[Spooky23]

There isn't a consensus definition of "assault rifle".

Some laws or proposed laws say a pistol grip and box magazine == "assault rifle". Most gun people would call a rifle that looks like an M-16, AK-47 or FN an assault rifle.

No private citizen can buy a machine gun today.

The dirty secret of the whole gun control thing is that most of the issues associated with people stockpiling weapons and smuggling pistols were dealt with in 1934 via an excise tax.

Basically, any short rifle and some pistols were subject to a $200 tax ($3400 today). Instead of blanket bans, the law defined classes of weapons and taxed them out of the market.

[philwelch]

> There isn't a consensus definition of "assault rifle".

There was, until people who don't know anything about firearms tried redefining the word for political reasons.

In any case, the only AR-15s and AK/FN variants you can legally buy today are in no way more dangerous than an ordinary semiautomatic rifle.

[astine]

"There isn't a consensus definition of "assault rifle"."

Actually there is. What there isn't a consensus on is "Assault Weapons," which are different. "Assault Rifles" are illegal to own for US citizens, but "Assault Weapons" are not. They are two different things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_rifle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_weapon

[oldcigarette]

> No private citizen can buy a machine gun today.

You can not buy a _new_ machine gun. The ones already registered are just like any other NFA item and can be transferred to anyone willing to pay the $200 tax.

Private citizens can import/manufacture machine guns provided they are properly licensed. These can't be sold to other private citizens however.

[rdl]

Subject to state law. Private citizens (i.e. not businesses in the trade) can't own them in WA or essentially in CA.

Seriously considering getting an FFL(07) for our company/office or a related entity once we have an office in a place like NV. Unclear if we want to just make suppressors (and keep post-1986 NFA items around for compatibility testing) or manufacture a range of NFA.

Mainly because now that crypto isn't so much an ITAR thing, I want a reason to register with ITAR again.