Fully legal full auto M1A1

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CSestp

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Hey everyone I am an upcoming gun collector, and the next thing on my list to own is a WWII vent. or replica M1A1 fully auto thompson. I need to know how to build / modify one. So I need to know where I can find the info to make sure everything is legal.

As I have come to understand it all I need to do is get my A3 class firearm license. If I am wrong please educate me. Am I going to just have to find the parts and just put it together, am I going to have to buy a new one and convert it. I don't really want to buy one already auto because I have been seeing those go for 7000 and up. Thanks everyone in advance.
 
18 USC 922 (o)

You may not build a new machine gun after May 1986.

You may purchase a transferable one that is in the NFA registry (i.e., registered prior to May 1986).

You must live in a state where your state law allows ownership of full auto arms.

You must have a ton of cashola, because collector-grade thompsons are stupid money right now (10's of thousands of dollars).

If all above criteria are met, locate an FFL who has an SOT Tax Stamp (a "Class III" dealer).

Plunk down your cash. Get two copies of ATF Form 4, take it to your chief of police, have him or his designee sign it (the infamous CLEO signature). Get two passport photos. Write check for $200 (transfer tax).

Wait six months for ATFE to process the paperwork.

Rotsa ruck.
 
Here is my advice,call the ATF before doing anything, otherwise it is 5 years $250,000.00 in Ft Leavenworth courtesy of the US Government. Ask them for all the details and legalities.
 
It's going to cost you a minimum of $18,000 to get an M1 style Thompson and there's no shortcut around that.

They come up for sale often enough, you just need to

a) live in a state that allows them and
b) have the cash

For collecting purposes another alternative to consider is a semi only short barrel replica.

I have a Kahr M1 Thompson and a Form 1 to shorten the barrel.

It's at a well known Tommy smith now being made to look like it just dropped off the set of Rat Patrol.....

I'm gonna have around $1200 in that when it's done and you won't be able to tell the difference unless you pull the trigger.
 
What about these Stemple Take Down Guns that are advertised in Shotgun news? Aren't they built up in replicas of the Thompson, Suomi, and others?

Ash
 
I don't really want to buy one already auto because I have been seeing those go for 7000 and up.
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If there was an easy way to bypass the ban on new machine guns, don't you think other people would do that too?

And a Thompson is more like $14k and up.
 
What about these Stemple Take Down Guns that are advertised in Shotgun news? Aren't they built up in replicas of the Thompson, Suomi, and others?
Click to expand...

The Stemple take down guns use pre-1986 NFA registered Stemple MG receivers. The receivers were designed to be built up as a more-or-less copy of the Carl Gustav/S&W 76 9mm subguns originally. The new kits allow the owners of the registered Stemple gun to instead build up the receiver into a more-or-less Thompson or Suomi.

Did you notice the price listed in SGN for those is $7,000? And I'm not sure if that even includes the Stemple receiver or not! (Anyone know for sure?)
 
Well, you could become a Class II manufacturer... but I don't know much about that at all. Try asking at a more NFA board, like Uzi Talk.
 
The Stemple's are complete, however, though they may look like a Thompson, they're just parts tacked onto a tube. A Pearl conversion M1A1 will run you about $12K.

Bottom line, you want a Thompson MG, gonna run you a minimum of $7K
 
Plenty of Thompsons available, with a wide variety fo pricing. Originals are the most costly, with the early models being the most expensive (1921, 1928) and the GI the cheapest.

Then you can add rewelds and copies and conversions. They must be 'fully transferrable' for an individual to own. Just because it's pre-86 doesn't mean it's transferrable. There are plenty of pre-86 dealers' samples out there.

I've seen Thompsons go for anywhere from $50,000 to $9,000. Here's one a friend sold for $9k. (Reweld)

http://guntech.com/sale/thompson.html

Check out Tom Bowers board http://subguns.com in the classifieds.

http://www.subguns.com/classifieds/...sults_format=long&db_id=11361&query=retrieval

http://www.subguns.com/classifieds/...sults_format=long&db_id=11335&query=retrieval

http://www.subguns.com/classifieds/...sults_format=long&db_id=11306&query=retrieval
 
Thank you all for your help I have one more question. Can I build one from parts that are pre dated 1986? Was this what Crunker1337 was talking about the class 2 building license or what have you? Once again thank you for your help I'm sure you get stupid questions like this all the time.
 
Can I build one from parts that are pre dated 1986
Click to expand...

You can if the receiver itself was in the NFA database before then, and is transferable, but if you find one like that you are still going to pay in the many thousands of dollar range.

There simply is no cheap way to get into the full auto world.

I'm sure you get stupid questions like this all the time.
Click to expand...

It's far from a stupid question, it's a pretty complicated subject.
 
Thanks tex one more thing to make me feel stupid what are transferable conditions??? I'v heard the term a few times since I have started my search and noticed it alot of times on these forums. Such as 80% transferable??? Please clear this one last thing up for me.
 
