Doing machine work on firearms-can i do it or not

[imwllc]

hello, i need some clarification, i have a machine shop and am a gun lover, i like to tinker and make things for them once in awhile. I recently made a front stock for my ak-47 that has a scope rail on top and a flashlight holder on it and a grip on the bottom, i was at the range and got a lot of compliments and one person said i needed a federal firearms license to make things for guns. i have never heard of such a thing, is this true, does anyone know of website that has this information. i have made choke tubes for shotguns for years for a customer (5000 a year) and never had anything said to me about this, the customer i make the choke tubes for says he sells them and doesnt need any special permits for this. anyone have input on this

[braidmeister]

I am no expert on gun machining and the applicable laws by any means...but my understanding is that the manufacturing of PARTS is very different from selling a completed firearm. Any modifications to a given firearm rests solely upon the shoulders of the owner of said firearm. That means that, an AR15 semi-auto owner can legal possess an AR15 AND the components to make it fully automatic, it doesn't mean that it is legal for them to possess the same weapon with the full auto mechanism installed.

Parts are parts...Just be sure to keep good documentation on everything that you machine, and more importantly, contact a lawyer. You may want to contact the ATF or other agency for clarification.

-Brady

[murphy625]

If your making scope mounts, don't worry about it..

If your making reto kits to full auto, you better do some research..

If you are planing to seriously modify a weapon, you better know what your doing.. When guns malfunction, things happen very fast..

Other than that, there are many gun lovers out there.. (I'm one).. If it was me, I would stick to non functional things such as gun stocks, scope mounts, flashlight mounts, etc... My personal opinion would keep me away from trigger components, silencers, clips, etc..

Murph

[CNCgr]

Check this site out. These guys now their stuff, both technical and legal.

[sendkeys]

for what i seen you can make and sell all the parts you want.but there are some things(products) you can't make ,like you can't make high cap magazines. (but think this changed for some states because of the awban is gone)
but parts are legal. even if they can be used illegally like :short barrel,fullauto parts ect.


you can make for you own use the receiver, but you can not sell it. unless it's not completed and then you have to ask the atf you can't just guess if it's 80%.

It is legal to modify parts . but you can't modify them in illegal ways and add them to the fiream: like short barrels full auto adding pistol grips ect. (alot of this was removed in the aw ban going byebye) but alot of states already have there own "awb" so you have to check atf and the state.

As for the stock if you made the stock yourself it should be legal but if you had to modify it, it would be questionable but still should be legal.

No matter how many yes and no questions you see unless you see the law (also make sure the law still is the real law) or a letter from the atf you can't trust them.(even me hehe) If you're doing this alot i would send a letter to the atf and ask them keep the letter around it's you proof. they file it and can do anything it says. This is what we pay them for

if you do send them a letter make sure you tell them what you are doing step by step dont make it to vague or they will say no just because they have to.


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some afaq

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/faq2.htm#i1

(I1) Is a license needed to engage in the business of engraving, customizing, refinishing or repairing firearms? [Back]

Yes. A person conducting such activities as a business is considered to be a gunsmith within the definition of a dealer. [27 CFR 178.11]
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so basically you can't modify someone elses weapon for money but nothing about selling them parts to do it themselfs.

What ever you do don't remove and modify the shotgun barrels, make sure they only give you the part(barrel) and you give a part back(barrel+choke).