What does "curio & relic eligible" mean?

A

AmadeusM

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With respect to firearms? Are these usable, i.e. firing pieces?

Thank you, and pardon my ignorance.
 
these are usable pieces, the C&R license is a little less expensive than a full on FFL, in order to buy the C&R piece you have to go through a dealer with an FFL, or a dealer with a C&R, or have a C&R yourself. Also C&R pieces tend to not fit the 10 parts made in USA requirement for certain weapons (i.e HK-91 clones as long as semi-auto must have at least 10 parts made in US to be legal, at least they did). C&R may have bayonet lugs, folding stocks, grenade launchers etc....most are old millitary weapons from all over the world.
 
If you have a C&R license (which is $30 and a bit of paperwork), you can purchase C&R eligible firearms from a dealer and have them shipped right to your home. You don't have to go through a local FFL. If you deal directly with the dealer (at a gunshow, for example), you don't have to fill out a 4473 or do a NICS check. As stated earlier, C&R firearms are mostly old military guns, 50 years or more old.

You do have to maintain your own paperwork (in what is called a "bound book") for all of the C&R guns you buy and sell. A C&R is not a license to be a dealer, only a collector. You're not supposed to buy guns just for resale.

There are also some gun supply dealers (including Brownells) who give discounts to licensed dealers, and include C&Rs. This can save you a fortune.
 
So, are these more or less (or same?) restrictive than modern semi-auto rifles? I saw some ads in Shotgun News and I was considering getting one (SKS in particular) as they are cheap.

So, I need to get some license, or..?

Thanks again.
 
Military surplus rifles and pistols can only be imported if the Feds have classed them as Curios & Relics, so if you want to buy an SKS you're in luck -- they're all C&Rs. :cool:

Once you get your C&R collector license you can buy C&Rs mail order, just as everyone could buy any legal gun mail order before the 1968 Gun Control Act. There's a basic overview at http://www.fo.com/firearms/sgn-cr.htm

If all you want is one SKS the question is whether you'll save enough on it to pay for the cost of your C&R collector license -- but if you're likely to buy other guns over the next few years it's definitely a good deal.
 
So a legal purchase at a gun show would bypass those additional expenses, no?

Thanks.
 
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