They may be illegal in the People's Democratic Republic of Commie-fornia, but I'm not sure.ThunderCougarFalconBird said:no but they're difficult and extremely expensive to get. Functioning pre-ban full auto submachine gun usually has a minimum price tag around 10k. Full auto rifles usually start around 15-20. Plus the NFA paperwork.BQ78 said:
Aren't automatics illegal? Are our ears deceiving us?
They are not illegal, but, as stated, difficult and expensive under federal law.
Full autos, like pretty much all guns, were not controlled in any way by the Federal .gov until the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934. That law required all full autos (defined as firing more than one round for each pull of the trigger) as well as short barreled rifles and shotguns, and suppressors, to obtain a $200 tax stamp (~$4200 in today's U.S. dollars lite). This was intended to make such items cost prohibitive, without outright banning them. However, the price of a tax stamp was not indexed to inflation and has never been increased.
The Hughes Act of 1986 barred the issue of new tax stamps for full autos manufactured or entered into the registry after that date. This is why an M-16A2 rifle (with 3 round burst, and thus full auto according to federal law), which had a list cost on my unit property book of $279, would cost in the low 5 figures if you wanted to buy one today, assuming you could find one for sale in the first place.
Now, in that video, I didn't hear anything I could positively identify as full auto gunfire. I heard I think 5 rapid fire semi-auto shots, and then some stuttering sounds that might be full auto fire or might not, but it's too faint/far away to tell.