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Explosives, weapons, and related items

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Important: If you supply products for sale on Amazon, you must comply with all federal, state, and local laws and Amazon policies applicable to those products and product listings.

Our policy is that you must comply with all applicable federal laws when selling weapons, imitation weapons, and weapon accessories.

You must also comply with state and local laws applicable to the jurisdiction into which your products are sold, as well as the jurisdiction from which you ship. For example, many state laws place requirements on size, color, and markings of imitation weapons.

In addition, you are responsible for obtaining any required licenses for permitted products and are liable for any penalties that result from non-compliance.

If you use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), go to FBA prohibited products for additional product restrictions.

The examples of permitted and prohibited listings below are not exhaustive, but should be instructive in evaluating products for listing and sale.

Ammunition

Amazon prohibits the listing or sale of firearm ammunition and ammunition components for assault weapons, black powder guns, handguns, muzzleloaders, pistols, shotguns, and rifles.

Examples of permitted listings

Ammunition that does not contain lead or gunpowder, such as the following:

BB, air, pellet, and airsoft ammunition (these listings are subject to geographic sales restrictions)

Paintball gun paint pellets

Plastic non-explosive training aids, such as solid plastic ammunition

Examples of prohibited listings

Firearm ammunition, such as the following:

Ammunition for pistols and rifles, including assault weapons

Slugs

Shotgun shells

Ballistic loads

Hollow point

Round balls

Ammunition components, such as the following:

Black powder

Blanks

Bullets

Bullet tips

Casings

Gun powder

Primers

Smokeless powder

Explosives

Amazon prohibits the listing or sale of explosive devices and products that contain explosive materials.

Examples of permitted listings

Flares designed for safety, emergency, or distress signaling purposes (these listings are subject to geographic sales restrictions, and are not eligible for sale through FBA).

Plastic toy hand grenades

Examples of prohibited listings

Explosives, such as the following:

Fireworks

Flares, flare launchers, flare guns, flare gun receivers

Grenades, such as the following:

Military practice grenades

Rifle grenades

Smoke grenades

Metal replica grenades

Grenade launchers

Improvised explosive devices, including training aids, accessories, and certain explosive precursors

Mines

Projectile and concussive products that employ gunpowder or explosives

Certain products that contain explosive materials as prohibited by US laws and regulations, including but not limited to explosives, blasting agents, and detonators, such as ammonium nitrate and sodium nitrate explosive mixtures, as determined to be within the coverage of 18 U.S.C. 841, et seq.

Firearms

Amazon prohibits the listing or sale of all firearms, including assault weapons, black powder guns, handguns, muzzleloaders, shotguns, rifles, and starter guns.

Examples of permitted listings

Replicas of firearms that were manufactured in or before 1898, if the replica is not capable of firing fixed ammunition

The following examples of permitted listings are subject to geographic sales restrictions:

Airsoft guns

Non-powdered weapons such as BB guns, pellet guns, paintball guns, and air rifles that are clearly marketed to be air or spring driven and identify the type of ammunition that the product discharges

Toy guns

Examples of prohibited listings

Firearms, such as the following:

3D printed guns and 3D gun blueprints

Antique and collectible guns

Assault weapons

Automatic weapons (for example, machine guns)

Muzzleloaders and black powder guns

Rifles, shotguns, and handguns

Smartphone guns and other guns designed to resemble harmless items

Sport and hunting guns

Wallet guns

Zip guns

Electronic guns

Replicas of firearms that were manufactured after 1898 and are capable of firing fixed ammunition

Non-firing replicas of firearms that were manufactured after 1898 and lack the markings required by 15 U.S.C. § 5001

Toy, imitation, or "look-alike" firearms that do not have required markings, including cell phone cases and purses that resemble firearms

Firearm accessories

Amazon prohibits the listing or sale of certain firearm and imitation firearm accessories.

