"Dealer", And "Gunsmith" all refer to you!

William Grubb

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Nov 10, 2006
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Haubstadt ,In
Do you need a license to engrave a firearm?
That would be a "YES".
According to the BATF Guidelines for Firearms Engravers.
A license is needed to engrave, customize, refinish,or repair a firearm.

A person conducting such activities as a business is considered to be a gunsmith within the definition of a dealer. (27 CFR 178.11)
For current information go to http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/index.htm
 

Tira

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Doylestown, PA
You can engrave on any gun(s) you own. There are also many gun parts that you can buy/engrave/sell/etc. without an FFL like grip caps, sights, ovals, etc. If you have someone else's receiver with serial numbers on it, then the ATF wants you to have the FFL and keep records. Also, black powder guns are not regulated. I found this out because someone wanted me to engrave his cannon. Believe it or not, because the cannon was a black powder weapon, the ATF didn't care what I did with it when I called them. Go figure..... Now how am I going to get that in the vise????
 

Glenn

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Tira, are you going to give the cannon owner the same good deal you gave the bell owner? You must keep us informed as this project goes forth.
 

Tira

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Andrew and Glenn,

The cannon project came up about a year ago and I passed on it. It was made of 300 series stainless and that coupled with the customer's time frame (2 weeks) made it impractical for me to do. The size of the cannon was about 18 inches long and a couple inches wide and it weighed about 35 lbs. from what I remember.

When I called the ATF about this project I thought for sure they would regulate "cannons" and tell me that I shouldn't take possession of it. They were not concerned about it unless.... it would shoot a potato. If it was supposed to shoot a potato then they wanted to know about it, but because it was just your ordinary run of the mill "cannon" that activates with black powder.... that was not their business....:rolleyes:
 
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monk

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i have observed ( with much joy ) potatos being launched by a variety of makeshift cannons. if one were to be lambasted by one of these low velocity spuds, don't go to the er- go directly to necrology. those things would whack you into next year !
 

Swede

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Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Messages
72
Tira brings up a good point. Therre is only ONE part/component of a gun that the Feds consider a "gun", and require an FFL. That is 98% of the time the reciever. You can exchange, mail, engrave anything else except the reciever without the slightest problem. Additionally, if the firearm is a muzzleloader/black powder weapon, including cannons, they are completely unregulated on a federal level. You can have a 20,000 lb civil war coastal defense cannon in your backyard if you want to, and your city/state doesn't prohibit it, but a POTATO GUN! <GASP> Look out! :p
 
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