MG-34: Need Some Advice

[Lyn Islaub]

I have a buddy with the signs of onset dementia and we are dissolving his collection of guns, media and militaria in general while he is still able to be a part of it.
He has a de-wat MG34 that was bandsaw cut, but complete and operable in all other ways. I would like to put it on the table at the big Phoenix show as a non-firing example at the end of this month, but don't have a clue as to what to ask for it.
Any of you able to help in that regard???? I can email pictures as required.
Thx,
Lyn

[gunbugs]

Sarges Military Surplus has some nice torch cut kits, complete, for 1795.00 . The saw cut kit you have, depending on condition, should be the same or a little more, possibly 2000.00 . But that may be optimistic. How many folks actually want a cut up MG-34?

[DavidJayUden]

Be very cautious with a band-saw cut machinegun. I went thru all that with an 08-15 Maxim, and had to get a diagram from the BATF to stay on the legal side. They demanded torch cuts be made per their diagrams, 3 or 4 as I recall, and once welded together it had to be something like an inch shorter that original. It made for quite a project.
Unless you research it carefully, I'd ditch the receiver and sell it as a parts set.
Remember that the ATF is all over those gun shows just looking for such rules violations, regardless of intent or threat.
dju

[sheepherder]

I had an MG-34 parts kit years ago, sold by Golden Enterprises which had the street address of, surprise, surprise, Sarco. They also sold a solid cast aluminum dummy receiver for it. My FFL buddy and gunshop owner would set it up at the local shows and get a lot of attention. I still have the ammo can and two link belts sitting around here somewhere. It's possible that Sarco still has some of the dummy receivers for the MG-34. They seem to find forgotten old stuff in their warehouse every week.

[Edward Tinker]

Lyn, this is like the Japanese MG I ran into recently. The questions folks wanted to know was if it was ATF registered, makes it more valuable because I believe they can un dwat at it?

[Lyn Islaub]

Thx for your collective input. I'll have to rethink this one for a while to ensure I don't create a problem for myself with the ATF folks.
Lyn

[gunbugs]

You could always list it on Gunbroker without the cut receiver, It would probably sell fairly high.

[John Sabato]

If it already BATFE registered before the 1986 MG ban on new registrations, then it should be able to be re-WATED back to MG status and would be worth a LOT more money... No job is done till the paperwork is done. Go back and look for registration papers at the house of the late owner.

[Jim Mac]

I would get on the weapons guild and ask there. or call a few guys that have a ffl to build full autos. The batf changed the ways guns had to be demilled from saw cut in half to saw cut and torch cut etc. Early saw cut ak kits bring a premium because you can weld the evil third hole and weld them back together as a semi auto with a original reciever and still be legal.
from what I understand if you can find any paperwork or reciepts for the Dewat even if the batf doesn't have it on their books, your paperwork should be enough get it on the registry and basically you have a legal machine gun! Some assembly required. jim

[gunbugs]

DEWATS typically are not saw cut receivers. This type of demil procedure was required for importation after '86. Later ATF required torch cuts. I'd bet sure money no registration paperwork exists for this kit. It's just an earlier imported saw cut parts kit. Somewhat unusual, but not unheard of.

[Lyn Islaub]

Gunbugs is probably correct, as no registration paper exists. I'm thinking that we'll sell it for parts.

[Jim Mac]

before parting out a matching saw cut parts kit I would try to find a buyer or collector to buy the complete kit. I'm . pretty sure you can build it into a semi auto with a bit of work and I'm sure semi auto recievers are available. If not they reweld the original reciever and add a blocking bar to make it a legal semi reciever. You have a original barreled kit, selling it in pieces you may end up stuck with a lot of misc parts after the bolt and barrel sells. I wanted to buy a mg53 kit and try a build. I just don't have a lathe and mill do one properly.
Heck I'd like your kit just as a collectable. jim

[DavidJayUden]

The last thing I'll say on the matter is that if the BATF catches you with an unregistered full auto, even one that has been saw cut, they will have to pipe sunlight to you.
Do not get caught with that receiver.
dju

[Jim Mac]

before losing a bunch of value, I would get on the weapons guild and talk to some of the builders on that site to find out what the actual rules are. the torch cut reciever rules are for parts kits "imported" into the US today. back in the day they weren't required to be torch cut.
My first stent parts kit in the mid 90s was a 30 dollar saw cut sub machine gun. with a factory barrel. This parts kit is still 100% legal to own because it was imported to batf spec in the 90s. importers can't import it in the same state today due to changes in how they want them demilled, not to mention the barrel ban.
Also if a gun was confiscated in the US and the gun was cut up and sold by the local police dept a saw cut would have be legal.
https://www.apexgunparts.com/more/su...receivers.html
hope the link works for the crushed ak recievers apex gun parts sells. these are full auto recievers that are squashed, since its demilled to atf specs it's considered scrap metal today. we had a contest to see how fast a builder could turn it back into a functioning AK. Since its considered a piece of scrap metal, guys would 1st weld the third hole, heat the reciever and reform it into a function AK semi auto reciever.
If the 3rd hole wasn't welded first, then it would have been a full auto reciever after it was reformed. The once a machine gun applies if the recievers wasn't demilled. once it's demilled it's considered scrap metal.
The saw cut sten kit while being legal to own, if you have even a blank reciever tube in the correct diameter you can get charged with intent to build. but there you have a reciever blank with the correct diameter to fit a open bolt plus the parts to build.
like I was saying. check around with actual builders before parting the kit out. you'll probably get more money for your friend. jim

[Jim Mac]

http://www.akfiles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=325310
these guys are pretty up to date on building all sorts of different guns legally.
So just how much would you sell the kit for???
jim

[stg44fan]

If you are curious about reactivating it I would ask this gentleman.

http://www.blackrivermilitaria.com/other.html

[alanint]

Originally Posted by stg44fan

If you are curious about reactivating it I would ask this gentleman.

http://www.blackrivermilitaria.com/other.html

Bubba Naess is a personal friend and one of the most knowledgeable folks in the NFA field. Bob Landies over at Ohio Ordnance is a top guy in creating semi autos out of old MG kits.

[DavidJayUden]

Naess is the old Maxim gun guru. There was a time that I had an almost constant stream of Maxim locks either going to, or coming from, him.
dju