Examples of permitted listings

Butt plates

Fixed stocks, with the exception of thumbhole stocks

Holsters

Magazine floor plates and base plates

Choke tubes without spikes

Single picatinny or weaver rails

Trigger guards

Two point and traditional slings

Vise blocks that are not intended for use with assault weapons

The following examples of permitted listings are subject to geographic sales restrictions:

Grip extensions that do not add capacity and do not allow for the use of a higher capacity magazine

Grips designed for handguns

Concealed carry holsters, belts, or straps

Laser sights that are properly labeled with laser strength and class (with the exception of guide rod laser sights, which are prohibited)

Heat suppressors for silencers

Firearm shooting tripods, bipods, and shooting rests

Magazine loaders, except for those that can accommodate the following calibers: .223/5.56; 7.62 x 51; 308; 7.62 x 39; and 5.45 x 39

Reloading kits and equipment

Scopes, including night vision or infrared scopes

Suppressors or silencers that are permanently affixed to and are integral to the barrel of airsoft, air, and paintball guns

Examples of prohibited listings

Assault weapon parts or accessories or products marketed as assault weapon parts or accessories, including any reference to assault weapons, such as cleaning mats printed with assault weapon diagrams

Parts or combination of parts designed or intended to convert a firearm into an assault weapon

Gun parts and accessories, even when designed or marketed for use with paintball, airsoft, or air guns, such as the following:

Assault weapon conversion kits

Assault weapon grips, forend grips, front grips, and foregrips

Assault weapon and AR-specific tools, such as the following:

Vise blocks

AR-15 and M16 armorer’s wrenches or combo wrenches

Bullet button tools

Auto sears, such as the following:

Full auto sears, also known as drop-in auto sear or DIAS

AR-15 auto sears

Auto sears II

Barrels, barrel shrouds, barrel extenders, heat guards, hand guards, and vent cooling slots

Battery assist levers

Bayonet mounts and any device for attaching a bayonet to a firearm

Camouflaging gun containers designed to fire without removing the gun from its container

Charging handles, latches, and assemblies

Detachable carry handles and assault rifle carry handles

Ejection port, ejection port covers, and dust covers

Frames

Gas blocks, gas tubes, and gas pistons

Certain grips and grip accessories, such as the following:

Pistol grips designed for attachment to an assault weapon, rifle, or shotgun

Folding, vertical, and tactical grips

Angled foregrips and ambidextrous foregrips

Grip pods, funnels, and extensions

Hand stops

Door breachers

Kits that can be used to create gun magazines

Machine gun conversion kits and any part or combination of parts for converting a firearm into an automatic weapon

Magazines and related items, such as the following:

Magazine components or extensions

Magazine cinches, couplers, connectors, dual mag holders, dual mag clamps and followers

Magazine loaders that can accommodate the following calibers: .223/5.56; 7.62 x 51; 308; 7.62 x 39; 5.45 x 39

Multi-rail systems, including quad rails and rail covers, and free-floating and drop-in handguards

Muzzle brakes, also known as muzzle tamers

Pistol stabilizing braces

Pumkin punchers

Recoil compensators

Receivers, including lower and upper receivers

Receiver extensions and pins

Receiver wedges or buffers that tighten loose upper and lower receivers

AR-specific jig kits

Revolving cylinder for shotgun Selector levers, detents, and switches

Single point and 3-point slings

Sling plates and end plates intended for use with single point or 3-point slings

Slide fire stock and weapons kits, such as bump firing devices, stocks, and kits

Solvent trap oil filter adapters, solvent traps and homemade silencers, and component parts for solvent traps and homemade silencers

Any non-fixed stock, including telescoping, folding, or collapsible stocks

Silencers or suppressors, including the following:

Flash suppressors

Sound suppressors

Suppressors marketed or intended for airsoft, air guns, or paintball guns

Fake, mock, or faux silencers or suppressors

Takedown pins, pivot pins, cam pins, and roll pins

Threaded barrel adapters

Thumbhole stocks

Trigger activators, such as the following:

Multi-burst trigger activators

Trigger attachments

Devices that facilitate so called "bump-firing"

All internal and moving gun parts, even when designed or marketed for use with paintball, airsoft, or air guns, such as the following:

Bolt catch releases, assemblies, actuators, and battery assist levers

Bolt carriers, bolt pins, and buffer pins

Buffer tubes, extension tubes, recoil buffers, and related parts

Firing pins, springs, and stops

Guide rods

Trigger, trigger assemblies, or fire control groups

Upgrade parts and replacement parts

Anti-walk pins

Firearm production machinery

Knives and other bladed products

Amazon policy prohibits the listing or sale of certain knives, including switchblades, balisongs, stilettos, and some blades designed to look like harmless items.

