nirvana

From the pics, I don't see where it needs to be refinished at all. Nice find.

They are calling it the "Pistolet-Pulemyet Reisinga," so I guess that sorta narrows it down.... nice find.

I've got about 12 of them, as they are PPS-43 mags. The mag adapter is probably pretty rare though. I wonder what the rate of fire is like. I would assume it to be quite high, given the size and weight of the moving parts, combined with the high velocity round.

I'll go, to see the display if nothing else. But I'm local, so I'm not sure it counts for much....

Put in some new springs, and I bet it still shoots....

I think we can all agree that the serial is been restamped, the issues are "when, why, and by whom". I have no idea, but I have some thoughts: I can't imagine that this gun was restamped to match paperwork for a different weapon, given that the last three digits match. The paperwork would have said "134470", and the forger just happened to have gun "xxx470" to restamp the first 3 digits, but keep the last three....seems unlikely... If restamping was done after the factory, i imagine that the gun was original and the paperwork could have had a typo on it, and rather than try to correct the ATF record on the papers, they just "corrected" the gun. This would be strange, but possible... Or, it could just be a factory restamp. Anyone have pics of other examples on thompsons? I've seen them on foreign guns, but not US made...

agreed, a rough topic. There are accounts of Finnish machine gunners in the Winter War suffering from severe psychological problems after being on the frontlines with their Maxim guns for a number of Soviet human wave attacks. People can't be reasonably expected to sit behind a machine gun as it chugs away at fellow human beings, not without becoming different at least. If you wish to read further, a good book on the topic is here http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Psychological-Cost-Learning-Society/dp/0316040932 My great-grandfather was a machine gunner in WW1 in the 7th Infantry division and had very little to say on the subject according to those who knew him. That is, except that he would mention seeing groups of French soldiers head towards the front during one afternoon, pushing or riding bikes, and that he knew by the next day that they were all probably dead. Apparently the influenza outbreak made an impression, but that's another event altogether.... MGs in generally, especially ones that are holding a position are prime targets. I imagine, and I'm sure that the data would confirm it, that the life expectancy of gunners was somewhat limited by this reality. This would limit the amount of combat that a gunner could be expected to experience. Most of the 'counts' that I've heard of associated with machine gunners have been associated with a medal citation, as few people really want to discuss the subject, for any number of good reasons. In these cases the veterans found themselves publicly noted, rather than seeking the attention out for themselves. At the Battle of Ia Drang (basis for the movie "We Were Soldiers") a specialist William Parrish, is of note. Another incident that comes to mind is among a guncrew present at the Battle of the Tenaru, on Guadalcanal. Three marines, (Diamond, Rivers and Scmid) were running a Browning during a series of Bonzai attacks. One of the men were killed, and the two others were seriously wounded, one left almost blind. There are others, but the subject is sorta depressing.

Anybody have a direct translation of what is written on that gun? Neat find....

Without the front sight on it, you can easily remove the mag housing for further examination. Just a guess...

This article has the affidavit involved in the arrest warrant: http://news.brevardtimes.com/2011/11/brevard-county-sheriffs-office-raids_04.html He must have really made someone pretty mad, because the investigation that is detailed over those pages took like 5 months and involved a LOT of initiative on the account of the officers. They took the time to search for BBB complaints against him, send out 150 surveys to the involved individuals, and went so far as to make a tape of the company's voicemail and include it with the court papers. It makes for an interesting read...

Wow....

I have seen a number of transferable guns built with these kits. I have always assumed that a large batch came into the US in the late 70's early 80s. My understanding about the writing: Its not a translation, its phonetic. As in, if its read aloud by a Chinese person, it sounds like he is reading the writing in English. Anyone have Chinese friend that they care to ask?

That wording has created lots of issues. People that are into C&R stuff generally consider it to mean "non-sporterized". As in, a 1903a3 Springfield with full wood stock and so on is C&R, while a blued and jeweled gun in a custom stock with a new .338 lapua magnum barrel is not. The gray area, again, is minor features. Most people consider original guns with reproduction "period accurate" scope mounts (like the Soviet PU Mosin Nagant Snipers that are everywhere) to be C&R, while guns with non-period and obviously sporter mounts would not be C&R. I am not sure where the M2 conversion carbine would fit into that...

I think 50 is the rule, all other qualifiers aside. Its gonna get real interesting when Polytech AK's become C&R, which will happen unless the ATF changes their rules.... From the ATF website.... http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/firearms-technology.html Q: Does my weapon qualify as a curio or relic (C&R)? For your information, a regulation implementing Federal firearms laws, 27 CFR Section 478.11, defines C&R firearms as those"which are of special interest to collectors by reason of some quality other than is associated with firearms intended for sporting use or as offensive or defensive weapons." To be recognized as C&R items, 478.11 specifies that firearms must fall within one of the following categories: Firearms which were manufactured at least 50 years prior to the current date, but not including replicas of such firearms; Firearms which are certified by the curator of a municipal, State, or Federal museum which exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest; and Any other firearms which derive a substantial part of their monetary value from the fact that they are novel, rare, bizarre, or because of their association with some historical figure, period, or event. Firearms automatically attain C&R status when they are 50 years old. Any firearm that is at least 50 years old, and in its original configuration, would qualify as a C&R firearm. It is not necessary for such firearms to be listed in ATF’s C&R list. Therefore, ATF does not generally list firearms in the C&R publication by virtue of their age. However, if you wish for a classification of your particular firearm under categories ( or © above and wish your item to be listed, you may submit the weapon to the Firearms Technology Branch (FTB) for a formal classification. If you desire an evaluation, ship the firearm to FTB via FedEx, UPS, or other common carrier. You must also include your carrier’s account information or a return postage label for the return of the item. Please submit any supplemental documentation such as value appraisals or curator letters that may denote the firearm as a collector’s item. The weapon would be returned with a letter detailing our examination and stating FTB’s findings concerning the weapon’s classification as a C&R firearm. Address the parcel to: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Chief, Firearms Technology Branch 244 Needy Road Martinsburg, West Virginia 25405 USA Please note that firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA) may be classified as C&R items, but still may be subject to the provisions of the NFA. If your C&R item is an NFA firearm and you desire removal from the NFA status (e.g., Winchester Trappers), you must submit it to FTB for evaluation and a formal classification.

There is a gray area, at least to me, with M1 conversions that were amnestied registered. It seems as though they should be C&R, as they may well have been original GI converted guns that were not M2 marked, the same way that the CMP apparently sold M2 guns built as M1s. There is no real way of telling who did the conversion and when, only that is was done before 1968. While it shouldn't matter once the year 2018 rolls around, and they will all be 50 yrs old in the M2 configuration, it is sorta confusing as to what to call them. It should get a little more interesting in the next 20 years when a lot of guns will meet the 50 yr old requirement.... I wonder how the ATF will approach this.