How is 50 years old determined for C&R purposes?

[Three Foot Johnson]

I have a Marlin 1894s .44-40 I'm thinking of selling, and the first two numbers of the s/n, 25, put its date of manufacture as 1975. So, without knowing the exact date it was made, just when is it C&R eligible? 12:01 am, January 1st, 2025? The exact date of manufacture in 1975? December 31st, 2025 just to be on the safe side?

 

From the ATF website: 1. Firearms which were manufactured at least 50 years prior to the current date, but not including replicas of such firearms;

 

OK, that seems pretty plain, so without knowing the exact date of manufacture, it would have to be December 31st, 2025 to be on the safe side, right? What about the last part of that sentence, "not including replicas of such firearms"? Uberti, and others, were making replicas of cartridge guns before that time, so a 50 year old Uberti reproduction of a Colt SAA or 1873 rifle can't qualify for C&R status?

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

I often wondered what is distinguishes a curio from a relic. I'll be a curio I guess, as I do not consider myself a relic, next March. There are no replicas available.

[Alpo]

The strange thing, to my mind, is how they don't follow their own rules.

 

The receiver is the gun. The part with the serial number on it is the gun. I can't put a 1911 in the box and mail it to somebody. It's against the rules. But I can detail strip it and put all the parts of it, except the receiver, in a box and mail them. They're not the gun. The receiver is the gun.

 

So a C&R has to be at least 50 years old. If I have a 1903 Springfield that was made in 1924, it is C&R. No problem. But if I take that same 1903 Springfield, that was still made in 1924 and is therefore 100 years old, and I rebarrel it and rechamber it to 35 whelen, it is no longer C&R. Because it has to be in original condition.

 

But the receiver is the gun, isn't it? And the receiver was made 100 years ago, wasn't it? So doesn't that mean the gun is over 50 years old?

 

Apparently not.

 

Well how about this? My 1903 Springfield that was made in 1924 - it was sent off to Pachmyar Gun Works back in 1957, where it was turned into a beautiful hunting rifle.

 

Yes it is no longer the way it was made in 1924. But it was made into the hunting rifle in 1957, which is more than 50 years ago. Would not that make it C&R?

 

No one seems to know.

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

Welcome to the land , of the UNKNOWN 

 

  CB 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

8 hours ago, Dirty Dan Dawkins said:

I often wondered what is distinguishes a curio from a relic. I'll be a curio I guess, as I do not consider myself a relic, next March. There are no replicas available.

3FJ is a relic for sure 

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

2 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

3FJ is a relic for sure 

And a curio!

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

14 hours ago, Alpo said:

The strange thing, to my mind, is how they don't follow their own rules.

This IS the Federal Government we're talking about.