Rifle restrictions, at all?

[avbcon12]

I was at a local shop a while back and they had many large caliber rifles (50 BMG etc). My question is, can anybody purchase those, what is the (if any) caliber limit?

Thanks in advance

[Fuel Fire Desire]

Typically, .50 is the limit. The .50 BMG (I assume thats what you saw) is .50" groove to groove in the rifling. Land to land (the ridges in the rifling) it is smaller than .50. So yes, it is just as legal to own as a .30-06, .338 lapua, or a .22lr.

Shotguns are exempt, and I dont know the stipulations on the big safari calibers (.505 jeffery, .577 tyrannosaur, .600 overkill, etc.).

[avbcon12]

Thanks for the info

[BOSS302]

With the exception of certain sporting arms anything rifled above .50 is considered a destructive devise. Still legal, but requirements are the same as if you were to purchase a registered machine gun.

[avbcon12]

With the exception of certain sporting arms anything rifled above .50 is considered a destructive devise. Still legal, but requirements are the same as if you were to purchase a registered machine gun.

which I can assume is more than the common CPL holding civilian ?

[Dansjeep2000]

which I can assume is more than the common CPL holding civilian ?
You have to follow NFA rules and pay for a tax stamp.

[TylerPearce]

I couldn't imagine wanting anything bigger than a .50 cal realistically, but to each his own I suppose. Imagine the ammo cost even of a .50bmg!

[Fuel Fire Desire]

I couldn't imagine wanting anything bigger than a .50 cal realistically, but to each his own I suppose. Imagine the ammo cost even of a .50bmg!


.50 BMG, being a wildly popular military cartridge used all over the world, is very cheap. $4-$5. Which, in comparison to other cartridges with similar energy, is a steal. Many of the big safari loads are $20-$30 a trigger pull. Even .338 lapua (which could be seen as the "next best" long range sniper powerhouse) is still $5-$6 a trigger pull, even at 1/2 the size.

If you have the ~$3000 to drop on a bolt action BMG, and another $1000 to drop on a scope for it, with another $800 to drop on a spotting scope to see where you shot, $5 a round for factory loaded ammo is nothing. IIRC, you can hand load .50 BMG (if you already have the brass) for the $3 range.

[TylerPearce]

$1 a round is expensive for me. But like I said, to each his own. I don't need anything bigger than my .308, maybe an '06