Because that is not how I would describe the experience. Especially for registered machine guns. Also, it’s $200 except for AOW which is $5.
- Live in a Class 3 friendly state (so no living in California and then flying to Alaska for a trip)
- Form the gun trust (good idea).
- get yourself and any other controlling parties fingerprinted (the special way the ATF wants)
- get passport photos of yourself and any other controlling parties
- fill out the form 4 just right in the esoteric way they need
- then submit it all and wait 6 months to a year for them to return the stamped paperwork so you can actually possess the item. If you did everything right.
- if you messed something up, either redo it and go back to the front of the line, or (if you’re lucky) amend it ASAP when the examiner reaches out to you randomly when they find the problem.
Oh and a beat up but transferable M16 is what, $20-30k right now? More if in better condition?
That may not seem like a lot of paperwork to you, but for most Americans it definitely is. Oh, and you need to carry the stamped form 4 with you in the field, in case a cop runs across you and wants to be sure it’s legal.
Also, way outside the actual use case here, which is something to drag around in wilderness conditions that will make an angry polar bear stop trying to eat you at a moments notice. Preferably that can be abused and mistreated without causing problems too.
Which a $500 pump 12 gauge shotgun you can buy over the counter at any gun store is quite capable of doing very well with decent ammo.
And won’t require a 5320.20 be submitted (and take a month or more to get back to you) if you want to cross state lines.
Also, Canada is generally okay with pump shotguns, not with machine guns (registered in the US or not), and a lot of folks going to Alaska want to be able to drive over the border at some point.
I’m really curious what the odds would be of anyone making a fuss in legit polar bear territory though, hah.
Because that is not how I would describe the experience. Especially for registered machine guns. Also, it’s $200 except for AOW which is $5.
- Live in a Class 3 friendly state (so no living in California and then flying to Alaska for a trip)
- Form the gun trust (good idea).
- get yourself and any other controlling parties fingerprinted (the special way the ATF wants)
- get passport photos of yourself and any other controlling parties
- fill out the form 4 just right in the esoteric way they need
- then submit it all and wait 6 months to a year for them to return the stamped paperwork so you can actually possess the item. If you did everything right.
- if you messed something up, either redo it and go back to the front of the line, or (if you’re lucky) amend it ASAP when the examiner reaches out to you randomly when they find the problem.
Oh and a beat up but transferable M16 is what, $20-30k right now? More if in better condition?
That may not seem like a lot of paperwork to you, but for most Americans it definitely is. Oh, and you need to carry the stamped form 4 with you in the field, in case a cop runs across you and wants to be sure it’s legal.
Also, way outside the actual use case here, which is something to drag around in wilderness conditions that will make an angry polar bear stop trying to eat you at a moments notice. Preferably that can be abused and mistreated without causing problems too.
Which a $500 pump 12 gauge shotgun you can buy over the counter at any gun store is quite capable of doing very well with decent ammo.
And won’t require a 5320.20 be submitted (and take a month or more to get back to you) if you want to cross state lines.
Also, Canada is generally okay with pump shotguns, not with machine guns (registered in the US or not), and a lot of folks going to Alaska want to be able to drive over the border at some point.
I’m really curious what the odds would be of anyone making a fuss in legit polar bear territory though, hah.
(Apparently, yes I am that kind of nerd too)