I might be visiting VA in the next few months and want to know if I can take some of my guns with me.  My girlfriend is from the Blacksburg area and her dad has a few guns.  I'd like to take one or two of mine to show him and maybe shoot when we visit.  I'd like to take a suppressor and an SBR if possible.  

What all is involved in taking NFA items across state borders and is it okay to bring them to VA?

You do this by submitting, in duplicate, a Form 5320.20, commonly known as a Form 20 for the SBR.

No problems in Va.  It's Maryland that has the more restricted laws.

Come on down. Your PA carry permit is honored here, and OC requires no permit at all.

Thanks for the replies.  That is great news.

She wants to move back to VA some day so it's good to know that I could take my collection with me if it came to that.

This.  Don't set foot in Mary Land unless your angus is peppered.

The only state law in Virginia regarding NFA is that full auto be registered with the State Police.

Yes, please do, and we need more gun owners in Virginia, so make plans to stay.  Bring your gun, bring two guns, bring all of your friends who have guns...

zoom6zoom wrote:

Yes, that's the notorious Virginia "Uniform Machine Gun Act." It's past time for that to be repealed.

The requirement for registration is not the worst aspect of that law. After all, the registration is "after the fact" (within 24 hours after actually receiving the weapon), is free, needs only a notarized application, and doesn't have to be renewed.

The worst part of the law is the vague notion of "offensive or aggressive purpose" (a Class 4 felony) which is presumed if the weapon is found off your business or residence premises, or if empty or loaded ammunition is found nearby. Theoretically, you could be prosecuted for a violation if you simply took the gun to a public range. Now, I've never heard of anyone actually being prosecuted, but this is a tool that an overzealous prosecutor could abuse. This needs to be taken off the books.

https://vacode.org/2016/18.2/7/5/

Ironically, Virginia has one of the highest per capita rates of machine gun ownership in the country. Machine gun owners tend to maintain a low profile, however, so their issues don't get addressed.

You need to ask the Maryland hometown forum if you can even pass through their state with what you have.

That could be the plan.  We're still early in our relationship but she mentioned wanting to move back to VA at some point, if she gets a good job offer.  So we talked about the potential of moving there together if that comes up.



That was my 2nd worry.  I was pretty sure VA was NFA friendly but have no idea how to get to VA without breaking some laws.

You can, just don't stop.

I always recommend I-81, as it's the shortest way through MD, and I drive exactly the speed limit while there.

Depending on where at in PA you are coming from, I usually go I-70 to 522 through Berkeley Springs, WV which will bring you back to Winchester, VA and I-81 to take you to Blacksburg.  This is probably one of the shortest routes through MD, only a few miles.

It's 13 miles.  Watch the speed limit in Hagerstown as it drops and the city cops like to patrol it.

Do you have a pistol lower build that you could attach the upper to?  I'm not sure of MD's requirements but could possibly prevent any issues.

No, unfortunately, I do not.  If I do take any NFA items with me I might just take my suppressor and call it a day.  I could also take my 16" AR and put my suppressor on that, I guess.

You could always throw a pistol build together.  Primary Arms has Anderson Stripped Lowers for $34.99 plus whatever a local transfer fee is.  Schuyler Arms has Anderson Lower Parts Kits for $35 and KAK Shockwave Blade Pistol Kits with buffer tube, buffer, spring, and "stock" blade for $65.  So with shipping and FFL transfer fee you could have a complete lower pistol build for ~$170.  Swap your lowers and put your 16" on and being legal for travel.

The Virginia law predates NFA'34 as a knee jerk reaction to the violence surrounding the supply of illegal alcohol from or through Virginia to D.C. and the big North East cities. What is really confusing is that a sear pack (considered a machinegun by  ATF) is NOT to be registered in Virginia. However, an SBR or even simple Title 1 firearm that the sear pack is ever "intended" to be installed in IS a machinegun in Virginia. They also don't really recognize NFA Trusts as machinegun owning entities. So, If a .gov agency ever looked at the collection held in an NFA Trust, what the ATF figures you have may or may not match up with what Virginia thinks you have. Using a registered HK sear for example, I would own ONE machinegun as far as ATF is concerned but if I swap it between two hosts, I would have TWO machine guns as far as Virginia is concerned with no form 4 for either and no matching serial numbers between the three items. Like I said, very confusing.

The whole Virginia law needs to be dismantled and replaced with a simple "machineguns...in accordance with Federal law"

I live near Leesburg, VA and this is the route I take when we head up to the Pittsburgh area.