that path with some caution. Ruins the historical nature of it some but is a possible option.

Not an NFA SME nor lawyer though.
 
saemetric said:
I have a chance to obtain an Ithaca M6 USAF survival rifle. It’s 22 Hornet over 410. It has 14” bbls I don’t think it’s ever been registered hence no tax stamp. Is there any way to register it as an AOW to me as it has no known history.
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You can contact ATF NFA Division to see if its on the registry. If it is, it requires a Form 4 to transfer. If its not its contraband and illegal to possess.
 
CapnMac said:
I get the idea this is from an estate, and not a dealer or SOT.
Would this be "making" an AOW rather than transferring since it's not from a dealer? I'm guessing it's $200 and not $5.
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It wouldn't be "making" because its already an NFA firearm.
While the estate can transfer an NFA firearm tax free on a Form 5 to a beneficiary, subsequently transferring to another person in state is going to be a Form 4 with $200 tax.
 
could it be cut up , and then re-built by an SOT ,and registered? Or barrels chopped ,receiver saved tax paid and re-barreled .
 
dogtown tom said:
Any SOT who touches an unregistered NFA firearm is a fool.
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To be clear , I'm saying an SOT doing the re-build , not the cutting up . Wouldn't it be the same as a parts kit build if the SOT had to make some of the parts to make it a functional firearm ? If the SOT started with a chopped/de-milled receiver , or a reciever and no barrels ?
 
codytrucker said:
To be clear , I'm saying an SOT doing the re-build , not the cutting up . Wouldn't it be the same as a parts kit build if the SOT had to make some of the parts to make it a functional firearm ? If the SOT started with a chopped/de-milled receiver , or a reciever and no barrels ?
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Its a contraband firearm. Cutting it up doesn't change that.
It has a serial# that illegal to obliterate or remove.
If its just the receiver its still registered.
 
The serial number is on the barrel assembly, not the receiver which has the firing mechanism Is it illegal to possess 14” barrels if the barrel was separated from receiver .

If above is true, each piece is legal, just can’t be assembled... I wonder how close they can be together.
 
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saemetric said:
The serial number is on the barrel assembly, not the receiver which has the firing mechanism Is it illegal to possess 14” barrels if the barrel was separated from receiver .

If above is true, each piece is legal, just can’t be assembled... I wonder how close they can be together.
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Where the serial # is located doesn't matter.
The receiver of a firearm is still a firearm.
If the parts needed to assemble into a firearm are in your possession, you have constructive possession of a firearm.

Again, if this M6 is not registered, its contraband. No amount of disassembly undoes that.
 
So is the receiver a firearm by itself with no serial number.
Then is the barrel assembly a firearm by itself with serial number.

Neither can alone be fired. Generally a revolver frame or semi auto is the serial numbered firearm even stripped of its innards. But the barrel by itself is not even if it has the serial number.
Just trying to make logical sense of what’s being discussed.
 
Bottom line of my post is which part of this Ithaca M6 is illegal, the 14” barrel assembly with serial number OR the receiver/stock which has a hammer and trigger and no serial number. The two are held together by a single hinge pin.
 
saemetric said:
So is the receiver a firearm by itself with no serial number.
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Absolutely.

Then is the barrel assembly a firearm by itself with serial number.
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No.

Neither can alone be fired.
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Irrelevent.
An AR lower, 1911 frame, 10/22 receiver or a silencer cannot be fired but are still considered firearms under federal law.



Generally a revolver frame or semi auto is the serial numbered firearm even stripped of its innards. But the barrel by itself is not even if it has the serial number.
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First, there is no such thing as "the serial numbered firearm".....that term is not used in federal law or ATF regulations.
At one time it was perfectly legal to not put a serial# on a firearm. There are quite a few shotguns manufactured or imported before 1968 that dont have any markings at all.
When the Ithaca M6 was first manufactured it was legal to place certain markings on the barrel......but that doesn't make the barrel itself a "firearm"
 
saemetric said:
Bottom line of my post is which part of this Ithaca M6 is illegal, the 14” barrel assembly with serial number OR the receiver/stock which has a hammer and trigger and no serial number. The two are held together by a single hinge pin.
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I'm confident I've covered that repeatedly, but I'll recap:
1. If it's registered with ATF it's legal to transfer the entire firearm on a Form 4.
2. If it's not registered, its contraband. Cannot be lawfully possessed or transferred.
3. Disassembled, the parts in proximity, constitute constructive possession. If not registered, that's unlawful possession of an NFA firearm.
4. The barrel alone is just a barrel and not regulated by itself.
5. The frame or receiver IS regulated. Doesn't matter if assembled or disassembled.
6. Disassembly doesn't remove it from being an NFA firearm.
 
I understand and appreciate your helping me. Finally what defines a receiver as far as NFA is concerned, serial numbered or not. And is it legal to own a unserial numbered receiver with no barrel.
 
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dogtown tom said:
Again, if this M6 is not registered, its contraband. No amount of disassembly undoes that.
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This is what prompted my notion of filing a Form to Make the NFA item. As an AOW, it could be added to the Registry, and thus made legal. Maybe.

M6 is an odd duck, with the way the parts are split and all. I'll wager near none of them, out in the wild are properly Registered (or that the need to is properly recognized). But, I'll wager NFA Branch has been through the process before, too. Before not being equal to right now, obviously.
 
saemetric said:
I understand and appreciate your helping me. Finally what defines a receiver as far as NFA is concerned, serial numbered or not. And is it legal to own a unserial numbered receiver with no barrel.
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I may be the least knowledgeable one here but I would need a lawyer to explain some of the regulations to me. The definition may be set in regulation passed by congress but the ATF has some leeway on defining some of it. This may be a non-ATF definition of a receiver that I think is pretty good. The ATF has changed their minds in the past on what some things are. At one time, a "Bump Stock" was a piece of plastic but the ATF changed their minds and said that it is a "Machine Gun" and subject to NFA. They also define an AR-15 lower receiver with a 3rd hole, a "lighting link", a piece of metal (Autokey Card) with etched marking, and an Auto Sear all as machine guns. It is my understanding that any part of a "silencer" is consider a silencer and as such is an NFA item.

As I said, I may be the least knowledgeable one here on such items. I just started learning about NFA items a year ago. The more I learn, the more I know how little I know.

I would not be surprised that the ATF will come out with new interpretation of the regulations with regard to 80% receivers and AR-15 pistols before the end of this year.
 
saemetric said:
I understand and appreciate your helping me. Finally what defines a receiver as far as NFA is concerned, serial numbered or not.
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https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-II/subchapter-B/part-479
Frame or receiver. That part of a firearm which provides housing for the hammer, bolt or breechblock and firing mechanism, and which is usually threaded at its forward portion to receive the barrel.
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And is it legal to own a unserial numbered receiver with no barrel.
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Yes. There are numerous pre 1968 rifles and shotguns with no serial# marked on the receiver. Further, it has always been legal under federal law to make your own firearm and no serial# is required. Only in the last few years has this become a hot button because of "ghost guns".
 
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