The NFA is a tax and has been upheld under Congresses taxing authority. When the tax became zero and no revenue was collected, a Federal Court ruled that Congress had no authority to run the registration and prior approval apparatus that was used to prove tax compliance. Lot's of complicated stuff about injunctions applying only to plaintiffs and orgs, but the DOJ did not appeal, and now the ATF has said they are making this uniform. This does not change state laws that under State statute make it a crime to have such items or to have such items that are not registered.
I am not a lawyer, but I am generally interested in firearms and firearms law.
A reasonably good source is Mark Smith on YouTube. He is an attorney.
Hope this helps.
rietta•14m ago
Most interesting for most people, in States where there is no specific NFA law, one can now buy a firearm suppressor (which softens the report but does not make it whisper quiet) just like any other firearm. Same normal form. Not paying a $200 excise tax and submitting fingerprints and other NFA mandates to the Federal government prior to purchase.
EA-3167•8m ago
For context for people who have little experience with firearms, suppressors are a form of hearing protection or perhaps you can say sound mitigation. As you say they're nothing at all like their depictions in movies or games, that classic sound sample is a raygun noise chopped and compressed with NOTHING in common with the real sound profile.
Unfortunately much like "rag with chloroform" or "killer with a black glove" became stock images in movies, "Gun with a silencer means a PROFESSIONAL KILLER" is a pure invention.
giardini•36m ago
rietta•15m ago
I am not a lawyer, but I am generally interested in firearms and firearms law.
A reasonably good source is Mark Smith on YouTube. He is an attorney.
Hope this helps.
rietta•14m ago
EA-3167•8m ago
Unfortunately much like "rag with chloroform" or "killer with a black glove" became stock images in movies, "Gun with a silencer means a PROFESSIONAL KILLER" is a pure invention.