Automatic weapon

Regulation

Possession of automatic firearms tends to be restricted to members of military and law enforcement organizations in most developed countries, even in those that permit the civilian use of semi-automatic firearms. Where automatic weapons are permitted, restrictions and regulations on their possession and use may be far stricter than for other firearms. In the United States, taxes and strict regulations affect the manufacture and sale of fully automatic firearms under the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986. The latter of these acts banned civilian machine gun ownership, grandfathering in existing legally owned weapons. As legally owned weapons were registered under the NFA, this meant only previously registered automatic weapons may be purchased. A prospective user must go through an application process administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which requires a federal tax payment of $200 and a thorough criminal background check. The tax payment buys a revenue stamp, which is the legal document allowing possession of an automatic firearm. The use of a gun trust to register with the ATF has become an increasingly popular method of acquisition and ownership of automatic firearms.