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Posted: 3/27/2008 12:42:56 AM EDT
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Now before you get all in a tissy, IBTL.. this is a serious question.. not trolling, and not attempting to do anything illegal. I am merely seekeing information, and supporting links.... SO---- Converting an AR15 to an automatic weapon... Can Law Enforcement agencies do this? Or is this prohibited? I know Individual Officer's are not allowed to do this or even purchase a machine gun for duty use, has to be agency purchased, then issued to officer for duty use. I know LE agencies can just order a new M4.... But lets say the department has 20 AR 15's. Can the department legally purchase the full auto conversion parts, and turn them into machineguns, or MUST a department order machine guns new. I am trying to find the information out for another officer, and my head is starting to hurt looking through the US Code, CGA, & NFA... So.. Can the department do this, what is the process and paperwork required for doing this, and can you link me to the applicable code so I can read it. Does this fall under "Manufacturing an NFA Firearm"... or a different catergory? Thanks. |
| so the department could do this instead of having to buy new weapons... Just have the C2 dealer order al parts & transfer to agency... sounds easy enough.... and from what I could tell in the code, goverment entities are exempt from paying the transfer tax, so no $250 pop for each rifle... |
Correct. LE agencies are exempt from paying the manufacturing/making tax (which is $200, not $250, BTW). |
If you have the jig to locate the sear pin hole (about $35 or so for a jig) the machining is quite simple. At most, you have to enlarge the pocket at the rear of the receiver and then drill one pin hole. A rookie machinist could do the job in a half-hour or less. |
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AFAIK there is more to it than that in the form of paperwork, either before or after the conversion. BTW, building an AR is easy as cake but there are plenty of people (LEO or otherwise) that dont feel up to it. I would imagine that sentiment carries over to this moreso than just assembeling an AR! Basically, I'm not sure how many people at the average department would feel comfortable taking a drillbit to their receiver. Yes its simple but a FFL/SOT would be able to handle it for little cost, they'd likely do all the paperwork for them and it would be helping out a FFL/SOT which we can all appreciate. Edit: Also, +1 to what Tony said about liability. |
Oh yeah.. I wouldn't think the department would tackle this on their own.. They would have a someone qualified that does this sort of thing.. I just didn't know if it was legal for a department to do this. Thanks for all the answers guys. |
One big additional note: While it is legal for a department to do this, and they are exempt from paying the $200 manufacturing tax, federal law requires that they still file a Form 1, Application to Make and Register an NFA Firearm, with BATFE before doing the conversion. Just buying the parts and doing the conversion with no paperwork makes the guns contraband under federal law. Since they are LE owned they would not be confiscated if discovered after the fact, but BATFE would require them to be registered (like any seized unregistered MGs must be) via a Form 10, which means they can never be sold to anyone except an LE agency (even an FFL/SOT dealer cannot take them in trade). Form 10 (after-the-fact) registration is much more restrictive, and you lose 100% of the value, so I'd suggest your department instead file Form 1s before converting them. Same paperwork, same (zero) cost, but doing the paperwork beforehand retains some of the trade-in value. 
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