BATF Postition on Military Configurations (April 1998)

Exhibit 5
MILITARY CONFIGURATION

1. Ability to accept a detachable magazine. Virtually all modern military firearms are designed to accept large, detachable magazines. This provides the soldier with a fairly large ammunition supply and the ability to rapidly reload. Thus, large capacity magazines are indicative of military firearms. While detachable magazines are not limited to military firearms, most traditional semiautomatic sporting firearms, designed to accommodate a detachable magazine, have a relatively small magazine capacity. Additionally, some States
have a limit on the magazine capacity allowed for hunting, usually five or six rounds.

2. Folding/telescoping stock. Many military firearms incorporate folding or telescoping stocks. The main advantage of this item is portability, especially for airborne troops. These stocks allow the firearm to be fired from the folded position, yet it cannot be fired nearly as accurately as with an open stock. With respect to possible sporting uses of this feature, the folding stock makes it easier to carry the firearm when hiking or backpacking. However, its predominant advantage is for military purposes, and it is normally not found on the traditional sporting rifle.

3. Pistol grips. The vast majority of military firearms employ a well-defined separate pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon. In most cases, the “straight line design” of the military weapon dictates a grip of this type so that the shooter can hold and fire the weapon. Further, a pistol grip can be an aid in one-handed firing of the weapon in a combat situation. Further, such grips were designed to assist in controlling
machineguns during automatic fire. On the other hand, the vast majority of sporting firearms employ a more traditional pistol grip built into the wrist of the stock of the firearm since one-handed shooting is not usually employed in hunting or organized competitive target competitions.

4. Ability to accept a bayonet. A bayonet has distinct military purposes. First, it has a psychological effect on the enemy. Second, it enables soldiers to fight in close quarters with a knife attached to their rifles. No traditional sporting use could be identified for a bayonet.

5. Flash suppressor. A flash suppressor generally serves one or two functions. First, in military firearms it disperses the muzzle flash when the firearm is fired to help conceal the shooter’s position, especially at night. A second purpose of some flash suppressors is to assist in controlling the "muzzle climb" of the rifle, particularly when fired as a fully automatic weapon. From the standpoint of a traditional sporting firearm, there is no particular benefit in suppressing muzzle flash. Flash suppressors that also serve to dampen muzzle climb have a limited benefit in sporting uses by allowing the shooter to reacquire the target for a second shot. However, the barrel of a sporting rifle can be modified by "magna-porting" to achieve the same result. There are also muzzle attachments for sporting firearms to assist in the reduction of muzzle climb. In the case of military-style weapons that have flash suppressors incorporated in their design, the mere removal of the flash suppressor may have an adverse impact on the accuracy of the firearm.

6. Bipods. The majority of military firearms have bipods as an integral part of the firearm or contain specific mounting points to which bipods may be attached. The military utility of the bipod is primarily to provide stability and support for the weapon when fired from the prone position, especially when fired as a fully automatic weapon. Bipods are available accessory items for sporting rifles and are used primarily in long-range shooting to enhance stability. However, traditional sporting rifles generally do not come equipped with bipods, nor are they specifically designed to accommodate them. Instead, bipods for sporting firearms are generally designed to attach to a detachable “slingswivel mount” or simply clamp onto the firearm.

7. Grenade launcher. Grenade launchers are incorporated in the majority of military firearms as a device to facilitate the launching of explosive grenades. Such launchers are generally of two types. The first type is a flash suppressor designed to function as a grenade launcher. The second type attaches to the barrel of the rifle by either screws or clamps. No traditional sporting application could be identified for a grenade launcher.

8. Night sights. Many military firearms are equipped with luminous sights to facilitate sight alignment and target acquisition in poor light or darkness. Their uses are generally for military and law enforcement purposes and are not usually found on sporting firearms since it is generally not legal to hunt at night.