Class III is a dealer category for NFA Title II firearms
If I Recall Correctly, there no Class III guns: there are Class III
Dealers who are licensed and taxed to deal in NFA Title II guns.
I am sure someone more knowledgable will correct me if I have
any of this wrong:
US machinegun laws are very restrictive and complicated.
That is, restrictive and complicated for the law-abiding.
Machineguns are controlled under the US 1934 National
Firearms Act. Legally, machinegun includes not only firearms
designed as full automatic, but also any conversion parts
designed and intended for use in converting a semi automatic
firearm into a full automatic firearm.
Machine guns available to civilian collectors must be on
the federal NFA registry. The NFA registry was closed to
new civilian collectors machinegun registrations 19 May 1986
by the last-minute "poison pill" Hughes Amendment to the
Firearms Owners Protection Act.
If a machinegun was not entered in the registry before the
cut-off date, it is not eligible for transfer to a civilian
owner. An NFA transfer of registration requires completion
of a Form 4, with fingerprints, federal background check,
passport quality photos, CLEO Chief Law Enforcement Official
sign-off (one of: chief of police, county sheriff or district
attorney), payment of a $200 registration tax. Expect 90 day
to six months for approval.
Between 1934 and 1986 there was one criminal homicide with
a legally registered machinegun, by a police officer. The
law enforcement value of the Hughes Amemndment cut-off is
questionable, and has convinced many America gun owners
that gun control is arbitrary and capricious. NFA registrants
were perhaps the most law abiding population in Ameriica,
but were singled out for "special treatment" because the
government cannot control criminals.
Other NFA firearms: short barrel shotgun (SBS under 18"),
short barrel rifle (SBR under 16"), silencer or muffler,
modern shoulder stocked pistol, and any other weapon
(AOW: shotgun pistols, cane guns, pen guns, etc) were NOT
affected by the Hughes Amendment, only full auto
machineguns. NFA firearms are also known as Title II.
In the wording of 1934 National Firearms Act, the term
"firearm" refers only to firearms subject to the NFA.
A silencer is an NFA "firearm" but can be attached to a
gun that is not an NFA firearm.
Possession of new post-19 May 1986 machineguns is limited
to Federal Firearms Licensees who have paid the appropriate
Special Occupational Tax (SOT) required of those
manufacturing, importing, or dealing in National Firearms
Act (NFA) firearms. These are Class III dealers licenses.
A Class III dealer handles NFA weapons for collectors,
police or military. A Class III dealer may have what are
called "dealer samples" of post-19 May 1986 machineguns
for demonstration to law enforcement. Class III dealers
stay up-to-date on NFA regulations, and transfers of NFA
firearms between private collectors are often handled by
Class III dealers. Again, machineguns eligible for transfer
to private collectors must have been entered on the NFA
registry by 19 May 1986. Of course, machineguns eligible
for transfer to law enforcement or military have no cut-off
date.
If you are willing to become licensed as a Class III dealer
or Title II manufacturer SOT taxpayer, you could own a new
machinegun, but only as part of doing business and not as
a private collector. Becoming a law enforcement agency or
a military organization is out of the question.
CHEAP? The Reising Model 50 WWII submachinegun I could have
bought in 1985 for 150.00 plus the 200.000 NFA tax, would now
cost me 3,000.00 plus 200.00. Registered machineguns are not
cheap; collecting has become a rich man's hobby since the
Hughes amendment.
By The Way, curiosity of a Swedish high school student about
US restricted guns is a curiosity in itself. Do not be surprised if
someone tries to trace your IP to see if it originates from .gov!
).
