NFA
NFA class 3
We are Jacksonville’s premiere class 3 dealer. Gun Gallery keeps a wide variety of NFA items in stock and best of all, offers one stop registration for your new NFA firearm. This means that if you purchase an NFA item from us we will not send you all over town to get the required fingerprints and photos for your application. We do it all right here in the store. If you have a desire to get into the class 3 game, come and see us or give us a call. We can explain everything you need to know to start the process. And please continue reading this page for answers to some of our more frequently asked questions.
The NFA stands for the National Firearms Act. It went into law in 1934 and put restrictions on certain firearms. Firearms controlled by the NFA are machine guns, short barrel rifles and shotguns, silencers, and a small category called Any Other Weapons. A $200 tax is imposed on the transfer of NFA firearms except for AOW’s that have a $5 tax.
It may sound like a difficult process to purchase an NFA firearm but it really isn’t. The first step in the process is to actually purchase an NFA item. Once you have made the purchase we will do the required paperwork, take pictures, and take your fingerprints. After that, we are just waiting for the ATF to approve your transfer. The wait is long and it is always changing, but we try to make it a little easier by letting you use your NFA items on our ranges. Once we call you to pick up your purchase the only thing you have to do is fill out an ATF form 4473 and you can take your purchase home.
You may have done some reading elsewhere or asked someone about obtaining Class 3 items. We encourage this, but we have come across a few myths that just won’t go away. Allow us to do our part in dispelling these myths.
Myth #1 You have to get a trust to get an NFA firearm. There was a time a few years back when the easiest way to obtain an NFA firearm was to have a trust. Those days are over. It is now easy to obtain an NFA firearm without a trust.
Myth #2 If you don’t have a trust no one else can use your NFA firearm. It is true that someone other than the registered owner of an NFA firearm can not be in possession of it. But the ATF has never said that merely using the item is possession. Can you give it to your buddy to take to the range? No, that would be possession. Can you and your friend go to the range together and you let him shoot your item? Yes, that is perfectly fine.
Myth #3 If I don’t have a trust when I die my NFA firearm has to be turned over to the ATF and they will destroy it. Not true. When you pass away NFA items that are not held in trust will be handled just like any other property you own. The beneficiary of the NFA items will have to send the ATF a Form 5, but they are not difficult to complete and there is no tax imposed.
Myth #4 If you own an NFA firearm the ATF can enter your house whenever they want. The ATF can not just enter your home. A search warrant or probable cause would be required for this to happen. The ATF can audit your NFA firearms, but this can be done at a different location at a time that is agreeable to you.
Myth #5 You can’t take your NFA firearm out of state. You can take an NFA firearm out of state but you must have prior approval from the ATF. An ATF form 5320.20 is used to do this and no tax is imposed. There are some differences with silencers, but that is beyond the scope of this page.
Myth #6 You can’t take your NFA firearm to a different state if you have to travel through a state where NFA firearms are illegal. Not true, but be careful, police in these states tend to not be aware of this law. There are a few considerations you must be aware of if you plan on passing through a nonfriendly NFA state. We suggest reading up on the Gun Owners Protection Act of 1986. If you have further questions contact us, we are happy to help.