Read and HeedHere are the rules of our board. Please follow them.
This board is for the making and shooting of blackpowder mortars and cannons that meet ATF's description of an antique or replica of an antique. You will find Links to ATF's various descriptions in our FAQ's and references posted at the top of the board.
We as moderators will enforce this rule as
we understand ATF's definition. We are not Lawyers. We are going to go with what we know and understand. This is for your protection as well as ours. We do not want this forum to become the hunting grounds for rookie ATF Agents trying to make their reputation. The Veterans aren’t going to bother us as they are to busy looking for real crooks.
If you wish to provide us with a letter from ATF defining whatever other device you wish to discuss as an antique we will allow the discussion. Provide the letter first.
That being said this is what we accept on this forum.
1. Any firearm not designed or redesigned for using rim fire or conventional center fire ignition with fixed ammunition
and
2. Manufactured in or before 1898...or replica thereof, whether actually manufactured before or after the year 1898)
or
3. Any firearm using fixed ammunition manufactured in or before 1898, for which ammunition is no longer manufactured in the United States and is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade.
These rules are not subject to debate.
We also are not going to have a debate over what the GCA and NFA says or doesn't say. There is already to much misinformation on the internet and we are not going to add to it. Tim and I are not Lawyers and not qualified to give legal advice on the GCA or NFA. Please see your nearest U.S. Attorney for legal advice on the GCA or NFA
We did make the rules for the board and we are the experts on those rules and the final arbitor of them.
When Tim or I post a message that says this is or is not permitted that is the final decison, not subject to appeal. You might send us an off line message and tell us how you think what ever subject is being discussed fits within our rules, but we aren't interested in arguing.
WE will delete any post citing interpretations of the GCA and NFA so they don't become a source of misinformations. Exception bonafide press releases from an accredit authority concerning our blackpowder cannons
Discuss cannons that meet the above rules, don't debate the law on our board.
Just as further point. WE have always allowed shotgun blank signal guns, carbide cannons, firecracker and other such tradtional noise makers as within the spirit of our board. They will continue to be allowed. The exotic and unsafe is not welcomed.
Stokes Mortar Click on this link for a explanation of why the Stokes Mortar is not allowed on this board.
Stokes MortarDitto.
There are places where you may interpret the law differently than us. That's ok for you to do that. The COURT's intrepretation may also be different than yours (or ours).
That is ONE of the reasons for us taking what may seem to be a rigid stand on this; it is better to err on the side of caution than find out differently from a judge.
A comment from a non-moderator:
If you are at all approaching the edges of the obviously permitted, the best approach is not developing a novel interpretation of the law/rules but writing a letter to the ATF asking for permission to do what you want to do, giving a complete explanation of what you want to do. They will eventually reply with explanations of the law and examples that elaborate on their position so you can understand what they are allowing and what they won't allow. The advantage of this process is you end up with a document saying that they have explicitly permitted whatever they have permitted and you can wave a copy of this at any ambitious agent who may try to exercise some "enforcement" upon you.
