What happens to machineguns recovered from wrecks?

C

Crosshair

New member
I was watching a show a few nights ago where they where raising a B-25 from the bottom a a freshwater lake in SC. They raise it and are showing all the artifacts that they found in the plane, items such as navigation equipment, a rare remote turret, and the 50 cal Brownings that where still in very good shape for being on the bottom af a lake for 60+ years. The person who had bought the salvage rights from the government donated the plane to a museum to be restored.

Looking at those 50 cals in such good shape made me think. What happens to the Machineguns recovered with aircraft wrecks. When the plane is restored the M2s will likely be restored as well. What does the ATF make the "owners" do with these guns. I sure hope that they don't make them saw the recievers in half and use a dummy gun instead. Anyone know what is done with the guns recovered with these wrecks?
 
personally, I wouldn't say a thing about the fifties. I'd just quietly purchase fifty cal ball ammo and links, on seperate credit cards. Then I'd make sure to always follow every law for the rest of my life, so as to avoid legal issues.


...in all liklihood, the BATFE would probably make you destroy the guns. Punks.
 
Any museum that acquires weapons of this nature usually have a gunsmith deactivate them. At the Cultural heritage center in Pierre SD (read big museum) they have bringback trophys from WWI to veitnam including a chuachat, Mp-40, STG-44, nambu type 2 MG, 1928A1 thompson among others. I knew a guy that worked there and he siad most of them no internal parts or were welded up for display. the only working weapon in the place was a afrikacorps luger that had yet to be decomissioned. Bastards.

SW
 
Pre-existing NFA weapons that are not registered under the NFA (which includes weapons once owned by the US military... since they are exempt from the NFA) can only be registered on an ATF form 10 by a recognized museum or PD.... they can never be owned by individuals...
 
Crosshair,

It is not quite that simple and the owner of an unregistered machine gun can't get "off the hook" just by donating the gun to a museum. Maybe Rkba net will expand a bit on the process, which is pretty complex.

Jim
 
ATF is (believe it or not) usually pretty reasonable about the handling of unregistered NFA weapons when one comes into possession of them in a NON-criminal way.... for example ones grandfather dies and sure enough he has an unregistered MP40 in the attic.... one would call the field office and they will pick it up... in cases like this if the weapon has historical value and a state museum is interested in it they can register the weapon on a ATF form 10 (Application for Registration of Firearms Acquired by Certain Governmental Entities). PD's can also register NFA weapons this way and keep them themselves (for example they may register a confiscated AK47 for training purposes) or donate them to a museum...
 
I think the point rkba_net is trying to make is that the BATFE can be reasonable if you start the process of turning one over to a museum or such, BEFORE you are caught with it. And Jim Keenen's point is that "after you are caught" it ain't a free pass to turn it over. :D

Dean
 
Not quite. The weapon first has to be surrendered to the local police. Then, if they want to use it for their own official business, or they want to turn it over to a local GOVERNMENT museum, they can register it on a Form 10. They cannot register it and then sell it on the market or transfer it to a NON-GOVERNMENT entity (like a private museum). BATFE also can register a gun surrendered to them and turn it over to a FEDERAL museum if it is unusual for some reason and is of museum quality.

But you just can't waltz into your local Rock and Roll Museum ("Largest Collection of Elvis Records in the World") and drop that MP. 40 on the desk. It doesn't work that way.

And, BTW, BATFE has the option to NOT accept registration under a Form 10 application if they do not feel the police have a good reason to retain the weapon; approval is not automatic.

And just to answer a question I got by e-mail, you can't just set up a museum, donate the gun, and then check it out when you want to shoot it. It is a neat idea, and rather ingenious, but I have the feeling there might be a few legal problems.

Jim
 
I do know a guy that was the curator of a State history museum with a major automatic weapons collection. He got to "check" things out for function testing. Now if I could just figure out how to convince them that I am curator material. :D

Dean
 
<I do know a guy that was the curator of a State history museum with a major automatic weapons collection. He got to "check" things out for function testing. Now if I could just figure out how to convince them that I am curator material. >

The museum piece I want to test out is that Carbine Williams and LE Lisk belt fed .22lr. I believe a museum in Tenesse currently has it.
 
I know what would happen to it if *I* was the salvager. Assuming no cameras were rolling, it would go INTO my house, and OFF OF any inventory sheets. :)
 
What would you do with the rest of the airplane? Leave it on the bottom?
There have been a number of WW2 war birds salvaged out of Lake Washington in Seattle over the last 10-15 years. Uncle Sam knew about each and every one of them and how they were equipped when they went down.:(

Dean
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top