Editing Automatic firearm (section)

==Regulation==
{{See also|Gun Control Act of 1968}}
{{Globalize|section|date=October 2022}}
{{More citations needed|section|date=August 2023}}

Possession of automatic firearms tends to be restricted to members of [[military]] and [[law enforcement]] organizations in most developed countries, even in those that permit the civilian use of semi-automatic firearms. Where automatic weapons are permitted, restrictions and regulations on their possession and use may be much stricter than for other firearms.<ref name="Carter2012"/>  In the [[United States]], taxes and strict regulations affect the manufacture and sale of fully automatic firearms under the [[National Firearms Act]] of 1934 and the [[Firearm Owners Protection Act]] of 1986; the latter act banned civilian machine gun ownership, grandfathering in existing legally owned weapons. As legally owned weapons were registered under the NFA this that meant that only previously registered automatic weapons may be purchased. A prospective user must go through an application process administered by the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]] (ATF), which requires a federal tax payment of $200 and a thorough criminal [[background check]]. The tax payment buys a [[revenue stamp]], which is the legal document allowing possession of an automatic firearm. The use of a [[gun trust]] to register with the ATF has become an increasingly popular method of acquisition and ownership of automatic firearms.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goode |first=Erica |date=2013-02-25 |title=Trusts Offer a Legal Loophole for Buying Restricted Guns |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/us/in-gun-trusts-a-legal-loophole-for-restricted-firearms.html |access-date=2024-06-17 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>