Thought about this today: what if the receiver of an SBR is damaged so badly as to be irreparable? Is that stamp then gone and the weapon removed from the registry, and must a replacement stamp be purchased?

Yep. Stamp was to that serialized receiver, can't be transferred. For a while suppressor manufacturers apparently got away with being able to make new suppressors to replace destroyed ones on the same stamp and serial, but the ATF put the kibosh on that.

You can, but are not required to, notify ATF that the SBR was destroyed; they will remove the SBR from the registry.

They will annotate in the Registry the receiver was destroyed, nothing is removed from the Registry.

What if the SBR was never built? And what if it was destroyed?

 

ATF would refund the money...

I was told once that they will only make a refund up to one year.  I can't find that published anywhere.

By the same token, it is possible that there are a couple of approved Form 1 machineguns that haven't been built.  Wouldn't that be a cool find.  Would it suck if you lost the $300 in and off brand AR receiver that was registered?  Yeah, but imagine the horror of backing over your Ballistics push pin MP5?  There is much more likely hood of damage to a suppressor for use, than a SBR.  YMMV.

Scott

Annotated in the registry as not built.

The reason I asked was that I was wondering what would happen to my MP5 clone if it shit the bed. It's pretty old and has seen quite a bit of use, and it would suck if the receiver wore out and the $200 I paid for the stamp is gone.

Basically yes the $200 stamp is now effectively gone if you wear out the receiver to the point it is unserviceable.  

There used to me more legal leeway in this from a practical matter, but as people pushed the envelope (like AAC replacing Gemtechs cans using the same serial number and Oly replacing other SOT conversions of their semi-auto receivers) eventually the ATF started publishing guidelines in the strictest terms.  Effectively meaning the Serial Numbered part cannot be replaced anymore.   You can "repair" the firearm but in the case of Silencer tubes due to the funny business that went on 7 or 8 years ago there are now even restrictions/limitations on how the repairs can be performed on the tube.

That said, I have personally not seen any guidelines on limitations on the repair of an NFA registered HK MP5 style clone as long as you don't deface or obliterate the serial number or original manufacturer markings.  So theoretically a lot could be done on an MP5 clone to "repair/refurbish" it, but from a practical standpoint its going to cost you more than $200, so you might as well just build a new one.

Couple of corner case scenarios that may or may not be 100% on the level.

Would it be possible for you un-short barrel it back to a pistol (i.e. remove the stock) send it back to the original manufacturer and see if they will replace it with a receiver bearing the same serial number. (perfectly legal to do on a regular semi-auto assuming the manufacturer will do it.  some will some wont)

The manufacturer then sends you the replaced "pistol" back bearing the same serial number, you re-engrave your makers markings on it and put your stock back on and everything matches your paperwork.   Now is it legal to put the stock back on a F1 SBR where the title 1 receiver has been replaced by the original manufacturer....maybe...maybe not...my spidey senses says its probably not worth $200 to find out.

If you SBRed you HK Pistol but used a serial number of your own designation (since there is no legal requirement for you to use the original mfg serial number)  You wear out the first gun, toss it in the trash, and re-engrave your personal serial number and maker information on the second receiver of the same make/model and made by the same manufacturer.  Legal...probably not....Would anybody ever really know or be able to prove which gun was originally registered.....probably not....worth saving $200 to find out....I doubt it.

The reality is that it is going to take at least 100X the amount of dollars in ammo ($20,000 at $200 per 1000rd case) the NFA tax stamp cost you to actually wear out a MP5 receiver to the point of being unserviceable, so I wouldn't sweat it too much.  Figure the service life on an MP5 receiver is say 100,000 rounds (and I think that is probably low).  It costs you an extra 0.2 cents every time you pull the trigger or 6 cents per 30rd mag.

Sure, just like nothing is ever added right?  

Oly arms did the same thing a while back with there RRs and got in trouble for it.  You could basically take a old OLY receiver that was converted and send it back to them and they would replace it with all the same role marks and serial numbers for like 250.00 which is a bargain  since at the time OLY marked RRs were going for like 7 to 8k at the time.