fire again until the trigger is released and pulled again. Burst mode was implemented into firearms due to the inaccuracy of fully automatic fire in combat, and due to suggestions that fully automatic fire has no genuine benefit. Additionally, many militaries have restricted automatic fire in combat due to the ammunition wasted. Regulation Automatic weapons tend to be restricted to military and police organizations in most developed countries that permit the use of semi-automatic firearms. Where automatic weapons are permitted, restrictions and regulations on their possession and use may be much more severe than for other firearms. 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 closing of the "machine gun" registry by the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 (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. Similar weapons Other similar weapons not usually referred to as automatic firearms include the following: Autocannon, which are 15 mm or greater in bore diameter and thus considered cannons, not small arms. Gatling guns, multiple-barrel designs, often used with external power supplies to generate rates of fire higher than automatic firearms. See also Bump stock Federal Firearms License Firearm action Gun Control Act of 1968 Gun politics References Firearm actions