marshall3
Member
If a fellow came across a Sturmgewehr 43 in good shape that someone had brought home from WW2, how would you go about getting it legalized, and how much would it be worth?
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Sturmgewehr 43
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Well first you want to desperately look for any paperwork.
If it was ever registered, you are probably in good shape. But you definitely don't want to rely on ATF records to verify that it is registered.
If it isn't registered, you are pretty screwed. Even if it was brought back prior to 1968 you are gonna have a hard time proving it unless that fact is somehow reliably documented. And if that is the case, you "might" be able to register it under a "war trophy" amnesty.
But if you have none of the above, for all ATF knows, it was brought in illegally last week. Under that scenario your options are basically donate, surrender or destroy.
You can donate it so a museum or LE agency.
You can surrender it to ATF (who may very well destroy it).
Or you can destroy the receiver and keep or sell the resulting part kit.
Forget about trying to sell it to a FFL/SOT, you'll probably end up getting screwed out of it. First they know that your mere possession of it is technically illegal. And even if they could get a LE demo letter to legally acquire the post sample machine gun from you, you can't be in legal possession while you wait for the paperwork to clear.
Which means most FFL/SOTs will try and take possession of it without any form of compensation "as a favor" to you.
My advice is if you are on good terms with a local Sheriff, consider offering to donate it to his agency with the request that you can get regular trigger time on it. And while it is in his custody, you can research ATF to find out if it is on the registry according to their records.
If it was ever registered, you are probably in good shape. But you definitely don't want to rely on ATF records to verify that it is registered.
If it isn't registered, you are pretty screwed. Even if it was brought back prior to 1968 you are gonna have a hard time proving it unless that fact is somehow reliably documented. And if that is the case, you "might" be able to register it under a "war trophy" amnesty.
But if you have none of the above, for all ATF knows, it was brought in illegally last week. Under that scenario your options are basically donate, surrender or destroy.
You can donate it so a museum or LE agency.
You can surrender it to ATF (who may very well destroy it).
Or you can destroy the receiver and keep or sell the resulting part kit.
Forget about trying to sell it to a FFL/SOT, you'll probably end up getting screwed out of it. First they know that your mere possession of it is technically illegal. And even if they could get a LE demo letter to legally acquire the post sample machine gun from you, you can't be in legal possession while you wait for the paperwork to clear.
Which means most FFL/SOTs will try and take possession of it without any form of compensation "as a favor" to you.
My advice is if you are on good terms with a local Sheriff, consider offering to donate it to his agency with the request that you can get regular trigger time on it. And while it is in his custody, you can research ATF to find out if it is on the registry according to their records.
Look for the paperwork really, really, hard. It if was never registered, it can't be registered now.
As far as value, if you *do* have the paperwork, it's a very valuable gun. We're talking $18K or more. If it's not already in the NFA registry though, it's essentially worthless as it is contraband that can not be legally possessed or sold. In that case the most you could get for it is if you stripped off all the parts and had the receiver destroyed to ATF specs. In that cases the remaining "parts kit" would have some value, but not nearly as much as a registered gun would have. The "parts kit" would really only be useful to someone who already has a registered MP44 as spare parts as no one could use it to build up a new gun.
There has been idle talk of a "vet amnesty" so all these old WWII bringbacks can be registered, but nothing has over come of it and I don't expect another amnesty anytime in the next few years.
Personally, I'd find an attorney familiar with NFA regs and talk to him. He could help you turn it in over to a qualified museum or at the very least surrender it to the ATF without getting in any legal trouble.
Ask over at www.subguns.com or over at www.uzitalk.com and I'm sure someone can point you to an attorney familiar with NFA laws and ATF regs.
As far as value, if you *do* have the paperwork, it's a very valuable gun. We're talking $18K or more. If it's not already in the NFA registry though, it's essentially worthless as it is contraband that can not be legally possessed or sold. In that case the most you could get for it is if you stripped off all the parts and had the receiver destroyed to ATF specs. In that cases the remaining "parts kit" would have some value, but not nearly as much as a registered gun would have. The "parts kit" would really only be useful to someone who already has a registered MP44 as spare parts as no one could use it to build up a new gun.
There has been idle talk of a "vet amnesty" so all these old WWII bringbacks can be registered, but nothing has over come of it and I don't expect another amnesty anytime in the next few years.
Personally, I'd find an attorney familiar with NFA regs and talk to him. He could help you turn it in over to a qualified museum or at the very least surrender it to the ATF without getting in any legal trouble.
Ask over at www.subguns.com or over at www.uzitalk.com and I'm sure someone can point you to an attorney familiar with NFA laws and ATF regs.
Prince Yamato
Member
First off:
Conspiracy theories aside, I'm pretty sure the ATF gets LOTS of inquiries like yours about war trophies found in attics that were never registered. As many veterans die, these things will likely be found when cleaning out their stuff. Basically, you have to donate it to a museum or destroy it except for the parts. The parts COULD be used to build a semi-auto clone off of a semi-auto receiver.
Don't sweat, but don't sit on the damn gun for a year now that you know you have something that could land you in prison. Make a decision. Then go with it. You won't go to jail for obeying the law.
Conspiracy theories aside, I'm pretty sure the ATF gets LOTS of inquiries like yours about war trophies found in attics that were never registered. As many veterans die, these things will likely be found when cleaning out their stuff. Basically, you have to donate it to a museum or destroy it except for the parts. The parts COULD be used to build a semi-auto clone off of a semi-auto receiver.
Don't sweat, but don't sit on the damn gun for a year now that you know you have something that could land you in prison. Make a decision. Then go with it. You won't go to jail for obeying the law.
Hoppy590
um....
Sturmgewehr 43... no such thing.
theres a gewehr 43, semi auto rifle. and a sturmgewehr 44 selectable assault rifle
but no sturmgewehr 43
You are correct. However the Stg44/45 was originally designated a MP43 and it is possible this is one of those earlier models.
marshall3
Member
Thanks for the info, much appreciated. For the record, I do NOT have such a firearm.
jerkface11
Member
As said above if it's a G43 there's no legal issue with it. However if it's an STG44 there probably is.
This is a G43 http://world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl12-e.htm
This is an STG44 http://world.guns.ru/assault/as51-e.htm
This is a G43 http://world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl12-e.htm
This is an STG44 http://world.guns.ru/assault/as51-e.htm
TexasRifleman
Moderator Emeritus
You won't go to jail for obeying the law.
Where in the world did you get THAT idea.
Try driving through New Jersey with a gun legal according to FOPA and see how that goes for you. Or fly through LaGuardia with a handgun, also legal under FOPA.
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