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WHAT YOU MUST KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY ANTIQUE GUNS

Collectable and curio firearms are a large and growing section of the firearms trade in the United States. However, before you buy antique guns, you should acquaint yourself with how the Bureau of Alcohol and Firearms (BATF) defines the term. Otherwise, you might find yourself in violation of federal law, which is never a good thing.

How the BATF defines antique firearms

According to its official web site, the bureau defines antique firearms in the following manner:

A.    As any firearm made during or before 1898, or

B.    As any replica of a firearm made during or before 1898, provided that such weapon –

a.    cannot, by design or modification, use either rimfire or centerfire ammunition; or

b.    can use rimfire or centerfire ammo, but none that are made in the United States AND commonly found in commercial trade within the United States.

C.     As any rifle, shotgun, or handgun which can only use black powder or black powder analogs, not fixed cartridge ammunition. However, this does not include any firearm that incorporates a receiver or frame. It also excludes modern weapons that have been converted into muzzleloaders, as well as any muzzleloader that can be altered to fire fixed cartridge ammunition by replacing standard components such as the bolt, breechblock, or barrel.

Explanation of clauses

  1. Sub-clause B exempts weapons designed to fire obscure or arcane calibers that are nearly impossible to find, such as .32 rimfire or .455 Webley.
  2. Clause C prohibits weapons that can be converted back and forth from muzzleloaders to conventional weapons, due to the presence of a firearm receiver or frame.

Dury’s: your source for quality guns of all types

Trust is essential in any type of business. Unfortunately, it can be in short supply among firearms sellers, due to the actions of a few unscrupulous dealers. You’ll never have those problems with Dury’s. We’ve been in business continuously since 1959, right here in San Antonio, TX. Add to that our rigorous inspection and testing of each weapon we sell, along with our lifetime guarantee, and you can see why you can buy antique guns from us in complete confidence, either in person or online. So browse our fine selection here on our site, then place your order today.