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Quick question
- Thread starter 2003flht
- Start date
oldgunsmith
New member
What you need the FFL for is to take possession of someone else's gun long enough to do it. If he stands there and watches you do it, no problem. But if he leaves the premises and leaves the gun in your possession the rules change.
As oldgunsmith said, you need an FFL to "take possession" of a firearm. If the barrel is already off of the firearm, you are not taking possession of a firearm, you are working on a piece of metal. What constitutes the "firearm" may be counter-intuitive to some people, but generally means the receiver or action of a firearm, the part with a serial number. If you are rebarreling a bolt action rifle, it would be the receiver, but if you are rebarreling an AR, the receiver is the lower receiver, and you do not have to take the "firearm" into possession to rebarrel it.
No it is not illegal to turn a barrel.
just as it is not illegal to true up an action.
As long as the owner gives/sends the barrel and action directly to the smith possession does not matter.
If there is a third party involved then yes possession would have to take place and to get the firearm back it would have to go through a FFL Dealer.
just as it is not illegal to true up an action.
As long as the owner gives/sends the barrel and action directly to the smith possession does not matter.
If there is a third party involved then yes possession would have to take place and to get the firearm back it would have to go through a FFL Dealer.
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I think the question was really whether someone (gunsmith or not) threading a barrel might be illegal. The answer could be yes. If the customer says or conveys the idea that he intends to install an unregistered suppressor, then threading the barrel is illegal since the worker knows he is an accessory to a crime.
But if he is simply asked to thread a barrel, and no questions are asked or answered, he is probably OK. How would anyone find out? If the customer puts on an illegal suppressor, and is caught, he will lose no time in telling ATF that "good old James K threaded the barrel and I told him what it was for and he didn't say it was illegal....."
Jim
But if he is simply asked to thread a barrel, and no questions are asked or answered, he is probably OK. How would anyone find out? If the customer puts on an illegal suppressor, and is caught, he will lose no time in telling ATF that "good old James K threaded the barrel and I told him what it was for and he didn't say it was illegal....."
Jim