Just looking for a good place to post this to clear up some ignorance on the topic I've encountered frequently at gun stores and ranges.
I didn't find a subtopic for federal laws so I'm posting at the top level of the Gun Laws forums. I trust the admins will move this to wherever they see fit.
People often believe that possessing a Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" along with its wooden holster / detachable stock makes it a "short barrelled rifle" (SBR) as defined by the National Firearms Act (NFA) and therefore subject to restrictions accordingly. This is inaccurate, as there are explicit exceptions in the NFA for firearms of historical value. In fact, the ATF website goes so far as to give the Broomhandle as an example of such excepted weapons.
Here are specific web and statutory citations supporting this... I carry a printout of it whenever I have the Mauser outside my house, in case some LEO who is unclear on the exception takes an interest.
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/national-firearms-act-firearms.html
Q: If a person has a pistol and an attachable shoulder stock, does this constitute possession of an NFA firearm?
Yes, unless the barrel of the pistol is at least 16 inches in length (and the overall length of the firearm with stock attached is at least 26 inches). However, certain stocked handguns, such as original semiautomatic Mauser “Broomhandles” and Lugers, have been removed from the purview of the NFA as collectors’ items.
[26 U.S.C. 5845, 27 CFR 479.11]
Thanks for bearing with my rant!
I didn't find a subtopic for federal laws so I'm posting at the top level of the Gun Laws forums. I trust the admins will move this to wherever they see fit.
People often believe that possessing a Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" along with its wooden holster / detachable stock makes it a "short barrelled rifle" (SBR) as defined by the National Firearms Act (NFA) and therefore subject to restrictions accordingly. This is inaccurate, as there are explicit exceptions in the NFA for firearms of historical value. In fact, the ATF website goes so far as to give the Broomhandle as an example of such excepted weapons.
Here are specific web and statutory citations supporting this... I carry a printout of it whenever I have the Mauser outside my house, in case some LEO who is unclear on the exception takes an interest.
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/national-firearms-act-firearms.html
Q: If a person has a pistol and an attachable shoulder stock, does this constitute possession of an NFA firearm?
Yes, unless the barrel of the pistol is at least 16 inches in length (and the overall length of the firearm with stock attached is at least 26 inches). However, certain stocked handguns, such as original semiautomatic Mauser “Broomhandles” and Lugers, have been removed from the purview of the NFA as collectors’ items.
[26 U.S.C. 5845, 27 CFR 479.11]
Thanks for bearing with my rant!