"Thank you all for your help I have one more question. Can I build one from parts that are pre dated 1986? Was this what Crunker1337 was talking about the class 2 building license or what have you? Once again thank you for your help I'm sure you get stupid questions like this all the time."

The only stupid question is one that isn't asked.

If you want to buy the full auto part (usually receiver, may be sear in some cases) it has to have been registered as a legal machinegun prior to '86, and it's still subject to massive inflation. You just can't buy a transferable Thompson for under $10k.

If you want to become a Class II manufacturer, well it's basically WAY harder than become a standard gun dealer. You get fingerprinted, security checked, each weapon must be registered upon manufacture etc... not something for the faint of heart.

Transferable means the gun, or the full-auto part, was legally registered prior to '86 and can be transfered to civilians.
 
It's fun to shoot Class III's once every great while.....once every great while.

It will also attract attention....every single time.

You will no longer be kindasorta anonymous....

I have a friend who builds them, military contracter, etc.
we go into the deep desert to shoot and you know what?

After once or twice, I don't care. I even supply the wasteful spewing of 5.56....just a couple hundred....

If you have not ever shot full auto, you need to find out if it's in your blood....some people just love them. For me, since I've been shooting again and shot some many years ago....less facination.

The facts and statements on this page are just that. Don't get the bug to build an illegal thing yourself. It's not worth it. What if someone who works ATF was answering your questions? Sure, go ahead, build, I have your private mail and easy to find you.
 
Go to the ATF website and read, read, read.

The long story short is that you can fill the niche in your collection with a dummy gun for about 800 bucks--but it will NEVER be a firing gun. A live Thompson is an increasingly expensive toy, owing to the 1986 law change.

That said, if you're a young person--look at it like this: save up and buy that 15K Thompson that you can have lawfully transfered to you in many states INSTEAD of some flashy car. Drive some old 1000.00 clunker and own something that will provide you with a fun hobby and that will hold it's value better than some new sports car that will be worth next to nothing in ten years.

Or, lobby for a change in the silly law.
 
what are transferable conditions
Click to expand...

Well it's complicated but basically any weapon that falls under the NFA (machineguns for this) would have to have already been registered BEFORE the 86 ban went into place.

Most of those are registered and transferable, meaning they can be sold to other people. There can be no more added to the NFA registry so what's out there is it.

If you have certain licenses you can make new ones or sell those made after 86, usually called dealer samples.

Suffice it to say you are not gonna get into that business as Crunk as shown.

Like I posted up top, the best alternative for a collector that wants to shoot a gun is to build or have built a semi only replica unless you just have crazy money.

I have an M1 Thompson that looks exactly like the real deal and I can shoot it any time I want and it cost me just a little over a grand. It just doesn't go full auto and it doesn't fire from an open bolt.

It is an NFA weapon also but only because of the short barrel. You can still make short barrelled weapons after 1986, they were not included in the ban.

So, you go get one of the Kahr Thompsons, do a $200 NFA tax stamp for a short barrel rifle, then modify the Kahr to look right.
It's about as close as you can get and not go broke :)
 
Man, looks like my next weekend is shot all to hell. I was going to the wanamaker gunshow in Tulsa, OK. I was looking for a thompson and a true SVD. I only have like 2k max for the show so looks like the piggy bank stays unsmashed untill next year at least. Anyone else going to that show???

OH yea thanks once again for all the info you guys helped out alot.
 
I was looking for a thompson
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Well here's the other thing. Even if you find one you can't just buy it and take it home :)

You have to pay the owner then submit forms fingerprints and first born (kidding about that one, well so far) and a check for $200 and then wait oh what is it now.....

6-8 months maybe for your first one? Then your dealer gets some paperwork back and then and only then do you get your goodie.

In the meantime the dealer has had your money AND your gun, just hanging around waiting.

If for some reason you fail the background check or whatever, lots of dealers will charge you a pretty hefty "fine" for keeping their gun out of the market.

Depressed yet? :)
 
And this makes it more safe how? Does someone robbing a bank just forget to read the little "Firearms are not allowed on this property" sign? Because I know if they read that they would completly change there mind right? Sighs oh well something to work towards right?
 
Oh no, I didn't say ANY of this made any sense.

It's frigging stupid.

The ONLY crime ever committed with a legally registered machine gun was committed by a cop.

(couple of other guys were charged but found to have used theirs legally in self defense)
 
How about with a C&R license? Isn't it a bit easier to transfer a pre-86 Thompson? This place often has FA Tommies listed as C&R...Hmmmm....They still are not cheap, but wonder if they're easier to transfer?

LINK:
 
How about with a C&R license? Isn't it a bit easier to transfer a pre-86 Thompson
Click to expand...

Nope. Not any easier to transfer. Same Form 3 or 4 applies.

And that site shows a "C&R rated" Thompson made by Auto Ordnance?

That's a West Hurley gun. I'm not sure what "C&R" rated even means LOL
 
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