Examples of permitted listings

Typical hunting or kitchen knives, such as the following:

Hunting knives

Kitchen knives

Replica swords

Machetes

Claw knives or karambit knives

Throwing spears and knives

The following examples of permitted listings are subject to geographic sales restrictions:

Umbrella knives

Spring-assisted or assisted-opening knives that do not automatically extend

Examples of prohibited listings

Automatic knives, also known as switchblade knives

Balisong knives, also known as butterfly knives, including some training knives

Concealed swords, including the following:

Cane-swords

Shobi-zue (a staff, crutch, stick, rod, or pole concealing a knife or blade within it)

Swordsticks

Gravity or gravity-assisted knives

Knives disguised to look like harmless items, such as the following:

Air gauge knives

Belt buckle knives

Comb knives or hairbrush knives

Lipstick case knives

Writing pen knives

Knuckle knives, including fixed or folding blade knives with split knuckle duster handles :

Pilum ballistic knives

Push daggers, including the following:

Punch daggers

Punch knives

Push dirks

T-handled knives

"Slasher" knives or other devices used in cockfighting

Spring-loaded knives

Stiletto knives

Throwing stars, including the following:

Batman symbols

Cyclone knives

Kung Fu stars

Metal throwing stars

Ninja stars

Shirken

Throwing cards

Other products

Amazon prohibits the listing or sale of blunt force striking weapons, body armor, body armor plates, and other dangerous weapons or items that can be used as dangerous weapons.

Examples of permitted listings

Nunchaku with sticks made completely of foam, sponge, rubber, or another bendable substance

Koga and kubotan

Night vision accessories

Products with monkey fist knots that are made entirely of rope

Spearguns for spear fishing

Self-defense stinger tools

Tactical pens

Torches, torch kits, and lighters for use in cooking or outdoor maintenance

Traps for small vertebrate animals, such as mice or rats

The following examples of permitted listings are subject to geographic sales restrictions:

Blow guns

Crossbows and other archery bows

Handcuffs

Pepper spray

Slingshots, including wrist-brace slingshots.

Stun guns or electroshock weapons

Examples of prohibited listings

Body armor and any product including or designed for the insertion of body armor plates, which includes bulletproof or ballistic helmets and clothing

Caltrops

Certain martial arts items, such as the following:

Brass, plastic, or metal knuckles, including spiked keychains and rings or any product held over one’s knuckles that could be used to strike someone

Leaded canes, staffs, crutches, and sticks

Nunchaku, also known as nun chucks or chuka sticks

Sandclubs, sandbags, or slungshots (also known as saps or blackjacks)

Throwing stars, also known as shirkens or shurikens

Tonfas

Kusari-fundo, also known as manrikis

Clubs and blunt force striking instruments, including items marketed for striking a person or animal, such as the following:

Billy, billy clubs, and police batons

Escrima sticks

Rattan canes (when designed or intended as a striking weapon)

Bo staffs and jo staffs

Truncheons, nightsticks, and batons

Sjamboks

Weighted clubs

Blackjacks

Bludgeons

Sap hats, also known as slap hats

Flamethrowers and flame guns

Starter guns, starter pistols, blank guns, and other similar items

Steel-jaw style animal traps, including leg-hold traps, foot-hold traps, and body traps

Weapons designed to be concealed

Weapons or other items intended solely for law enforcement or military use

Additional useful information

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which regulates the sale of many firearms and weapons.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, which regulates the firearms and explosives industries.

Annual List of Explosive Materials, which is a comprehensive list of explosive materials that have been determined to be within the coverage of Chapter 40.

The Bureau of Political Military Affairs' Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is the organization within the US Department of State responsible for enforcing the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130. View items controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Federal Explosives Statutes 18 U.S.C.40 and 18 U.S.C.44, which contain additional rules that regulate and restrict many firearms and weapons.

Importation of Arms, Ammunition and Implements of War, 27 C.F.R. 447, which contains additional rules that regulate and restrict firearms and ammunition and explosives.

The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security administers the Export Administration Regulations, 15 C.F.R. Parts 730-744. The Bureau of Industry and Security has the licensing authority over the export and re-export of items that are considered to be dual-use. View items controlled under the Export Administration Regulations.

US Postal Service, which regulates and restricts the transport of firearms, knives, ammunition, explosives and other items.

New York's General Business Law - Imitation Weapons, which is an example of toy gun laws.

California - Imitation Firearms and Minnesota - Replica Firearms, which are examples of imitation firearm packaging laws

Related Amazon Help Pages

Additional information and resources for sellers about our Restricted Products policy

Trade control laws

Product compliance

Categories and products that require approval

Laser products

Pest control products and pesticides

Last updated December 13, 2023