Firearms - Guides - Importation & Verification of Firearms - National Firearms Act Definitions - Machinegun

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Firearms Verification

National Firearms Act Definitions

Machinegun

26 U.S.C. § 5845(b)

For the purposes of the National Firearms Act the term Machinegun means:

  • Any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger
  • The frame or receiver of any such weapon
  • Any part designed and intended solely and exclusively or combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun, or
     
  • Any combination of parts from which a machinegun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.

Image of various machine guns including, Thompson model 1921, Ingram MAC-10, UZI, Steyr-AUG, Colt M16, and HK-MP-5

Note: Due to the similarity in appearance and general configuration of semiautomatic firearms, a comprehensive examination of the firearm and/or its component parts is required to correctly determine its classification.

Last Reviewed April 26, 2018