Questions and Answers

No. Police departments and other state or local law enforcement agencies could lawfully possess unmarked plastic explosives acquired on or before April 24, 1996, until April 24, 1999. Such agencies still possessing unmarked plastic explosives should destroy them or abandon them to ATF. Contact the nearest ATF field office for information.

[18 U.S.C. 842(n); 27 CFR 555.180(c)(1)]

No. With the exception of the use-up period provided by law for federal law enforcement agencies or the military, the time period for lawful possession of unmarked plastic explosives terminated on April 24, 1999.

[18 U.S.C. 842(n); 27 CFR 555.180(c)]

These agents are listed in the law and regulations at 18 U.S.C. 841(p) and 27 CFR 555.180(d)(3).

All plastic explosives manufactured or imported on or after April 24, 1996, must contain a detection agent. Federal law enforcement agencies and the military may possess unmarked plastic explosives if they meet the requirements of the use-up period described in question, Are police departments exempt from the prohibition against possessing unmarked plastic explosives after April 24, 1999?. [18 U.S.C. 841(q), 842(n); 27 CFR 555.180]

A plastic explosive is defined as "an explosive material in flexible or elastic sheet form formulated with one or more high explosives which in their pure form has a vapor pressure less than 10<4> Pa at a temperature of 25 °C, is formulated with a binder material, and is as a mixture malleable or flexible at normal room temperature." [18 U.S.C. 841(q); 27 CFR 555.180(d)(4)]

Yes. For example, NFA Division is reallocating resources to prioritize processing applications that have received a “proceed” from FBI-NICS in response to the required background check.

Receiver blanks that do not meet the definition of a "firearm" are not subject to regulation under the Gun Control Act (GCA). ATF has long held that items such as receiver blanks, "castings" or "machined bodies" in which the fire-control cavity area is completely solid and un-machined have not reached the "stage of manufacture" which would result in the classification of a firearm according to the GCA.

The following three photos are provided as examples. The first receiver has a solid, un-machined fire-control cavity area with no holes or dimples for the selector, trigger, or hammer pins. It does not meet the GCA definition of a firearm. The second receiver, shown from the top, likewise has a solid, un-machined fire-control cavity area. It does not meet the GCA definition of a firearm. The third receiver has a partially machined fire-control cavity and does meet the GCA definition of a firearm.

Yes. In some cases, items being marketed as “unfinished” or “80%” receivers do actually meet the definition of a “firearm” as defined in the Gun Control Act (GCA).

If you are unsure about whether an item you are planning to buy or sell is considered a firearm under the GCA, please contact ATF’s Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division (FATD) by email at fire_tech@atf.gov or by phone at 304-616-4300.

The Gun Control Act (GCA) does not impose restrictions on receiver blanks that do not meet the definition of a “firearm.”

Please note that some items marketed as non-firearm "unfinished" or "80%" receivers are actually considered firearms.

ATF is able to successfully trace most crime guns to the first retail purchaser. ATF starts with the manufacturer and goes through the entire chain of distribution to find who first bought the firearm from a licensed dealer.

Because receiver blanks do not have markings or serial numbers, when firearms made from such receiver blanks are found at a crime scene, it is usually not possible to trace the firearm or determine its history, which hinders crime gun investigations and jeopardizes public safety.

Yes. Firearms that began as receiver blanks have been recovered after shooting incidents, from gang members, and from prohibited people after they have been used to commit crimes.

No. However, some private vendors may have them available for purchase.

A licensee must record the type of firearm as a “frame” or “receiver” (as applicable) in the acquisition and disposition (A&D) record and on the ATF Form 4473. The licensee must also include in any record the make, model, and serial number of the frame or receiver.

As a frame or receiver is neither a shotgun nor a rifle, a licensee is prohibited from selling or delivering a frame or receiver to any individual the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is less than 21 years of age.

[18 U.S.C. 922(b)(5), 27 CFR 478.11]

Yes, if the firearm is taken off the premises of the licensee. However, no disposition entry is required for the loan or rental of a firearm for use only on the premises of the licensee.

