[grntitan]

Is it legal for a non-NFA semi atuomatic gun to fire from an open bolt? I was always under the impression that the simple fact a gun usues an open bolt firing design terms it a "NFA Machine Gun". I thought they had to be converted to fire semi auto from a closed bolt to be civilian non-NFA legal. In an arguement with a buddy over this. Educate me............

 

[trench12]

I believe you are correct. I can remember open bolt Mac's and KG's back in the eighties. The KG9 was reworked to closed bolt and renamed KG99. I can't think of any open bolts getting through Tech Services after those. Even the Yugo M53's (mg 42 clones) that are coming into Canada are closed bolt.

 

[hkg3k]

You're both correct.

Quote from wikipedia....

"In the U.S., the ATF made a ruling in 1982 that semi-automatic open bolt weapons are readily convertible to fully automatic fire, therefore such weapons manufactured after the date of this ruling are classed and controlled as fully automatic weapons (weapons manufactured prior to the ruling are grandfathered and are still considered semi-automatic)."

Open bolts semis are still around.....mainly Macs, but there are a few KG99 and some misc. .22 rifles. The OB Macs usually sell from anywhere from $1000 to $1500.

 

[grntitan]

Cool thanks..... I searched and read alot but could never find a definative answer one way or another. I remember stumbling upon the 1982 date several times. I never saw it broken down as how it applied.

 

[TOOLMAKER 251]

Matt. I think you already know a open bolt firing gun is a slam fire one. There is a fix firing pin protruding from the bolt face and it slams into the cartridge primer once it's chambered. This is a open bolt/SMG bolt assembly from a MAC.

 

[grntitan]

TOOLMAKER--I was pretty sure but wasn't positive all had fixed pins. The conversation started talking about whether an open bolt sub machine gun could be made legal by making it semi only. I said that the simple fact that it fires from an open bolt made it NFA applicable semi or not. I guess there are some predate exceptions. I'm pretty sure if you want to make an open bolt sub gun a semi auto only making it non-NFA it must also fire from a closed bolt. Yes or No???

 

[TOOLMAKER 251]

Matt, once a machine gun, always a machine gun. You could buy a parts kit from a machine gun minus the receiver and make a closed bolt firing semi. There is a small co. in Arizona that builds STEN look alike's from with parts from the real one that fire closed bolt semi. Another example is the AK and FAL parts kits where people build their own rifle from a new semi receiver which have to meet the ATF's requirements.

 

[grntitan]

TOOLMAKER--I thought an AK 47 and FN FAL already fired from a closed bolt or were you making reference on another point?

 

[TOOLMAKER 251]

My point was you can never make a machine gun a semiautomatic using the same receiver. The AK and FAL were once select fire machine guns, the receiver is destroyed and the remainder of the guns are sold as parts kits. You can build a rifle from the parts kits using a semi receiver. Just the receiver or registered sear is the machine gun. I think you were asking if a machine gun can be converted to fire semi only and be a non class lll weapon.

 

[grntitan]

TOOLMAKER---I understand your point now.

"I think you were asking if a machine gun can be converted to fire semi only and be a non class lll weapon"

Not really. I was more curious on the "Open Bolt". I just thought i heard onetime that the simple fact of the open bolt made it Class III. My friend and i were just having a hypothetical coversation and the open bolt came up. You know how a couple beers can turn a discussion into an arguement. LOL

Thanks for all of the info. I learned some things.