Thompson machine gun Model 1928 Receiver

[damifino]

As a side note for future reference. My AO semi receiver is shallower top to bottom, same width. 1.06 wide by 1.20 deep for semi. 1.06 wide by 1.30 deep for FA.

[rpbcps]

12 hours ago, Doug Quaid said:

I think that a lot of gun collectors don't realize how little their wives and children know about guns.   

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2245749/Officers-stunned-woman-drops-40-000-WWII-German-rifle-destroyed-police-buy-program.html

Forgetting about machine guns for a second, one thing that happens a lot when a gun collector dies is his family taking valuable guns to a gun shop and getting ripped off.  A guy I work with told me that when his father-in-law died, he took an armload of his "fancy shotguns" to the local gun shop to sell and got $500.  He said that the shotguns had "fancy wood stocks" on them.  He said there were about "9 or 10" of them. 

One of the things that bugs me about gun collecting is the way that everyone has bought up all the spare parts.  There used to be 527 M1A1 bolts in a crate at Numrich, but now those 527 bolts are dispersed to 483 collectors all over the USA, sitting in desk drawers and storage boxes.   When the collectors die off, you know their wives and children are going to throw those bolts in the trash.   A woman who would bring an Stg 44 to a $25 gun buy-back is also a woman who would throw out her husbands "greasy old gun stuff."

I made an instruction manual for my family that explains exactly what to do with all the bank accounts, insurance policies, guns, etc.  I told my wife and kids that if I ever kick the bucket, just look in there and follow the directions.  Of course there is nothing in the book that would be useful to a thief or hacker.  

Doug, well said.

A few years ago, during the COVID pandemic, I was undergoing treatment for Oesophagus cancer. Prior to surgery, where there was a chance I would not survive, I wrote a document covering everything my family would need in case I did not come through the 12 hours of surgery. That included details of my deactivated collection, Thompson paperwork, manuals etc. and collection of magazines, incl. some Colt era drums and box magazines 

Here in the UK few people know the value of these and dealers have been known to take advantage of that lack of knowledge.

Edited February 5, 2023 by rpbcps
text color change

[ron_brock]

4 hours ago, sinusbrady said:

Thank you I will follow your advise. Do you have the time to answer some questions?  It is obvious I am in over my head but I would like to understand a little more.

Is the mere possession of the auto receiver a felony without a class 3 license even if the there are no other parts? What about the trigger group with sear if there is a switch to auto and single? What I am trying to understand is what makes a machine gun is it the receiver, the sear assembly or a combination of both. I would think so. Is the sear assembly different in a semiauto and auto? Are they interchangeable? Is that why the receiver is so restricted. Are there any restrictions on the trigger/sear combinations?

Thanks for the advise.  It goes back to the widow Monday.  I really appreciate the time you have given me.

Tom   

Tom,  

I sent you a private message 

Ron 

[sinusbrady]

On 2/4/2023 at 6:28 PM, Motorcar said:

In the simplest terms, a class 3 licensee cannot even have it without transfer paperwork, only the name, estate, trust etc. on the paperwork can possess the receiver, if it does in fact appear in the photos that it will accept the bolt and misc. parts. (there are things such as manufacturers, gunsmiths etc. that may have NFA items for repair, but lets keep it as simple as possible.)

You may be confusing "Class 3 license" with "ownership", the two are not the same. An FFL may have different classes of license to perform different tasks within the context of the law. If the widow's late husband owned an NFA item in his name only it would be on a "Form 4", then he may also posses an FFL to say, collect old Colts, the two have nothing to do with each other, in simplest terms.

As others have said, if it is in fact an NFA or non registered MG, you cannot possess it. It must be "papered" to transfer it or destroyed.

I appreciate you for taking the time to explain the distinction. between the two.

[rodfarva]

"Class 3 license" is a term that I hear thrown around a lot.  Technically, such thing doesn't exist.  Any individual that can legally own a firearm can legally own a machine gun as long as it is permitted in his/her state.  No special license is required.  What is required, is filling out the appropriate paperwork (Form 4 transfer), fingerprint card/photo, paying the $200 tax stamp, and submitting this to the ATF and waiting.

A type 1 FFL (regular dealer) can pay to obtain an 03 SOT classification.  Then said dealer can deal in NFA items, like machine guns.

A type 7 FFL (manufacturer) can pay to obtain an 02 SOT classification which allows them to manufacture and deal in NFA items.

There are many more nuances, but I will leave it as this for the sake of simplification.