Texas-Book-Gun Law Armed And Educated - Flipbook - Page 470
K. How can some after-market gun parts make your firearm
illegal?
A number of companies manufacture and sell gun products or parts
that alter the appearance or utility of a firearm (i.e., shoulder stocks,
forward hand grips, etc.). However, some of these after-market
products can actually change the firearm you possess from one type
of a weapon to another for legal purposes, whether you realize it
or not. As a result, many individuals make modifications to their
firearms thinking that because there was no special process for
purchasing the accessory, any modification would be in compliance
with the law. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Consider
the example of short-barreled uppers for AR-15s: selling, buying,
or possessing AR-15 “uppers” with barrels less than 16 inches is
legal. However, it is illegal to put the upper on a receiver of an
AR-15 because this would be the act of manufacturing a shortbarreled rifle and is legally prohibited. This is equally true of
vertical foregrips on a handgun. Vertical foregrips are legal to buy
or possess; however, if you actually install one on a handgun, you
have manufactured an AOW, and it is illegal, unless registered and
a tax paid.
III. PROCESS AND PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING NFA FIREARMS
A. Who can own and possess an NFA firearm?
Any person may own and possess an NFA firearm as long as they
are legally not disqualified to own or possess firearms and live in
a state that allows possession of NFA items. See Chapters 5 and
6. The ATF also allows for a non-person legal entity to own these
items, such as corporations, partnerships, and trusts, etc. On July
13, 2016, ATF Final Rule 41F went into effect and modified the
process for filing for a transfer or manufacture of an NFA weapon.
See 27 CFR §§ 479.61-479.71; 479.81-479.93.
What Is The National Firearms Act? | 459
