Full Automatic Military Surplus Arms.

[Adam Helmer]

A local individual has an extensive collection of legal Class 3 full automatic arms and wants to shoot them. Many folks do not know that full automatic arms were legal in the U.S. until the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934 inposed harsh penalties on possession unless the arms were properly registered with the U.S. Treasury Department and a $200 "Transfer Tax" was paid on each arm. In 1986, the Bradley Amendment was passed and stated no new full automatic arms could be registered with the Treasury Department. The result was the prices of the currently legally registered full auto arms skyrocketed in price.

It is interesting to note that NJ Senator Bradley, spitefully in my opinion, offered his amendment because the Volkmer-McClure Act had just been passed by Congress.

In my opinion, full automatic military surplus arms are interesting, historically significant and are not "Bad" any more than any other arm is "Bad." My grandfather was a WWI veteran and brought back a dozen machine guns from the war. He used to shoot them occasionally on Sunday afternoons in his back field until the NFA was enacted in 1934. The NFA was enacted because the "bootleggers" used tommy guns in their gang wars. We gun owners got "hood winked" by that legislation. Rather than putting the bad guys in jail, it was deemed necessary to make machine guns illegal for ALL Americans.

Today, about 300,000 Americans legally own full automatic arms and shoot them. I will try to get some pictures in the coming weeks.

Adam

[skeet]

Adam,
You would really be surprised at how many full auto firearms there are out there that are unregistered. I personally know of at least 10 full auto arms that were brought back as Vietnam war trophies that were not "fixed". Guess what! Not even one has been used in the commission of a crime. A couple are fired fairly regularly. I also had a fellow back east that wanted to sell me his little British Sten gun. Even though it was a 9MM he thought it was too expensive to shoot. He told me he didn't have too much luck with reloads and the factory 9MM was 6 bucks a box. Course a box lasted a whole 30 or 40 seconds...counting putting in a second mag. He said he was retired and that was a whole lot more than he made for 30-40 seconds of retirement pay. I have been lucky to have known quite a few people that had full auto arms and got to try 'em out. What a hoot! I also knew a fellow who had a Browning 1919 light machine gun that his grandfather bought...way back yonder...but never got to shoot it...darn it. But we did get to dispose of 2 cases of hand grenades though. They were really old and every one went off.

[Gil Martin]

I was in a local gun shop when a fellow stopped in to show off his latest acquisition. It was a Browning M1918 BAR in mint condition. He said it took 6 months of bureaucratic paperwork and $35,000.00 to get this jewel. Too rich for my blood. All the best...
Gil

[Adam Helmer]

skeet,

As you probably know, there was an Amnesty in December 1968 to legally register full auto arms not previously registered and the $200 Transfer Tax was waived. I have no doubt there are many UNREGISTERED full auto arms in America. If anyone has one, shooting it "full chat" is a dead give away what was fired and the penalties are a 10-year felony and loss of any future right to own any arm. Do what you are man enough to do, but remenber, "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime."

Gil: WOW, $35,000 for a WWI relic BAR! Well, I guess that shows the difference between price and value. I could have bought an M60 in 1981 for $1,000 from a Class 3 dealer. I had a mortgage and young kids and not a spare $1,000 for that arm that is probably up around $40k+ today.

Adam

[skeet]

Spoken like a true cop...but I don't have any unregistered full autos and most of the ones I have shot were legal. One that wasn't was an AK that was brought back from VN. Guy(it was given to) brought the gun to me wondering if I had a mag for it. Had a range next to the shop so loaded up a 5 rounder and he touched off a couple on semi. Just for kicks I set it on Fast fire and she sure enough zipped off the other 3. We took it apart and demilled it then and there. He even had the military letter enabling it to be brought home. BTW it was a Romanian one.

[Adam Helmer]

skeet,

Not all violations of the law are intentional, so I posted the harsh penalties the unsuspecting could fall afoul of if they violate the NFA. If that is "spoken like a true cop", well it was meant to be helpful.

Like you, I have run across full auto arms possessed by folks who did not know what they had. A while ago a WWII veteran died and his grandson got some "War Souvineirs" from the attic. There were two items that have disappeared until the next amnesty to legally register the stuff. I hear rumors of another Amnesty for full auto arms and will assist folks becoming legal to comply with the NFA.


Adam