What makes a rifle regulated vs non?

I'm sorry if this has been covered but I couldn't find anything with a search.

So what makes a rifle regulated? Why aren't HBAR AR's regulated but all else are? Why aren't AR 10's regulated? Why isn't the IWI Tavor regulated? Lastly, is there a list where you can see which rifles are regulated? Again, sorry if its been covered. I had a hard time figuring out a way to word my question for a search.

Its arbitrary - don't try to "figure it out"

Here is the List.

http://www.mdsp.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=835OWi-sH2U=&

It was drawn up in the early 90s, before the '94 AWB. It is my understanding that it can only be changed by legislation, any way, I do not believe it has changed since then. That's why so many guns mentioned have not been available in twenty years or more, such as the "Terry" or the "Calico". That's also the reason why newer guns such as the Tavor and others, are not on the List. The List is a relic, frozen in time.

By the way, the "Bushmaster" it mentions is not the brand name of AR clones. The List reflects an age when the Bushmaster Company did not make ARs. The Bushmaster on the List is this little-known bullpup: piece of shite almost no one has ever heard of before:





EDIT- Incorrect Image removed to reduce confusion. See post # 18 below. Post #6 shows the bullpup,
Correct image substituted.




Why is the HBAR exempt?
Twenty or twenty-five years ago, Colt was the principal maker of AR15s, and the Colt HBAR was the favored AR15 among serious competitive rifle shooters. It was the standard target version, and I would guess it was exempted by amendment, when it was pointed out that competitors between 18 and 20 would be particularly burdened by the legislation.

Don't try to make sense of these things. The legislators don't know, and they really don't care. They just want to legislate something.


Apparently the List was literally drawn up by some legislative staffers, who flipped through a Gun Digest or something, looking at the pictures, and selected the scary-looking ones. Senator Feinstein has confirmed that HER list was drawn up in that very way, when she sent a couple aides out to buy a few Guns and Ammo magazines. Everything she knows about guns is based on a handful of magazines, and I think she's proud of that fact.

I'm not sure of the exact relationship between the official Maryland List, and Diane Feinstein's.

The regulated list goes back decades (forget if it's from the 80's or 90's). If it looked scary, it got put on the list. The HBAR was an exemption because of it's use in competition.

The Tavor isn't regulated because it didn't exist when the list was compiled.

What did you search for? I just searched "what makes a rifle regulated" and a few threads popped up on the first page that already answered the question. Like this one, for example: http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=116945

Threeband said:

Here is the List.

http://www.mdsp.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=835OWi-sH2U=&

It was drawn up in the early 90s, before the '94 AWB. It is my understanding that it can only be changed by legislation, any way, I do not believe it has changed since then. That's why so many guns mentioned have not been available in twenty years or more, such as the "Terry" or the "Calico". That's also the reason why newer guns such as the Tavor and others, are not on the List. The List is a relic, frozen in time.

By the way, the "Bushmaster" it mentions is not the brand name of AR clones. The List reflects an age when the Bushmaster Company did not make ARs. The Bushmaster on the List is this little-known bullpup:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushmaster_M17S

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Thanks for breaking that down for me. I appreciate the info!

aireyc said:

What did you search for? I just searched "what makes a rifle regulated" and a few threads popped up on the first page that already answered the question. Like this one, for example: http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=116945

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I guess I tried to make it too complicated. Victim of over thinking when in hindsight the question was rather simple.

Some asshat in Annapolis....

Wow... the Tommy gun is on the list. Has that ever been used in a crime since the Al Capone era. Regarding AR15s, it says the exception is the "Colt AR-15 Sporter H-BAR rifle". Are you all sure non Colt H-BARs will be exempt? That sounds pretty specific.

The "Auto-Ordnance Thompson" on the List is the semi-auto civilian version. Basically the 1990 version of this thing: http://www.auto-ordnance.com/Firearms/Thompson-T1.asp
The real Thompson is regulated under the 1935 NFA. It is legal in Maryland with ATF tax stamp and annual Maryland machine gun registration.

As for non-Colt HBARs, notice the "and copies" wording. The MSP has left that pretty much up to individual dealers to decide. Many dealers will sell any HBAR as cash and carry, and the MSP has had no problem with that.

Hellrazr78 said:

So what makes a rifle regulated?

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Retarded jackwagons with absolutely no firearms knowledge whatso****ingever arbitrarily deciding something looks too evil and scary and that "nobody needs one of those."

armed ferret said:

Retarded jackwagons with absolutely no firearms knowledge whatso****ingever arbitrarily deciding something looks too evil and scary and that "nobody needs one of those."

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So much truth here it hurts.

armed ferret said:

Retarded jackwagons with absolutely no firearms knowledge whatso****ingever arbitrarily deciding something looks too evil and scary and that "nobody needs one of those."

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Yeah that really does sum it up.

Threeband said:

The Bushmaster on the List is this little-known bullpup

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Wrong. The M17S is NOT the rifle on the list. The Bushmaster rifle on the list is the Gwinn Firearms gun that substantially pre-dates the M17S. The M17S actually has an interesting history of avoiding being banned because it came out like two weeks before the AWB went into effect.

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Dave T said:

Wow... the Tommy gun is on the list. Has that ever been used in a crime since the Al Capone era. Regarding AR15s, it says the exception is the "Colt AR-15 Sporter H-BAR rifle". Are you all sure non Colt H-BARs will be exempt? That sounds pretty specific.

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Like M1A/M14 rifles are commonly used in crimes.

When the list was drawn up, it was by name only. But in the Colt AR 15 section, they added the language of copies and imitations as other brand ARs were showing up. The HBAR did not have the language, as it was the only HBAR.

Later, after some of the manufacturers changed the name of their firearms to get around the regulations (if the list banned the AR-15, if you now made an AR-55, it wasn't covered), they added overriding language (in front of the list, applying to the whole list) that covers copies and imitations.

So that additional language allows all copies and imitations of the HBAR to be exempted.

armed ferret said:

Retarded jackwagons with absolutely no firearms knowledge whatso****ingever arbitrarily deciding something looks too evil and scary and that "nobody needs one of those."

Click to expand...

Rusty Shackleford said:

So much truth here it hurts.

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I was going there but he beat me to it.

Hellrazr78 said:

What makes a rifle regulated vs non?

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Your state of residence. Allot of states don't have "regulated rifles" Maryland gun laws blow.

It all comes down to this, and any other explanation will either make your head tilt to the side like a confused dog, or will make you want to rip your hair out in complete frustration.

And the answer to what makes a rifle regulated in MD:

If you have to give the MSP a $10 check to receive it, then it's regulated. If you don't its not.

erwos said:

Wrong. The M17S is NOT the rifle on the list. The Bushmaster rifle on the list is the Gwinn Firearms gun that substantially pre-dates the M17S....

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The important point I want to make:

The "Bushmaster" named on the List is a very obscure rifle not manufactured for many years. It is not an AR15. The List does not regulate everything bearing the Bushmaster brand name. I think some people think it does. We must not allow that misconception to take hold.



But you are 100% right. The "Bushmaster" is not the bullpup: it is an almost unknown rifle that looks like this:






Here is a write up, with more photos and links which I found on Arfcom:

http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=6&f=2&t=222400


Thank you for the correction, erwos. This rifle is very obscure, and we can thank our wise Legislature for saving us from it's menacing malevolence.

I edited my previous post to reduce further confusion.

*shrugs* The SB281 Guns FAQ, which the mods seem completely unwilling to sticky for reasons unknown to me, makes the distinction pretty clear.