With all of the turmoil in Washington these days, a lot of people are wondering about their second amendment rights and what the future may hold. ...
With all of the turmoil in Washington these days,
a lot of people are wondering about their second amendment rights and what the future may hold. One area in particular is the owning and selling of firearms that classify under the NFA or National Firearms Act. The NFA was enacted on June 26, 1934 shortly after the repeal of prohibition. The GCA or Gun Control Act of 1968 modifies and adds to the initial act of 1934.
These two laws impose a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of all firearms listed. They also mandate the registration of these firearms and their owners. The process of filing the paperwork for a class 3 weapon can be confusing and difficult.
These firearms listed must be obtained through the national government process:
· Short Barreled Rifles – Short Barreled Rifles which require a Class 3 (SOT) regulation are any rifle where the barrel of the gun is less than 16 inches long or the overall length of the weapon is less than 26 inches.
· Suppressors or Silencers – Suppressors or silencers refers to any muffling or silencing device that is portable, can be attached to a variety of weapons and quiets the noise of the weapon when deployed.
· Machine Guns – Any weapon that when deployed fires more than one round without the user reloading the weapon are known as machine guns. These types of automatic weapons are also known as a burst fire weapons. These weapons, or any type of fully automatic weapon, fall under the machine guns category and require a Class 3 FFL regulation license.
· All Other Weapons (AOW) – The AOW category of weapons refers to any form of gun that is in a disguised or non-traditional format such as a weapon that fires from a case, wallet guns, pen guns, cane guns, handguns held with a vertical clasp and smoothbore pistols. All of these weapons require a Class 3 (SOT) regulation license.
· Short Barreled Shotguns – A short barreled shotgun requiring a Class 3 (SOT) regulation license includes any shotgun where the barrel is less than 18 inches in length and the entire weapon is less than 26 inches in length.
· Destructive Devices – Destructive devices refers to gas weapons, bombs and explosives including hand grenades. These weapons require a Class 3 (SOT) regulation license.
The requirements for obtaining your class 3 weapons license are not difficult, but can be rather confusing. Some of the actions you must take are listed below:
· Be able to prove you have not violated any aspect of the Gun Control Act.
· Be at least 21 years of age at the time of applying for an FFL license.
· Be able to store all weapons within your home or business in a safe manner that adheres to local and federal guidelines.
· Have never at any point been banned or restricted from possessing, receiving, shipping or selling any form of ammunition or firearm.
· You must adhere to not only all federal regulations regarding firearms but also any additional state or local regulations within your area of operation.
If you meet all the requirements necessary to apply for a traditional FFL regulation license you can then apply for an additional Class 3 ffl license. There are additional fees for submitting the Class 3 (SOT) application as well as yearly renewal fees which differ upon your physical location.
The reasoning behind owning a class 3 weapons license is to sell and transport the listed firearms above. Some additional benefits include buying ammunition and parts at cheaper cost, using and demonstrating certain firearms, and a profitable business from home. In obtaining your class 3 weapons license, you are essentially opening a gun store. Your “Gun Store” can be from your home and but there is a maximum amount that must be sold to retain the license.
