Question on how to make it legal.

[85t5mcss]

Links, Replies or any help.

We will call this a hypothetical question and I am very interested in finding all any/all information that I can.

Let's say you have an Uncle who was into guns in his early years and while you helped him cleaning up some of his house before he goes to sell it you stumble across a M1919 (I assume these are not serialized)
in the attic. It has not been registered and he doesn't recall how long he has even had it. What can you do with it? How can you make it legal (if you even can)? Anyway of getting it sold to you and registered so you can keep part of your Uncle with you?

 

[curraheeguns]

Links, Replies or any help.

We will call this a hypothetical question and I am very interested in finding all any/all information that I can.

Let's say you have an Uncle who was into guns in his early years and while you helped him cleaning up some of his before he goes to sell it you stumble across a M1919 (I assume these are not serialized)
in the attic. It has not been registered and he doesn't recall how long he has even had it. What can you do with it? How can you make it legal (if you even can)? Anyway of getting it sold to you and registered so you can keep part of your Uncle with you?

USGI M1919's were in fact serial numbered on the right side plate which also is what is considered the "Machine Gun" by ATF.

If this is an original bring back gun that lets say an uncle has purchased over the years but it was never registered then it is contraband and the "sideplate" should be destroyed or abandoned to ATF to prevent a 10 year vacation that could cost up to $100,000.

A 1919 parts kit is worth about $1000-$1500 depending on if it is a tripod gun or a bipod gun.

 

[85t5mcss]

That leaves out collectors and legitimates. Am I right in guessing that it is due to being full auto (Class III) and not being registered or is there more to it?

Would be nice to save a piece of history. From the way it sounds it's even a no go for museums.

Good thing that this is all hypothetical. Sounds like heiring a house could potentially get you into a big mess if it was found and you didn't know it was there. Or buying a sealed trunk at an auction.

 

[indykid]

I actually talked to my lawyer about such a situation and would they be willing to take it as far as possible to finally get our rights back. I think a month later I can still hear them laughing.

It is a shame that a find such as any rare old automatic war relic would have to be destroyed when we have a document that states otherwise. Unfortunately it seems most law people don't care, so any war relic needs to be magically disappeared.

 

[curraheeguns]

No new transferable machine guns may be placed into the registry after May of 1986. No unregistered bring back guns have been allowed to be registered since the amnesty in 1968.

ATF has set precedents allowing museums more lienant demilling procedures but the gun would still be rendered inoperable.

 

[pinshooter45]

If I stumbled across this Hypothetical situation. I might consider packing it in cosmoline, wraping it in lot's of palstic. And find a nice place to dig a suitable hole in the ground to place said hypothetical Item in. And make sure I could find it in case a Hypothetical SHTF situation ever occurs. Hypotheticaly speaking of course!

 

[halfmileharry]

I'd hypothetically kept my mouth shut and hypothetically dug above mentioned hole. Hypothetically of course.

 

[snowrs]

I can't remember where but I heard they are working on another amnesty. May be a rumor but I seem to think it is in the works. I really don't think you found anything.

 

[VUPDblue]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...4-i_found_a_machinegun_in_grandmas_attic.html


Check this link out. The kind of thing you are talking about happens fairly frequently...

 

[redneckmedic]

I would hypothetically shoot it at Knob Creek, the only place where it would be a needle in a needle stack (hypothetically joking btw, KC is all undercover ATF looking for said hypothetically needles)

 

[96firephoenix]

If I stumbled across this Hypothetical situation. I might consider packing it in cosmoline, wraping it in lot's of palstic. And find a nice place to dig a suitable hole in the ground to place said hypothetical Item in. And make sure I could find it in case a Hypothetical SHTF situation ever occurs. Hypotheticaly speaking of course!

Hypothetically look at my sig...

 

[85t5mcss]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...4-i_found_a_machinegun_in_grandmas_attic.html


Check this link out. The kind of thing you are talking about happens fairly frequently...

Very good read. Thank you.

I'd hypothetically kept my mouth shut and hypothetically dug above mentioned hole. Hypothetically of course.

Maybe I should have used different wording. All these hypothetical hypothetics have given me a hypothetical hypotheses.

 

[kevinj110]

I think I would keep it and preserve it in the best way I could and not speak of it ever especially on the internet. Tinfoil my friends we all just made the list.

 

[IndyGunworks]

couldnt you just buy the semi auto sideplate for it and "hide" the full auto one?

not too familiar w/ 1919s

 

[pinshooter45]

I would hypothetically shoot it at Knob Creek, the only place where it would be a needle in a needle stack (hypothetically joking btw, KC is all undercover ATF looking for said hypothetically needles)

Good Idea, but I've heard the waiting list for a position is years long!

 

[85t5mcss]

I think I would keep it and preserve it in the best way I could and not speak of it ever especially on the internet. Tinfoil my friends we all just made the list.

Nah, I took my tinfoil off for the day. Anyways, I only have 1 Uncle and he isn't selling his house or dying.

couldnt you just buy the semi auto sideplate for it and "hide" the full auto one?

Not sure. Don't know much about them to begin with. I did a quick Google and found some. Have to be shipped to FFL, of course and I assume the same Form 4. But these are made to build one with parts kits. Not so sure something like that would be legal to put on an old M1919.

I am still curious though just because I like to find answers and I am overlooking or looking in the wrong spot for these answers. My ignorance on these guns and the regulated weapons is seriously lacking, though.

 

[curraheeguns]

You have to have a semi-auto side plate shipped to an FFL because as I said above it is what ATF considers the "firearm" or in the case of a FA the "machine gun".

The only side plate you would be able to buy for said gun is a semi auto one or a transferable (one made before May 1986) FA one. Transferable FA ones sell for about as much as a complete trasferable gun.

 

[85t5mcss]

I understand that's how they deal with it now, thank you. Just sounds odd that a person could have contraband in their attic and when Grandpa, or whoever, dies that there family could change a plate (because that is considered the gun) and it be a legal semi auto weapon.

I also am unaware of the inner working of that plate to understand the difference between the 2 (FA vs. SA). But I don't have one, don't have any family with one, either.

 

[CarmelHP]

I understand that's how they deal with it now, thank you. Just sounds odd that a person could have contraband in their attic and when Grandpa, or whoever, dies that there family could change a plate (because that is considered the gun) and it be a legal semi auto weapon.

I also am unaware of the inner working of that plate to understand the difference between the 2 (FA vs. SA). But I don't have one, don't have any family with one, either.

The plates are the firearms. Once you take the plate off you have an unregistered machine gun (the FA plate) and a parts kit (the rest). The FA plate must be destroyed or surrendered as an unregistered machine gun. If you buy a semi-auto plate (which is considered a firearm) you can mate it to the parts kit.

 

[ReSSurrected]

I'd buy an "80%" plate and rent the jig to finish it...