This is a national policy to promote consistent, effective, and equitable responses to violations of the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), as amended, 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44.  When assessing which enforcement actions to take, ATF will consider the nature of the violations, their impact on public safety, ATF’s ability to reduce violent crime, and respect for the rule of law.  

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has determined that federal firearms licensees (FFLs) may lawfully import “dual-use” firearm barrels—barrels that may be used on both sporting and non-sporting firearms—under 18 U.S.C. § 925(d)(3) if, at the time imported, there is an identified firearm sporting configuration for the barrel. Importation may be approved regardless of whether a barrel had been previously configured on non-sporting, military surplus, or National Firearms Act (NFA) firearms. Further, once the barrel is in the United States, ATF has determined that nothing in the statutes prevent a dual-use barrel from being used to assemble a sporting, non-sporting, or NFA firearm, provided assembling such firearm complies with 18 U.S.C. § 922(r) (assembly of a semiautomatic rifle or shotgun) and the NFA, 26 U.S.C. chapter 53, as applicable. This Ruling supersedes a November 2005 ATF Open Letter on dual- use barrels.