DraftDraft definitions, under editorial review. Informational content is not legal advice.
Draftfederal definition
For federal purposes, 26 U.S.C. section 5845(b) defines machinegun by automatic discharge of more than one shot, without manual reloading, through a single trigger function. [1] The definition also reaches specified frames or receivers, conversion components, and combinations of parts, so a completed firearm is not its only subject. [1] The Gun Control Act incorporates this NFA definition by reference. [2] The May 2026 tax rule identifies machineguns, together with destructive devices, as categories excluded from the new zero-dollar making and transfer rates. [3]
- 1. 26 U.S.C. section 5845, 2024 editionretrieved 2026-10-04
- 2. 18 U.S.C. section 921, 2024 editionretrieved 2026-10-04
- 3. ATF: Changes to National Firearms Act Tax Remittance Provisions, May 2026retrieved 2026-10-04
See also
- Gun Control ActDraft
The Gun Control Act of 1968 is the federal statutory framework governing firearms commerce, including licensing, importation, interstate transactions, and categories of persons subject to firearm restrictions.
- destructive deviceDraft
A statutory category defined in Penal Code section 16460 for specified provisions, encompassing several classes including explosive devices, certain projectiles, launching devices and firearms above a stated caliber threshold, subject to the section’s express qualifications and exclusions.
Terms that use machinegun
About this glossary
This entry is one of 153 defined terms in the CalGunHub glossary of California and federal firearm-law vocabulary. The 11 core terms are short plain-English definitions; the extended terms are cited research drafts, labelled as drafts, with their statutory sources listed under each entry. Every definition here is informational only and is not legal advice.
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