How to Avoid the Legal Pitfalls of a Transferrable H&K Auto Sear
Forgotten Weapons
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One of the particularly popular transferrable machine guns out there is the H&K auto sear. Since H&K grip and trigger assemblies are interchangeable between 9mm, 5.56mm, and 7.62x51mm guns (ie, MP5, HK33, and G3) a single registered full-auto grip assembly can allow someone to effectively have three machine guns for the price of one (albeit only one at a time). However, there are some potentially very expensive and dangerous pitfalls for someone acquiring one of these without a full understanding of the law and the technical details.
In short, an H&K upper receiver that has the ability to fit a factory full-auto grip assembly is considered a machine gun by ATF, just like an AR lower with the third pin hole drilled. If you have a registered standard factory full-auto grip, any gun it can attach to is also by definition a machine gun. Instead, the proper way to do this is to register a grip assembly that is modified to fit onto factory semiauto receivers. This sounds pedantic and strange - and it is - but it is a complex and tricky area of law and ATF rule making. If you are planning to put tens of thousands of dollars into a transferrable H&K, you really ought to have a clear understanding of these issues before you make a purchase!
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