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National Firearms Act (NFA)

The National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) requires the registration, with the federal government, of fully-automatic firearms (termed “machineguns”), rifles and shotguns that have an overall length under 26 inches, rifles with a barrel under 16 inches, shotguns with a barrel under 18 inches, and firearm sound suppressors (termed “silencers”). The Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) placed “destructive devices” (primarily explosives and the like, but also including firearms over .50 caliber, other than most shotguns) under the provisions of the NFA. In 1994, the Treasury Department placed revolving-cylinder shotguns and one semi-automatic shotgun under the NFA.

The GCA prohibited the importation of fully-automatic firearms for private purposes and a 1986 amendment to the Act prohibited the domestic manufacture of fully-automatics for private purposes. However, short-barreled rifles and shotguns have becoming increasingly popular for home defense and defensive-skills-based marksmanship training and competitions, and sound suppressors have become increasingly popular for marksmanship training and competitions, and for hunting.

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News  

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Vermont: Bill would repeal ban on suppressors

State Rep. Pat Brennan (R-Colchester) introduced a bill in the State Legislature to repeal the ban on silencers ...

Friday, December 13, 2013

Comments Reveal Strong Opposition to Proposed Rule on NFA Trusts

In September, we reported on the Obama administration's ill-conceived regulatory proposal to further complicate the already burdensome process ...

News  

Monday, October 28, 2013

Ohio: Move is afoot to make suppressors legal for hunting

Over time, one almost certain casualty of hunting will be a shooter's hearing."I wish I had half the ...

News  

Friday, October 11, 2013

BATFE Solicits Comments on Poorly-Conceived NFA Transfer Proposal

As we previously reported, the Obama administration, via the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, has proposed a new ...

Friday, September 6, 2013

Obama Misses the Mark with Overbroad NFA Background Check Proposal

On August 29, the White House announced what it claimed was a “common sense” executive action to “keep ...

Hunting  

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Suppressors are now legal for hunting in North Carolina

For decades, the closest most people got to a gun suppressor – those metal cylinders that reduce a ...

Hunting  

Monday, March 18, 2013

Indiana: Pro-Hunting Reform Bill Advances Out of Senate Committee

Today, the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed House Bill 1563, legislation that would repeal Indiana’s current prohibition on ...

Monday, March 18, 2013

Indiana: Pro-Hunting Reform Bill Advances Out of Senate Committee

Today, the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed House Bill 1563, legislation that would repeal Indiana’s current prohibition on ...

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Feinstein Goes For Broke With New Gun-Ban Bill

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)—author of the federal “assault weapon” and “large” ammunition magazine ban of 1994-2004—has announced that ...

News  

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Sen. Feinstein proposes semi-auto ban; includes 1-feature test, registration

Sen. Feinstein has released a summary of her legislation banning popular semi-automatic firearms. The proposal is far more ...

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NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.