You mean to tell me that you could use a glorified bring-back paper to get a never before registered full auto registered as either an active functioning gun or a dewat?
dju

Not a run of the mill "bringback" paper, but a document awarding the piece to a particular person, signed by the commanding officer. The document would have to predate the 1968 amnesty and have other documents giving it weight. I am aware of ATF occasionally approving this under certain circumstances.

Let's try to recall that full autos were never authorized as bringbacks after the 1934 NFA Act. There simply have been circumstances where a historical significance or circumstance merited ATF approval.

But WW1 and the Maxim guns were another story. They are the most commonly found unrigistered military full auto, in my experience.
But I think that we are getting just a bit off topic here...
Thanks for your input Alan.
dju

Yes, I agree that these are probably the most common, unregistered NFA items. Most of these were offered out before the 1934 NFA Act. This was back when you could mail order a Thompson Submachinegun from a catalogue.

Those Maxims were given out, as you mentioned, for things such as War Bond premiums, service recognition, etc. Hell, I imagine a bank or two gave them away for opening a savings account!! Since these guns were so big and "impractical" along with the fact that many were received by "non gun" people, many were never registered during the amnesty. I've also seen a bunch of these over the years that are considered contraband, including a rare Vickers "Balloon Gun".

Up until the mid 1990s, there was a fully working Maxim with sled mount, spray painted silver, simply chained to the flagpole, (with a dog chain!) outside a Vermont post office I am familiar with.

Maxims are still the cheapest, registered, belt fed MG available to a lawful purchaser.

Well gents I have secured this luger and hopefully should have it next week :cheers:

Congratulations !

I am sorry to show my ignorance; but, what is "WAF"?

Please note I said ignorance, not stupidity. I can be cured. :)

I think WAF is for the http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/index.php
Interesting forum for collectors of all things wehrmacht.:)
Just reading a interesting discussion there about the recent auction of the "Dr. George Sturgess collection".
Apparently if a gun was part of his famous collection,it does command a premium.:rolleyes:
Bob

Yes that is correct, the Wehrmacht Awards Forum, it should be here tomorrow :)

Well guys its arrived, I have taken some more pics for your perusal, hope you enjoy it, I absolute love it :)

More A

More B

More C

Ben
Very very nice!!!!! Bill

Awesome...you landed a real gem!

Really nice Luger.
Congratulations and thanks for sharing.
Douglas

Pictures of a mutilated corpse.

That may be so, Mike... but if you live in the UK, and have an interest in historical guns, you have little choice but to own them after they have been "neutered"...

Have pity on our UK friends please... they can't help it. They are "subjects" of the crown. Not citizens of a free nation.

Even with all our own troubles I Thank God almighty every day that we still live in the nation that is the freedom envy of every other nation in the entire world.

Any of our Lugerforum friends in the UK who come to Washington DC are welcome to PM me in advance so I can show them what that freedom is all about while they are here. :thumbup:

Hey John I might just take you up on that :thumbup:

Or me on the west coast