Pistols and revolvers designed to fire only blank ammunition are excluded from this heading and fall instead under the heading covering sporting firearms and similar devices. The defining criterion here is that the weapon is designed to fire live ammunition; blank-firing pistols are treated as a distinct category.

Importers must be federally licensed as importers of firearms (FFL with importer designation) under the Gun Control Act. Each shipment requires an ATF Form 6 import permit approved before the goods arrive. Firearms must also meet the sporting-purpose or other statutory criteria for importation, and CBP enforces these requirements at the port of entry.