'94 AWB Question

[krazz]

To those of you who remember, how (exactly) did the registration of "Assault Weapons" work back in 94? If you registered a firearm, did you have to provide bills of sale... or just sign some sort of affidavit with the serial numbers?

[CSACANNONEER]

There was no registration for the federal AWB in '94.

[krazz]

So all pre-ban firearms were OK because of the date of manufacture?

[ke6guj]

So all pre-ban firearms were OK because of the date of manufacture?

basically, yes.

[CSACANNONEER]

Federally, yes, that's how the law was applied. It could be argued that if a receiver wasn't an AW at the time of the ban, one could not make it one afterwards. That could be hard to prove and wasn't the way the law was enforced but, it was the letter of the law. Also, state laws still applied.

[krazz]

How about in California? When our AWB came into affect, did the firearms have to be somehow "proven to exist" in order to register them, or were serial numbers on a form sufficient?

[stevie]

How about in California? When our AWB came into affect, did the firearms have to be somehow "proven to exist" in order to register them, or were serial numbers on a form sufficient?

You sent in the form with make, model, serial number, caliber if i remember correctly. No questions were asked.

[Diesel187]

You sent in the form with make, model, serial number, caliber if i remember correctly. No questions were asked.

After that step was there a "license" or "receipt" given for the AW to prove to LEO that they where registered??

[ke6guj]

After that step was there a "license" or "receipt" given for the AW to prove to LEO that they where registered??

a confirmation letter

[CAL.BAR]

Actually, in CA in 88' you had to take your guns to the local PD to get registered there. (At least I did) The send in was for 2000.

[Beelzy]

The special California ban that made us the laughing stock of the other 49 States occurred in 89.

[stevie]

Actually, in CA in 88' you had to take your guns to the local PD to get registered there. (At least I did) The send in was for 2000.

Pretty sure the Roberti/Roos act also required a form to DOJ.

[Supertac916]

After that step was there a "license" or "receipt" given for the AW to prove to LEO that they where registered??

No receipt.. Our RAW's were put into the database, along with handguns. LEO's run a firearms check and the RAW's come up as registered assault weapons and state do not arrest based on possession.

No need to carry around forms stating they are registered.

[dieselpower]

To register a AW, you have to have your finger prints taken by the local PD, send the card to DoJ along with a form that listed what AW you were registering and payment. You then got a letter back which proved you registered the firearms.

Some people did multiple forms, some people listed all AWs on one form. Many people didnt trust the AG so they sent in 1 form per firearm and just paid the extra cost.

To de-register it was the same thing. You sent them a letter stating you either destroyed the firearm or removed it from the State. They then sent you a letter saying your firearm was removed from the data base. If found in CA after that date it was unregistered and illegal. If no other AWs were on file, your name was removed from the data base as well. The reason for this was to comply with some privacy laws, since anyone with a RAW was flagged on LEO computers. Any contact with you or at the address you listed was flagged as a RAW owner.

[Ron-Solo]

To register a AW, you have to have your finger prints taken by the local PD, send the card to DoJ along with a form that listed what AW you were registering and payment. You then got a letter back which proved you registered the firearms.

Some people did multiple forms, some people listed all AWs on one form. Many people didnt trust the AG so they sent in 1 form per firearm and just paid the extra cost.

To de-register it was the same thing. You sent them a letter stating you either destroyed the firearm or removed it from the State. They then sent you a letter saying your firearm was removed from the data base. If found in CA after that date it was unregistered and illegal. If no other AWs were on file, your name was removed from the data base as well. The reason for this was to comply with some privacy laws, since anyone with a RAW was flagged on LEO computers. Any contact with you or at the address you listed was flagged as a RAW owner.

If I remember correctly, all tat was required on the form was a thumb print. We had a lot of people coming in to our station looking for direction. We didn't do full fingerprints when they came in.

I never encountered anyone who was flagged as a RAW owner, and there were some people I encountered where I knew they owned a RAW. Not sure where you get your info. Also, when you run a RAW in AFS it gives you the name of the owner. How else would one know that the RAW was in possession of the real owner?