NFA Items: Rules for Suppressors, SBRs, and More

The National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934 imposes additional registration, taxation, and transfer requirements on a specific category of firearms and accessories. Understanding NFA rules is critical before attempting any transfer of regulated items.

What is covered by the NFA?

• Suppressors (silencers)
• Short-barreled rifles (SBRs) — rifles with a barrel under 16 inches or overall length under 26 inches
• Short-barreled shotguns (SBSs) — shotguns with a barrel under 18 inches or overall length under 26 inches
• Machine guns (any firearm capable of firing more than one round per trigger pull)
• Destructive devices (grenades, explosives, certain large-bore firearms)
• Any Other Weapons (AOW) — a catch-all category for certain firearms that don't fit other categories

The NFA transfer process

Transferring an NFA item requires ATF Form 4 (or Form 5 for tax-exempt transfers). The process involves submitting fingerprints, passport photos, a $200 tax stamp (for most categories; $5 for AOW), and passing a NICS check.

Current NFA transfer wait times average 6–12 months, though this varies significantly with ATF backlog. Electronic Form 4 submissions have faster processing than paper.

Machine guns: a special category

Machine guns manufactured before May 19, 1986 may be transferred between civilians (in states that permit it) as 'transferable' or 'pre-86' machine guns. No new machine guns may be added to the civilian registry. Transferable machine guns carry significant premiums — a common M16 lower can sell for $20,000+.

GatSwap and NFA items

GatSwap is working toward supporting NFA item trades, but the complexity of the transfer process means it requires specialized handling. If you want to trade an NFA item, contact support to discuss options. Attempting to list NFA items through the standard trade flow is not currently supported and will be flagged.