Antique or not?

[Battis]

I just bought an 1896 Krag carbine, made in 1897. The salesman said it's not an antique because it isn't black powder. I said it was made pre-1898. He said it shoots self contained cartridges. I said the ammo is not readily available (sure, you can find some).
Why is it important? Because in MA, you have to register all guns purchased, even rifles, except for antiques.
Any opinions? I say it's an antique.

[Geezer in NH]

It is an Antique by ATF, salesman is wrong. But you say MA? 40 some years ago they made out the MA registration form on a TC sidelock I bought. So in MA who knows

[725]

It's made before 1898, I'd say it is antique. The 22 year old cop that confronts you won't know anything about such fine details.

[Battis]

The store is in Maine. They do background checks on every firearm that uses self contained cartridges. They background checked me on an 1870 50-70 Trapdoor. That's fine - it's on their dime. It took them 2 months a few years ago to determine if they could sell me an 1860s pinfire revolver because it used self contained cartridges.

[lefty o]

it is by atf definition an antique. good luck getting a gunshop knowitall to understand that though.

[Shawlerbrook]

Big problem is that gun laws are so ridiculous and confusing that many dealers will not sell into certain blue states. I actually think it’s part of the leftists disarming plan.

[Texas by God]

Have him google Federal law and State law ( Maine) right there at the counter. Your answer should appear in minutes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Battis]

It didn't matter as far as the purchase - they still do background checks. I could have used my C&R and they wouldn't have done a background check, but then I'd have to log it in the C&R book. Oh well.

[maxreloader]

Welp Battis the Kittery Trading Post is a special buncha guys at the gun counter / trade counter especially... there are a few great guys there but mostly dolts. I havent set foot in that place in over two years because of one of the dolts and his attitude. Once he quits or they fire him I may be back, until then it's their loss.

[Battis]

I've done well there. I have a C&R license and they get a lot of guns that qualify, and a lot of antiques. Every once in awhile I run into a salesperson who doesn't like me, or his job and knows little about what he's selling. Once I leave with the gun I want, I forget about him.

[Cheeto303]

Welp Battis the Kittery Trading Post is a special buncha guys at the gun counter / trade counter especially... there are a few great guys there but mostly dolts. I havent set foot in that place in over two years because of one of the dolts and his attitude. Once he quits or they fire him I may be back, until then it's their loss.

Last time I went to the Kittery trading post was 1979. I bought a Tokarev SVT 40 with a cracked handguard for a $100.00. It was in a barrel of used guns. The trading post was a small little gunshop at the time. Everybody lived and breathed guns.I was in NH visiting my brother in 2007 and got him to take over to KTP. All I saw was this huge modern building that looked like a Bass pro. I told him to keep on going. I have a thing for small dusty over packed mom & pop gunshops with stuff stacked everywhere that I can root around through.Yes I still have SVT.

[bedbugbilly]

Isn't this Krag considered a highly dangerous "assault weapon' - after all. I believe some Krags were used in the assault by Roosevelt's men on he assault of San Juan Hill. :-)

[justashooter]

NJ law considers any metallic cartridge gun an FFL transfer only. antiques are not exempted.

[fatelk]

Guns like that were made for the battlefield, and have no place on the streets of America.

[Texas by God]

Guns like that were made for the battlefield, and have no place on the streets of America.
Everyone knows the rapid firing Krag is the favored weapon for horse and buggy drive by shootings.....

[Battis]

I will say that the store in question stood up for the 2A last year when a large group of people held protests against the store selling semi auto weapons. What did the store do? Nothing. They ignored them. And they went away.
It's a single store, not part of a chain. And they do ship. Check out their inventory.
https://www.kitterytradingpost.com/new-used-guns/

[JRD]

Battis,
Federal definition, it’s an antique. Manufactured before 1899 regardless or what it’s chambered in and ammo availability ablity.
KTP’s policy is to treat every cartridge gun as a modern firearm as you already know. That’s their policy and maybe their insurer had that as part of their plan or something. Or just company policy based on not wanting to mess up by selling a modern firearm as an antique because of a misidentification.
They have a biggest selection of used long guns that they let you browse of any shop I’ve ever been in.

[Battis]

I agree. But the shady area is sometimes the ammo:
"...any firearm using fixed ammunition manufactured in or before 1898, for which ammunition is no longer manufactured in the United States and is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade."
Is 30-40 ammo still manufactured? If so, does that make it "readily available"?

[kootne]

Internet search shows up that Krag serial number 152670 divides "firearms" from "antiques".

[JRD]

A quick search shows Winchester, Remington, and Hornady at a minimum all catalog factory 30-40 Krag ammo, so while it may not be on every little gunshop's shelves like 30-30, it's "readily available" in my opinion.
The "not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade" part of the definition only applies to replicas of firearms that were made in or before 1898. If your carbine was made in or before 1898, then it's an antique regardless of chambering.
https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-verification-firearms-ammunition-gun-control-act-definitions-0

[Shawlerbrook]

Like I said, another vague and confusingly written regulation . In the past, most dealers just used the 1898 date and ignored the ammo language. These are new and uncertain times.