Licensees are required to keep records for armor piercing ammunition.

[18 U.S.C. 922(b)(5); 27 CFR 478.122, 478.123, and 478.125]

Dealer Acquisitions

Generally, for licensed dealers the purchase or other acquisition of a firearm shall be recorded not later than the close of the next business day after the date of the acquisition or purchase.

However, if commercial records containing the required information are available for inspection and are separate from other commercial documents, dealers have 7 days from the time of receipt to record the receipt in the acquisition and disposition (A&D) record.

Manufacturer Acquisitions

Each licensed manufacturer shall record each firearm manufactured or otherwise acquired not later than the 7th day following the date of such manufacture or other acquisition.

Importer Acquisitions

Each licensed importer shall within 15 days of the date of importation or other acquisition record the required information of each firearm imported or otherwise acquired.

Dispositions

All licensees shall record sales or other dispositions not later than 7 days following date of the transaction. If a disposition is made before the acquisition has been entered in the A&D record, the acquisition entry must be made at the same time as the disposition entry.

[18 U.S.C. 923(g)(1)(A); 27 CFR 478.122, 123, and 125]

Yes. A licensee is not limited to using only one “bound book.” It may be convenient for a licensee to account for different brands or types of firearms, or business activities (e.g., retail, pawn, or gunsmith inventories), in separate “bound books.”

Yes. The licensee may request an alternate method to maintain records.

[27 CFR 478.22, 478.122(c), 478.123(c), and 478.125(h)]

The firearms acquisition and disposition (A&D) record, also known as a “bound book”, is a permanently bound book or an orderly arrangement of loose-leaf pages which must be maintained at the business premises. The format must follow that prescribed in the regulations and the pages must be numbered consecutively.

[18 U.S.C. 923(g)(1)(A); 27 CFR 478.121 and 478.125]

The ATF letter authorizing the alternate method must be kept at the licensed premises and available for inspection. For businesses with more than a single licensed outlet, each outlet covered by the alternate method must have a copy of the letter authorizing the change.

[27 CFR 478.22, 478.122(c), 478.123(c), and 478.125(h)]

Yes, the explosives regulations contained in 27 CFR 555.121(a)(2) require all ATF explosives licensees/permittees to keep records required under Subpart G, for a minimum period of five years or until they discontinue business or operations. Under § 555.128 (OMB control number 1140-0102, expiration date 2-28-2026), these records must be delivered within 30 days after absolute discontinuance of business or operations (i.e., no successor licensee or permittee), to the local ATF Field Office or to the ATF Out–of–Business (OOB) Records Center at the following address: 

National Tracing Center
Out–of–Business Records Center
244 Needy Road
Martinsburg, WV 25405 

If any explosives records were maintained electronically pursuant to ATF Ruling 2007–1, ATF Ruling 2023-1, or an ATF-approved variance, these electronic records, in addition to any paper records, must be shipped/delivered to ATF as described above. Electronic explosives records may be 1) printed; 2) downloaded to a physical storage device (e.g., USB flash drive, DVD, CD); or 3) emailed to OOB Records Center at: NTC-OBRRReceivingSection@atf.gov, if the file size permits. Electronic records should be in PDF, ASCII text file, or MS Excel/CSV (comma separated value or other tab delimited file) format.

The regulations at 27 CFR Part 555 Subpart G - Records and Reports generally require that records pertaining to explosive materials be maintained on the business premises for 5 years from the date a transaction occurs or until discontinuance of business or operations. The definition of “business premises” at 27 CFR § 555.11 includes property where the explosives records are kept if different than the premises where explosive materials are manufactured, imported, stored, or distributed (for manufacturers, importers, or dealers) or where explosive materials are received or stored (for users).

Therefore, you may keep required records at an alternate location; however, any location where you maintain required records is also your business premises and so is subject to ATF inspection. Records should be located such that you are able to provide complete printed records during the ATF inspection in a manner that does not hinder the effective administration of the inspection process.