FOPA is remembered both for protections affecting lawful firearm owners and dealers and for the machinegun provision added in the same legislation.
FOPA revised the Gun Control Act
The law changed rules governing licensed dealers, interstate travel with firearms, definitions and federal enforcement practices.
The 1986 machinegun rule changed civilian availability
ATF explains that the Act amended the GCA to prohibit transfer or possession of machineguns, with exceptions for government use and machineguns lawfully possessed before May 19, 1986.
The NFA still applies to machineguns
Lawfully transferable pre-1986 machineguns remain regulated under the NFA’s registration and tax system in addition to the GCA restriction.
Why FOPA remains relevant to felony gun law
The same GCA framework that FOPA amended contains today’s prohibited-person statutes, dealer rules and interstate-transfer restrictions.
Where this fits in the larger timeline
This event is part of the History of Gun Laws in America series. Federal firearm law developed incrementally through constitutional amendments, taxation and commerce statutes, criminal prohibitions, background-check legislation and modern Second Amendment decisions.