This is plagiarized. I am not the author.
The ownership of machineguns was first regulated at the federal level by the National Firearms Act of 1934. This act establishes the need for the approval of the Treasury to transfer or own a machine gun along with the payment of a $200.00 tax each time a weapon is transferred to or among individual collectors. In addition the weapons are registered in a federal database. These procedures remain in effect today as part of the federal tax code though they are administered by the Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
A second federal statute, The Firearms Owners' Protection Act of May 19, 1986, created two broad classes of automatic weapons. Guns manufactured and registered prior to the acts date which can be owned by civilians. These are called “transferable guns”. Those manufactured on or following the acts date are restricted to manufacturers, dealers and government entities. There are additional restrictions on dealers and manufactures which are not detailed here.
Certain states have additional requirements on machine gun ownership over and above the federal regulations noted above. Some states ban ownership totally. In Massachusetts, for instance, an additional state License To Possess A Machine Gun granted by the local police department is required. To qualify you must be a certified firearms instructor or bonafied collector of firearms.
The first step in ownership is to locate the transferable firearm of your choice via a qualified dealer in your state. You may then begin the transfer process but may not take possession of the firearm until the transfer is approved. The entire process can take a few months to complete.
The transfer process involves submitting an application with photographs and fingerprints signed by your local Chief Law Enforcement Officer to the Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with a $200.00 transfer tax payment. Upon completion of a federal background check the Bureau will approve or deny the application. If approved a copy of the application is returned to you with the required tax stamp attached. At this point you may take possession of the firearm from the dealer.
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Now that we've cleared up that irrelevant issue, I direct your attention to the fact that it is semiautomatic weapons that are the focus of the proposed legislation.