I n May of 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Firearm Owners Protection Act, which among other things, made the sale of fully-automatic firearms, manufactured before that year, illegal. Owning the guns are still legal. It's just exceptionally difficult and very expensive.

After the Las Vegas attack which left at least 50 dead and more than 400 wounded, calls for banning full-auto firearms, along with plenty of misinformation, has become rampant. Radio host Andy Cohen, for painful instance, asked why we don't ban machine guns all together.

Thankfully a number of knowledgeable authors have helped clear the intellectual chamber—Christian Lowe of the Weekly Standard, Sean Davis of the Federalist, and Stephen Gutowski of the Free Beacon. To legally own a fully-automatic weapon requires three things: money, time, and an absolutely pristine criminal record.

Anyone who wants one must first…

Understand the difference between semi-automatic and fully-automatic guns: While a semi-automatic gun shoots a single bullet with a single pull of the trigger, a fully-automatic firearm shoots multiple, repeated rounds with a single trigger squeeze.

Have a raft of cash: When Reagan made owning a fully-automatic weapon manufactured after 1986 illegal, the federal government capped the supply making the guns left in circulation prohibitively expensive. For instance, while a brand new semi-automatic AR-15 can cost as little as $450, fully-automatic weapon cost tens of thousands of dollars regardless of their condition. At the Weekly Standard, Lowe writes that the guns can cost upwards of $20,000.

Any gun for sale must have been manufactured before 1986 and must be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records database. There are less than 500,000 full-auto weapons in circulation as opposed to the millions of semi-auto rifles.

Find a licensed dealer: Back in the 1930's machine guns, big belt-fed machines like those fired in the First World War, could be ordered through the mail. That's not possible today. Anyone who wants to own a fully-automatic weapon must find a dealer who possesses not only a Federal Firearms License, they have to find a dealer who has gone through additional background checks and who pays increased licensing fees.

"These dealers are referred to as FFL/SOT (special occupational tax) or Class 3 FFL dealers," Davis explains over the Federalist. "It is a lengthy and burdensome process that requires extensive investigation by ATF."

Have a clean record: Before buying a fully-automatic weapon, a person must pay a $200-dollar tax and register an application with the federal government. That means filling out a 12-page application, submitting fingerprints, and sending photos to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Are you a felon? Are you or have you ever been committed to a mental institution? Are you a domestic abuser? Then good luck getting approval. Other than a few parking tickets, are you a citizen in good standing? Also, good luck getting approval. A record of civic responsibility isn't a guarantee of immediate approved. Click here to read the entire application and click here to read the accompanying questionnaire.

Have a lot of patience: Every application apparently varies but the average time seems to be between 9 months and a year. The good folks at the ATF take their time because they make certain that applicants dot their I's cross their T's and are considered safe and responsible to own the fully automatic firearm.

Abide by local, state, and federal gun regulations: Assuming one has the record and the patience to pass the background check along with the actual cash to purchase the firearm, that person now finds themselves subject to a host of new regulations.

As the Free Beacon's Gutowski explains, the ATF registers the new fully-automatic gun owner. They notify local law enforcement of the name and address of the person who owns the firearm. And they strictly regulate the transportation of these weapons. If a civilian wants to cross state lines with their new purchase (say to attend the Big Sandy machine gun shoot in Arizona), they'll have to apply for permission.

Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.