Has anyone else been in this situation?

[Jack Kardic]

I've designed and simmed out in some engineering programs a new operating system design for a belt-fed automatic weapon, and the next step is physical prototyping. What sorts of paperwork is required to actually make this without getting a long vacation on Uncle Sam's dime?

My intent is to go into military sales, but only if it works as well as the sims say it should. It seems to be easier to get the permits as a corporation, but I don't want to have the permits specific to a corporation only to have the design not hold up to real-world stresses and have the corporation go insolvent. I can't even understand the paperwork required to create a new machine gun as an individual, at times it seems like it's not actually possible to do legally.

I guess I'm just looking for some advice from people with time in the business and/or experience dealing with the BATFE. Thanks.

[5pins]

This document may be helpful.

http://www.atf.gov/publications/download/p/atf-p-5320-8/atf-p-5320-8-chapter-7.pdf

My understanding is that you will need to get a manufacturing license and keep it as long as the machine gun is in your possession.

[BrimstoneGuns]

We were looking at doing this, and aside from the fact the insurance required to manufacture is crazy expensive, conflicts between the county's zoning and ATF regulations prevented us from getting our Type 07 FFL. As I understand it, you need all appropriate county zoning for full on, Colt scale manufacturing, a Type 07 FFL, your class 3 license, insurance for manufacturing, and approvial from the ATF for that design. At a minimum, that's all I know of, there's probably more. What we are doing is working with various local shops who DO have their Type 07, and contracting the work out to them. It's cheaper and easier for us to pay someone else to make the parts, and us to operate technically as dealers of our own product. If you can find someone you trust, I would probably recommend that route.

[BrimstoneGuns]

I suppose I should clarify, that's what you need if you're planning to sell it. If you're just going to make one for yourself, I'm not sure. You may want to give your local BATF field office a call. I may take some flack for this, but I've got to say that my local (Seattle) office has been very helpful on several occasions.