(The Center Square) – The clock is ticking for anyone in Illinois following federal law with their personally manufactured firearm to register it with a firearms dealer, but finding a dealer to do that may be difficult.
Federal law allows for an individual to make their own firearm for personal use. They just can’t transfer or sell it to someone without a serial number.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says on its website “a license is not required to make a firearm solely for personal use.”
“However, a license is required to manufacture firearms for sale or distribution,” the ATF’s website says. “The law prohibits a person from assembling a non–sporting semi automatic rifle or shotgun from 10 or more imported parts, as well as firearms that cannot be detected by metal detectors or x–ray machines.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday signed a measure that requires all personally manufactured firearms in Illinois to be serialized. He said it’s another tool to cut down on gun violence.
“A child should not be able to build an AR-15 like they’re building a toy truck,” Pritzker said at a signing ceremony in Chicago. “A convicted domestic abuser should not be able to evade scrutiny by using a 3D printer to make a gun.”
The measure requires any personally made firearm to be serialized within 180 days with a firearm dealer.
Standing with the governor, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown acknowledged the measure won’t make such guns disappear.
“This bill will close that ability to really hide from consequences, particularly in our courts, because it’s not serialized,” Brown said.
Dan Eldridge, owner of Maxon Shooter’s Supplies and Indoor Range in Des Plaines, said he doesn’t see how this will be properly implemented.
“Unless there is a new class of [Federal Firearms Licensees] that wishes to engage in this business, I can’t imagine why an FFL would want to be in the business of serializing a firearm,” Eldridge said.
He’s not going to participate, and doesn’t know any other dealer who would once they think it through. Participating in just one transaction could open them up to unforeseen liabilities like people claiming they got their gun serialized there when they didn’t, he said.
“So if I were to do one, then I open the door for people to use my FFL, create their own fake serial number, say ‘yeah, we had it done at Maxons and they’ve got the paperwork,’ when I don’t,” Eldridge said. “And now I’m in the position of trying to prove a negative.”
Violations of the law range up to a Class 2 felony, punishable by up to seven years in prison.
