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Number of Types 96 and 99 LMGs in the Registry


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Yesterday a gentleman asked me how many Type 96 and Type 99 LMGs are in the NFA registry, compared to say MG34 or MG42s. All I could do is give him a SWAG but delivered it with a shrug.

 

So, are there numbers available online?

 

 

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ATF has been building a data base of specific types of MGS in the NFRTR for quite a few years to filter for numbers registered. In regard only to vintage MGs and not including thse registered after the '68 Amnesty, due to the wide variety of incorrect recorded info on original registrations of vintage MGs about make, model, serial number with MGs registered at any time prior to the end of the '68 Amnesty, generally the accuracy is very low. Some MGs such as Thompsons have a higher accuracy rate for raw numbers and specific models.

Adding in the remanufactured MGs creates even more confusion in this effort.

There are many specific types of MGs that have been tracked over many years by dealers and collectors for which there are quite accurate estimates of numbers registered. Tracking sales, confirming examples in collections are the two best resources used to make an estimate of the numbers of vintage, original MGs in the NFRTR.

A few examples from my own tracking are, with some +/-: British issue standard Vickers ground MGs, 10: 1917 Colt WC Brownings, 2: Czech made ZB39 BRENS, 3: Hotchkiss Universal SMG, 1: 1905 Russian Maxim, 3: Russian RPD, 12: 1908 date-of-manufacture German DWM MG08, 1,

There are many, many types of MGs of which there are no examples in the NFRTR, revealed by the same tracking methods.

Estimates or remanufactured MGs have been supplied by those who made and registered.

ATF does not publish any estimates of types of MGs in the NFRTR that I know of. FWIW

Edited by Black River Militaria CII
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For what it's worth, in the past 25-30 years, I've probably run across 3 times as many unregistered T96's and T99's than papered ones...….

 

I would venture to guess that was due to the vast majority being bringbacks, the relative scarcity of magazines and ammunition for them in the late 1960's, and the fact that the men who earned them on the battlefield had no interest in "federal registration"......

 

It's a shame......they are really interesting, great shooting guns

 

Prior to 1968, was there ever any quantity of them actually imported for sale? (either as DEWATs or live guns)

Edited by villafuego
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Many of the Jap LMGs that show up as unregistered have no way of being confirmed as unregistered. The majority of unregistered MGs are in the hands of someone who is not possibly the original registrant and there are few MGs for which the current registrant can be found. This has been a huge problem that ATF refuses to address although recently they have allowed a once removed relative to legally sign the paperwork for the related registrant to free it up for transfer. So, some portion of those many "unregistered" Jap LMGs were registered but there is no simple mechanism to identify the registrant or even determine if the number is in the registry.

Yes, a number of the DEWAT retailers in the mid-50s listed T11, 96, 99 and the 03s and 92s as available DEWATs. Other really unusual Jap guns have shown up over the years that were we sold as DEWATs as well. I acquired several DEWATs from ads in Popular Mechanics and other publications offered by Numrich Arms and two California retailers when I was 14. CA gun retailer Hy Hunter had a nice selection, and Golden State Arms come to mind. FWIW

Edited by Black River Militaria CII
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