DraftDraft definitions, under editorial review. Informational content is not legal advice.
Draftfederal definition
ATF defines a privately made firearm, or PMF, as a firearm, including a frame or receiver, produced by someone other than a licensed manufacturer without that manufacturer’s serial number when it was produced. [1] The definition excludes specified firearms already identified and registered under the National Firearms Act and certain firearms made before October 22, 1968. [1] ATF also uses PMF as a licensee recordkeeping designation. [1] The term describes federal provenance and marking status; California’s serial-number application program is a separate state framework. [2]
- 1. ATF: Frame, receiver, and privately made firearm questionsretrieved 2026-10-04
- 2. California DOJ: Unique Serial Number Applicationretrieved 2026-10-04
See also
- frame or receiverDraft
ATF’s frame or receiver rule identifies the regulated housing or structure associated with a principal firing, breech, or sound-reduction component, depending on the firearm category.
- National Firearms ActDraft
The National Firearms Act originated in 1934 as a federal tax and registration statute for specified firearm categories, later amended by Congress.
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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