Both.
It is a C&R weapon that requires a BATFE transfer if it was registered prior to May 1986. If it was not registered, It is a Pre 86 dealers sample and can not be owned by civillians. If you hold a C&R license, you can transfer a registered MG81 directly to you as a out of state buyer.
Hands-on appraisal by a firearms dealer who specialises in Curio & Relic firearms is the best course to go.
objet, relic, bijou
Collectors tend to refer to them as "curio & relic" rifles.
IIRC, the BATFE Curio and Relic list might have the answer.
No, the Lego piece does not become a third class relic just by touching another relic. Relics are typically objects associated with a saint or holy figure, carefully preserved and considered sacred in their own right.
A second class relic is any object that a saint touched or used during his lifetime. An example would be an item of clothing he wore or any of his personal belongings. This is different from a first class relic, which is a part of a saint's body (his blood, bones, hair, etc.), and a third class relic, which is anything that has come in contact with a first class relic.
A third class relic is identified by an object that has been touched to a first or second class relic, or a tomb or article that has been in contact with a saint's body. These relics are an important part of devotion for many Catholics and are often distributed by churches and religious organizations.
The firearm designated as a curio and relic by the BATF may be sent across state lines to and from individuals who hold a collectors license. If your state requires registration of handguns, they would not be exempt unless there is a specific reference to this in the state licensing legislation. Some may even require registration of antique firearms that are exempt from all federal regulation.
A part of the body of a saint (bone, hair, etc.) is a first class relic. An item owned and used by the saint is a second class relic.
A part of the body of a saint is a first class relic. An item used by the saint during life is a second class relic.
A small part of the body of a saint is a first class relic. An item owned by a saint is a second class relic.
Older then when they started making them, for a firearm to be antique it has to be pre-1899. There's also a curio and relic classification but a 870 will not make it into that list.