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Letter Re: The 1898 Threshold for "Antique" Gun Exemption in the U.S.

Mr. Rawles:

I have read your FAQ about Pre-1899 firearms being classified as antiques and exempt from some of the Federal regulations. The 1894 Winchester 30-30 serial number exempt at that time [that you wrote the FAQ] was below 147685. Mine carries serial # 165559. Would it now be exempt since it is [now] 2007? Thank you, - Eleanor

JWR Replies: Sorry, but the "antique" threshold has been frozen at Dec. 31, 1898, ever since passage of the U.S. Gun Control Act of 1968. That defies common sense, but that is the law in the United States. The frozen legal threshold means that with the passage of time, there will be fewer and fewer legally recognized "antiques" in circulation, as guns eventually wear out. This makes pre-1899 guns a great investment. Antique gun exemption laws vary considerably depending on where you live. For details on the "antique" thresholds for Australia, Canada, England, and Norway, see the Wikipedia page on Antique guns. I recommend that after they've acquired their basic battery of survival firearms, well-prepared families should acquire a few pre-1899 cartridge guns chambered for smokeless cartridges that are still factory produced. There may come a day in the U.S. when all firearms will be subject to registration. But pre-1899 guns will presumably still be exempt. Anyone interested in acquiring some pre-1899 cartridge guns should contact George at The Pre-1899 Specialist (one of our advertisers). He will be happy to share his knowledge on the subject.

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