Creating a list of eligible government museums willing to take unpapered guns?

[Duza9999]

Good evening everybody,

I want to preface that it’s non of my business what persons do or do not decide to keep in their attic.

However in the cases of families who are cleaning out an estate, ect.  I figured it might be wise to create a list of government museums that in the past have accepted historically significant unpapered guns on a form 10.

 

I’ve seen it claimed that the Virginia War Memorial has done it a number of times and that historically (2014) Jesse Smith was the guy to talk to over there. (According to their website he’s still there but I’m not sure he’s in the same position).

 

 

[Rekraps]

Very valuable information. I bet there are TONS of attic guns that will be found as the older generation dies off. The ability to sneak guns back up to and through the Vietnam period was not impossible, but things have tightened down. So, as those older generations die off, we kids will have to deal with it!

[Bill in VA]

Jesse is still at the Virginia War Memorial and still Curator of Collections (as well as a few other hats he now wears.) If it helps, he’s the one who “found” and saved EE Richardson’s Thompson.

[bmarvin]

A few years ago I spoke with the curator of the Armory Co of Newport RI and he said that they can take unpapered donations 

[villafuego]

I'll cut up an unregistered gun before I F10 it to a museum.

I don't see how it could be considered a tax-deductible donation either, as the value of non-registered contraband is $0.

Museums often deactivate them, fail to maintain them in any way, shape, or form, and if your "donation" is a duplicate, it gets to slowly rust away in their storage areas.

At least a parts kit can be used to keep actual registered guns running.

Take the time to listen to this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO6F9CfgMg4

Edited December 2, 2025 by villafuego

[Bill in VA]

12 hours ago, villafuego said:

I'll cut up an unregistered gun before I F10 it to a museum.

I don't see how it could be considered a tax-deductible donation either, as the value of non-registered contraband is $0.

Museums often deactivate them, fail to maintain them in any way, shape, or form, and if your "donation" is a duplicate, it gets to slowly rust away in their storage areas.

At least a parts kit can be used to keep actual registered guns running.

Take the time to listen to this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO6F9CfgMg4

Just like a donation to Goodwill, they give you a form wherein you, the donor, determine the value of the donation. Most people tend to value an unregistered MG at its parts kit value. As far as your comments about proper maintenance and conservation, the vast majority of legitimate and accredited museums/curators take great pains to maintain their collections, even the things in storage.

BTW, for the OP, I spoke with Jesse Smith at length yesterday afternoon. He called to share about a donation of 116 Inf. Regt. (US) documents, a donation of three allegedly unregistered MGs (one of which is registered - he is in the process of helping the owner get it registered to the possessor), ask about a new local-to-me “museum”, and plan for the 2026 Show of Shows. He is still very much employed at the VA War Memorial Foundation.