Questions About Buying From A Police Dept.

[Scoobie1]

Can any PD that still has a thompson decide to sell them to the public, or no? And assuming that they can be bought by the public, the process is pretty much the same as buying any other class 3 firearm?

[brian]

i believe that they would have needed to be registered in '68, not '86.

[Lancer]

How do you find out if a particular gun is registered if the pd isn't sure?

[full auto 45]

The PD will have to contact the ATF and make sure it was registered. The gun, if registered, will transfer out on a form 5 to you, if your C&R or in state, or to your dealer. It is a tax free transfer. My M1 I got last year was a PD gun. It was registered in '68 by the then Chief.

[TD.]

Question: If a police department machine gun is properly registered for civilian ownership and you happen to live in the same state as the police department, would a transfer be tax free from a police department to you, a private individual?

[Ron A]

The transfer would not be tax free from a Police Dept to you. I have purchased from police dept's prior.

 

The only thing I find is that the PD in most cases knows what they have, and what its worth.

 

Its interesting the number of people that think they have "found" a thompson located in a PD and bother the dept with their attempts to obtain.

 

Case in point - I purchased a 21 from a PD over 25 years ago for two AR 15's in trade. People have become aware of the trade and to this day the dept is having people make contact and offer the dept a "outstanding" deal - 4 each AR 15, or double what I paid. I have been advised they have several attempts to purchase or trade the guns which are left each month. And in each case the offers are stupid... They are people with no money and are looking for a free gun. Many law enforcement officers are tired of going thru the drill.

 

This is one of the reasons the depts with thompsons have locked up there guns from public view - If you have not made contact with dept. - go slow as you many not be the first knocking on the door. And if you are sucessful, don't make a stupid offer, in many cases they think the gun is worth more than its value. And you are not the first in line.

 

If you are able to get to get the PD to trade - then in most cases the deal has to go before the city manager or board of some type. Its rare that someone in that process isnt compelled to own the gun .

 

I have lost several guns after the PD requests permission from a higher authority.

 

Best of luck - hope you get your gun.

[colt21a]

you are starting about 20 year's too late for p.d.s' roger,earl,perry, t.william's,myself,and a few other's i won't mention have gone through that minefield already......

 

you might come across the few,and not the many.......good luck in the new quest!! take care,ron

[Scoobie1]

The reason I ask is I'm about to start working for this particular department. A friend of mine who has worked there for years knew I was into Thompsons & told me about the ones the dept still had sitting in storage. At the time, he didn't know what kind, he just said they were in cases. I can't ask him any more info now because he's in Iraq. Just thought it might be worth looking into once I join up. Plus, the chief is pretty cool and has known me for a while.

[colt21a]

and the chicago bank is still sitting on 26 1921ac's in minty cond.and i am sure will do it forever......take care,ron

[catnipman]

So, I've been dickering with a local department regarding a couple of FA firearms they have on Form 5's dated 1977 that they have been representing as fully transferable. The guns themselves were obtained directly from a US manufacturer and are not imports or reimports.

 

So, would these actually be transferable as pre-samples?

[full auto 45]

TD, if you are in the same state as the PD, then YES, you can transfer it directly to you on a form 5. I got this from my local dealer I deal with, and from the ATF.

If the guns are pre 68, then they should have been registered in 68 amnesty. If the gun is a WH it will be registered. But I don't think to many PD's ordered the WH guns.

[TD.]

Mike,

I believe you are right about the tax free transfer - given the conditions I stated. I have heard it was possible, but I have never heard of an individual doing it. Hence, my question. Scoobie1, if you can make the deal with your PD, I suggest some research about the different ways to do the transfer. It may be possible to do a tax free transfer. Good luck and let us know what happens.

[Bill in VA]

A Form 5 is nothing more than a tax-free transfer. A Form 5 can be used by an individual for a temporary transfer to/from an SOT for repairs, for transferring a dewat, from an executor/estate to an heir, and to/from a government agency.

 

HTH