Willie Lowman
New member
Really?!?!?! Do we need three running threads about unregistered fullautos? Has TFL become the place for people to stumble into and imply that they may or may not have an illegal weapon?
What is with all the illegal machinegun threads?
- Thread starter Willie Lowman
- Start date
Dr. Strangelove
New member
I wondered about that myownself...
Seems like you can't swing a cat these days without hitting a Thompson or Sten or something like that....
Seems like you can't swing a cat these days without hitting a Thompson or Sten or something like that....
The "anonymity" of the internet makes it a good place to ask questions about suspect firearms. While I also have concerns regarding threads about "Is my bring home military gun legal" I also appreciate that the authors are asking for advice as to avoid legal complications.
That is part of the function of the forum, IMHO and as long as the boys (and girls) in bold allow it, and the conversation is civil, then I'm in no position to argue it.
That is part of the function of the forum, IMHO and as long as the boys (and girls) in bold allow it, and the conversation is civil, then I'm in no position to argue it.
Lost Sheep
New member
It is the machineguns that are illegal, not the threads.
One can ask all kinds of questions anywhere (and especially behind the anonymity of the internet, as rjrivero pointed out, without fear of prosecution or even very much scrutiny. This is supposed to be a good thing.
As far as people implying that they may or may not have committed or be committing a criminal act. That may or may not be the intended message of the post. I have seen enough poorly written (and authored a few myself) posts that leave a great deal of doubt as to what the author intended. That is, I may write that I have a gallon of some illegal substance, where what I intended was that I have an empty container with suspicious markings on it.
Sometimes you gotta read between the lines, and sometimes you get it wrong. And sometimes the people posting are just yankin' yer chain.
I don't know. Human nature being what it is, people tend to push whatever envelope they are in. I, for one, am glad that our moderators on TFL allow a wide latitude.
It is irritating to see yahoos yammer on about their this or that, but the alternative is to allow other yahoos (no slight to our moderators is intended here, just symmetry in my rhetoric) to put muzzles on us.
Go onto CraigsList and try to post a "Wanted" or "For Sale" post for a firearms-related item. Even telescopic sights are specifically named as forbidden in the Craigslist rules.
To paraphrase William Blackstone, "It is better to let 10 criminals post on TFL than to lock out one with something worthwhile to say".
Besides, if we let the criminals post on, it might make them easier to catch.
Lost Sheep
Personally, I don't really have any problem with these kinds of threads. There are still over 250,000,000 in the US alone who don't know a thing about machineguns, or laws regulating them. This forum is bound to get a handfull of these threads every now and then.
It's not like anyone has asked "Hey, I've got this friend and he says its super easy to convert a Remington 700 to a machinegun with just a shoestring...how is that done?"
It's not like anyone has asked "Hey, I've got this friend and he says its super easy to convert a Remington 700 to a machinegun with just a shoestring...how is that done?"
Austin Cowart
New member
granted
Questions should be asked and those with the knoledge should answer, but what happened to doing some reserch or maybe just reading one of the other threads that's currently active just a few lines down about the same topic???? I mean lets all kill horses wiith illegal NFA items then go beat him with them over and over again.
Questions should be asked and those with the knoledge should answer, but what happened to doing some reserch or maybe just reading one of the other threads that's currently active just a few lines down about the same topic???? I mean lets all kill horses wiith illegal NFA items then go beat him with them over and over again.
threecharley
Moderator
good to see mods and adm with open minds. not many forums have that. big +1 to the mods!
No kidding. On another forum, for fun I asked what people would do if they found a misplaced military M16 or M4 out in the hills? Would they shoot it all day and turn it in? Or turn it in right away?, etc.
Mods locked it for talking about stolen property.
Come on! It was a hypothetical, fun, what if thread.The "anonymity" of the internet - hope nobody is naive enough to believe you can really hide out on an internet forum.
If BATFE &/or the FBI wanted to track your physical location down to see if you really were in possession of illegal firearms there would be "suits" knocking at your door tomorrow morning or sooner.
goodspeed(TPF)
New member
Not true actually. It's quite easy to surf the internet COMPLETELY ANONYMOUSLY from just about anywhere iffin you know what you are doing. Surf, post, Dload, Uload, Whatever. No foolin. -Goodspeed
silvercorvette
New member
If someone that does not know the law asks a question and finds out that what they are thinking of doing is not legal and they are dissuaded that is a good thing.
However if someone wants help or information as to how to commit an illegal act and gets assistance in doing something illegal that is not just bad, it can get the owners of this web site in trouble along with the people that gave the information.
However if someone wants help or information as to how to commit an illegal act and gets assistance in doing something illegal that is not just bad, it can get the owners of this web site in trouble along with the people that gave the information.
If that's what they are looking for, they'd be better served to go buy one of those Palidin Press books. No one here has even come close to posting the information contained in some of those publications. Most of the posts I've seen lately about "questionable" full-auto items seem pretty innocent to me, especially if they are discussing older WWII era guns.
Personally, I think it would be interesting to discuss how to design a select fire weapon, or even discuss techniques in tuning existing ones. It would be interesting to know how SOT manufacturers ever come up with new designs if they aren't permitted to discuss the topic "how to build a machinegun" with anyone. No wonder why machineguns haven't changed much since the 1930's - since NFA, everyone is too scared to discuss how to build a better one!
I'll refrain from that kind of discussion here, because I doubt the Mods would approve. Although I think its ashame that we can't do this I really don't want to give some thug directions on how to make this or that gun full-auto either.
silvercorvette
New member
They have improved and old design, they put a motor on a gatling gun.
When you think about it there is much they can do to change the revolver or semi auto pistol either.
When you think about it there is much they can do to change the revolver or semi auto pistol either.
I don't know about that. I'm fascinated with ideas for making a semi-auto legally simulate full-auto. For example, I am interested in the crank devices that can be mounted on Browning 1919's. There are other crank devices that simulate full auto fire. I liked the Akins Accelerator - no I didn't buy one, but even though BATFE says it's not legal, I think it is - problem is no one has challenged this in court, and probably won't. But, that's a matter of legal opinion.
So, I came up with this idea: A crank-style device, but in the form of a geared pump / piston. The geared pump would mount under a semi-auto rifle. with a piston that presses the trigger as you pull the pump - maybe 5-6 runds fired per push or pull of the pump. Would BATFE approve it? Who knows - isn't any different than a crank device. The bigger question is could I draw it or make it? No, I just don't have those skills.
silvercorvette
New member
You can bump fire with a rubber-band but that is also technically illegal.
threecharley
Moderator
might as well be illegal first time an agent rolls up on you with 20 questions.
aarondhgraham
New member
Someone already makes that in a crank device you affix to the trigger guard,,,
It's called the BMF activator (Click here please),,,
Lotsa fun for $19.95.
I have a friend who bought the Activator and a 50 round drum mag for his wife's Ruger Challenger .22 semi-auto.
Lotsa fun and noise,,,
.
I know, but my concept is a geared pump device (think shotgun pump) that mounts under a rifle that does the same thing as a the BMF activator....just better. With each stroke of the pump - forward and backward - it would cause a piston to press the trigger at a rate of up to 4-5 times per pull/push of the pump. It would permit you to hold, point and aim the gun more normally than would a hand crank, yet still simulate full-auto fire.