Foothills Fire Arms

CAN I REALLY OWN A MACHIINE GUN/SILENCER/SHORT BARRELLED RIFLE?
The simple answer is YES! The process is not difficult at all it just takes money and patience! Come in and we can discuss exactly what products you desire and what performance specifications you need. Price is always a concern but when dealing with the “Class III” weapons family there exists a false market that has been created by certain laws. Supply and demand are the name of the game here, since no new machine guns are allowed to be sold to civilians only those registered prior to 1986 they have become increasingly expensive and are generally out of the range of the casual shooter. However Suppressors and short-barreled rifles can be purchased new and that makes them really quite reasonable!
The process begins with choosing your item. That is where my real world experience and know how come in handy. I’m not just some guy who knew some guy that said he shot one once, not only was I issued them, I own and shoot class III weapons! After paying for the item you will fill out a U.S. Citizen affidavit form and two copies of a form 4, attach two passport sized photos to the back of the form 4’s and go to your Chief Law Enforcement Officer (A Sheriff or Chief of Police) to be fingerprinted and have the package signed. Once the C.L.E.O. has signed it, send it to the B.A.T.F.E. with a check for $200.00. When the ATF completes their background search they will send back one copy of the form 4 with your Tax Stamp on it! When you receive your form 4 back come in and fill out a 4473 and the item is yours forever! The 200-dollar tax is a one time only fee. This usually takes between 1 to 3 months for completion, again the money and patience thing.
Now obviously if you look like a dirt-bag or actually ARE a dirt-bag the C.L.E.O. is probably not going to be all that enthusiastic about signing off on your form 4. I know it sounds harsh, but that’s life and I’m not going to waste his time or mine.

Here are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions….

“How quiet are these silencers?”

“I’m on Active Duty stationed here can I buy a silencer?

“I already have a pistol can I just get this one threaded?”

“Can I save money by purchasing just one suppressor for all my guns?”

“I want to add a Short Barreled Upper to my AR-15 can I just order it?”

“I’m from Canada and would like to buy a class III weapon, can I?”

“I’m a Liberal Democrat from California who wants to ban all guns can I buy one of these items?"

There is no such thing as a “silencer” the proper term for them is suppressor, as for the quietness of them each “can” has it’s own sound signature and performance specifications, but for an example a good 22 suppressor on a pistol will sound like a heavy duty staple gun! A good can on a 223 sounds something like disconnecting a live air hose. The rule of thumb is that any decent can should allow you to clearly hear the bullet impact, while keeping the noise level under 140 decibels which is the OSHA rating for peak sounds to damage hearing. Remember if the bullet is super sonic you WILL have a sonic crack, but it is still much quieter than shooting without one. You can also use sub-sonic ammo for the quietest shots.

Yes with a set of PCS orders showing that you have been here for 91 days you are considered a resident! However if you later get stationed in a state that does not allow Class III weapons, you will have to make some arrangements for storage.

Yes we can provide you with threaded barrels for most host guns, but please use some common sense, your not going to pay for a new threaded Bbl and suppressor for an EL CHEAPO gun that your uncle Fred had stuck under the seat of his 67 pick-up truck!
This will be part of the decision making process that we go through with you, and some of the most fun as you custom design exactly what weapon system YOU want!

Sometimes, there is some crossover utilization among the different calibers again this is where our guidance is most appreciated.

Not legally, if you are already in possession of a standard AR-15 lower you would have to register it with the B.A.T.F.E. first then have it re-engraved; we can help you with this service.

My shop policy is that you must be a U.S. Citizen to purchase Class III weapons.

There are many more questions regarding the sale/transfer and ownership of Class III weapons and we are happy to answer them if you come in to talk with us. It is our store policy to discuss and answer all questions concerning Class III weapons in person and not over the telephone. Some really useful sites on the web are the web sites gem-tech.com and subguns.com. Also the B.A.T.F.E. website is an excellent place to go to read about the laws at atf.treas.gov