(IL) Sheriff wants to melt down Dillinger's Tommy gun

[Henry Bowman]

Given only two choices, I'd rather it be melted down and forgotten than for Babs Boxer or Di Feinstein (or some elected criminal in Chicago) to hold it up as a prop in support of their next gun-grabbing ban.

 

[Daniel T]

He hasn't taken over the office yet and he's making these kind of statements. It's gonna be a long tenure.

Actually, I'm assuming he HAS taken over the office, since this thread originated in 2002.

 

[Checkman]

I brought this thread back from the dead because I'm curious as to the Tommy gun's fate. Is it still intact or is ti gone? I'm betting it's been destroyed, but I don't know. Does anybody?

 

[71Commander]

Actually, I'm assuming he HAS taken over the office, since this thread originated in 2002.

 

[JoeG52]

Not maybe, the sheriff is just an idiot.

 

[Monkeyleg]

Reminds me of the scene from Schindler's list where the German commandant is addressing his troops:

"For six centuries, there has been a
Jewish Cracow.
By this weekend, those six centuries,
they're a rumor. They never happened.
Today is history."

If that IN sheriff has his way, somebody will be spit-shining his boots some day. Hope it isn't anyone here.

 

[coonan357]

yes sherriff domengiuz has taken office but no word of what ever happened to the tommygun . will try to find out . Mr El Tejon may be you could find out since you have freinds .

 

[Rosstradamus]

Blueduck, history is often ugly. Maybe you prefer Stalin's method of cleaning up historical loose ends? History as presented in the Soviet Encyclopedia was very neat and tidy.

And yes, I vote with most of the other High Roaders: That guy is an idiot.

 

[Waitone]

The sheriff's arrogance knows no limits. Here he is sitting on an asset that could bring a cool $1 million to his country. For some reason it has not occurred to him the government could use the money. So he feels free to engage in jihad against inanimate historical objects. Seems to me the good sheriff just placed a value on his prejudice.

 

[c_yeager]

I was always taught that crimes, tragedies, and attrocities were the most important parts of history, as their remembrance enabled a society to prevent their reccurance.

And i dont fully understand why this weapon isnt transferable. Shouldnt it be treated like any other pre-NFA machingun? (i have no idea how these are treated though, but their must be a policy in place).

 

[Trebor]

And i dont fully understand why this weapon isnt transferable. Shouldnt it be treated like any other pre-NFA machingun? (i have no idea how these are treated though, but their must be a policy in place).

Yeah, there's a policy in place. The policy is that it can either be owned by a LEO agency or it's contraband. I believe that it either is already registered as a LEO weapon or it could still be added as a LEO weapon. The problem is that LEO NFA registrations aren't transferable to civilians.

That's why there is no real "Market value" for this gun. It's not worth "$1 Million" because no private owner could legally take possession. The only people that could purchase it would be a law enforcement agency or possibly a museum. I don't see either group paying $1 Million for the gun. Essentially, it's worthless.

The fact that the gun was manufactured before the NFA took effect is irrelevent. Under the law, it should have been registered when the NFA was passed. There was also an amnesty in 1968 that allowed weapons that had never been registered to be added to the registry.

Now, NFA registration works differently for LEO agencies than it does for private citizens. The NFA paperwork for a LEO weapon doens't allow it to be transfered to a private citizen. That's because the private citizen part of the NFA registry was closed in 1986. That's why no new machine guns can be manufactured for the civilian market. That's also why no old machine-guns that were never registered can not now be added to the registry and LEO guns can not be transfered to the civilian registry.

I may not be 100% on the details, but that's the gist of it.

 

[saltydog]

Not maybe, the sheriff is just an idiot.

He is worse than that. He is a "real" idiot!

 

[Geno]

Donate it to archives

There is no way that ANY law enforcement agency should be permitted to take "ownership" as in to keep and to employ of ANY person's firearm(s). Without exception! That potential permits some fool to seek out nice or limited firearm for malicious taking. I saw this very thing occur in northern Michigan to one of my students.

A DNR officer seized a young man's .22 LR (Kimber rifle). He did NOT take the rifle back to the office and log it...he took it home! He left it in his vehicle for a few weeks and then was actually seen USING it to hunt!?!?! When confronted by the State Police, he retorted that he "forgot that it was there." When they asked how could you forget it when was there hunting with it? He responded, "I'm giving it a safety check." The gun was seized from him and returned to the lawful owner.

Donate the machine gun as a piece of historical matter or keep it in the evidence room. We can not rewrite history and we should not. Nor should any LEO walk about with any citizen’s (present or previous) property, be that citizen dead or alive.

Doc2005

 

[Waitone]

Was any legal action civil or criminal taken against the DNR ossifer?

 

[miko]

That guy is not an idiot, or stupid or anything like that.

He is a typical government official. It's not his property worth $1 million plus sentimental value that he wants to melt down.
He will not gain a penny by preserving that gun. In fact due to other intrusive government regulations he faces a hassle if he tries to sell it to make money for his department.

He is exercising power and imposing his personal values at no cost to him. Sounds like a very rational guy to me.

miko

 

[c_yeager]

He will not gain a penny by preserving that gun. In fact due to other intrusive government regulations he faces a hassle if he tries to sell it to make money for his department.

A number of historically significant police departments opperate their own museums at a profit. He could easily sell it to one of those departmens, or even start one at his department.

 

[Chrontius]

If the sherriff is that concerned about glorifing Dillinger, how about issuing the Thompson to officers to use as a duty weapon? The Thompson could then assist the officers and help them enforce the law, "restoring its honor."

+1 Insightful

Also, the idea of using it to draw revenue at a police museum is a good one.It may be a bit late for it, but 'paying his debt to society' seems like a good thing to bring up.