Was it ever legal for someone to buy a FA?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Was it ever legal for someone to buy a FA?

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:01:17 AM EDT

Was there a time in the US that you could go to the local gun shop and buy a FA weapon? When did it become illegal? I know that you can get a class 3 to legally own one but what about the 30's,40's,50's etc... did you just go down to Sears and Roubuck and buy a FA Thompson?

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:01:41 AM EDT

[#1]

Have you ever heard of Al Capone?

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:02:43 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
Have you ever heard of Al Capone?

Of course, but where/how did he get it? Where they sold openly?

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:02:48 AM EDT

[#3]

yes, prior to 1934

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:03:43 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
yes, prior to 1934

So after 1934 they were "illegal" for civillians to own? Could you get a class 3 back in the 40s?

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:03:58 AM EDT

[#5]

you could buy thompsons from the sears catalog if memory serves

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:05:48 AM EDT

[#6]

Before NFA Auto Ordnance used to advertise in magazines and you could purchase by mail. Send them money and you'd get back a Thompson, simple as that.

Ah, for the good old days.

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:06:08 AM EDT

[#7]

You could buy new full-auto stuff after 1934, you just had to pay the $200 tax stamp.

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:07:47 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
You could buy new full-auto stuff after 1934, you just had to pay the $200 tax stamp.

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:07:48 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
You could buy new full-auto stuff after 1934, you just had to pay the $200 tax stamp.

And this was the case until 1986? Is that correct?

Do we have a FAQ around here that covers this?

Edit: I know you still CAN do that, but 1986 sent prices way up because it froze supply?

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:09:42 AM EDT

[#10]

yes--you could buy em at your local hardware/general store (+1 on sears robuck having em in catalogs)

'34 i believe--right after prohibition; govt decided that the procurement and easy distribution/acquiring of FA firearms was a bad thing and that the gang/booze war during prohibition was only accellerated by the BGs having better and more firepower than rivals and the LEOs

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:10:17 AM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Quoted:
You could buy new full-auto stuff after 1934, you just had to pay the $200 tax stamp.

And this was the case until 1986? Is that correct?

Do we have a FAQ around here that covers this?

The 1986 FOPA locked the number of NFA registered firearms, meaning that no new full-auto firearms could enter the NFA register, regardless of the $200 tax stamp or not.

Prior to 1986, you could legally take an AR, make it full-auto, file the paperwork and pay the $200, and have a select-fire rifle.

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:15:03 AM EDT

[#12]

You could get a "Tommy Gun" from Sears through mail order.

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:22:49 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
You could buy new full-auto stuff after 1934, you just had to pay the $200 tax stamp.

True, but $200 was a lot of money back then. The Thompson itself cost $225 at the time, so you were essentially paying a 100% tax.

www.nfatoys.com/tsmg/

Posted: 1/18/2006 9:27:07 AM EDT

[#14]

All the federal agents hired to enforce Prohibition had to do something after its repeal- strings were pulled, jobs were saved..........A little known factor in the passage of the 1934 NFA, along with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Was it ever legal for someone to buy a FA?

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