A question for UK/commonwealth sub-machine gun collectors

[Frederick303]

I was speaking with a few folks I know (US) and the issue of those arms that we all have an interest in, but really cannot have (such as a Model 1921 Thompson sub-machinegun) came up. so there were two points of view:

1) Folks would prefer to own some sort of a shooting semi auto variants, such as the M1927A5/M1927A1, which though not the real thing gives you some sort of a feel for the shooting arm. Problem is they are all reproductions, not originals , along with the barrel/length limits make most such reproductions sort of stupid.

2) Those who kind of envied the UK model where you could get the real arm, complete in its original form, simply modified so it could not fire. So it is possible in the UK to get a model 1921 Thompsons for a reasonable price, an item that even if you went through the paperwork required would cost 30,000 dollars, hence beyond almost all US chaps.

Sort of curious what folks across the pond think. For the most part self loading reproductions of submachine guns are not popular in the US as they pretty much all suck and lose something integral to the design either the pistol form or long barrel rifle form. Would UK folks prefer to have the shooting copies if they had to give up the real deactivated guns.

Thanks in advance.

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[browningautorifle]

the real arm, complete in its original form, simply modified so it could not fire.

Not the case. They're no longer simple and they're welded solid, same as here. Nothing like firing one...but I'm not in the UK am I?

[peregrinvs]

Those deactivated prior to October 1995 could be cocked and field stripped, but since then they’ve been required to be more and more welded up. The last spec change was last month.

Prior to April 2016 it was still possible to buy and sell previous spec deacts. Since then they have to be chopped up to the new spec to be legally transferable.

This may or may not change post-Brexit.

[bigduke6]

The old sec ones (pre 95) can only be sold/exchanged in/to a non EU country, its a window of opportunity for us in the UK when we break free from the EU madness, as we won't be a member of the EU we can do what want in the time between us leaving and the law being changed ......... how long that takes is anyones guess as there will be a lot on the plate to deal with once were out.

I very much doubt any reversal of the law on what we have now, its a shame we never left a few years previous but thats life, at least we started the ball rolling and hope others will follow shortly after.

[GeeRam]

2) Those who kind of envied the UK model where you could get the real arm, complete in its original form, simply modified so it could not fire. So it is possible in the UK to get a model 1921 Thompsons for a reasonable price, an item that even if you went through the paperwork required would cost 30,000 dollars, hence beyond almost all US chaps.

De-act 1921 in the UK, never a hope of that I'm afraid, and if one had turned up from somewhere, it certainly wouldn't have been a reasonable price...
As already mentioned, new regs means certainly not 'simply modified'....heavily butchered is more accurate.

Sort of curious what folks across the pond think. For the most part self loading reproductions of submachine guns are not popular in the US as they pretty much all suck and lose something integral to the design either the pistol form or long barrel rifle form. Would UK folks prefer to have the shooting copies if they had to give up the real deactivated guns.

Given we aren't even allowed to have any centre-fire full-bore semi-auto rifles, let alone semi-auto versions of smgs's, I have no doubt in saying every one of us here would exchange a de-act paperweight for a firing copy in semi-auto

[Brit plumber]

I know of one deact 1921, it was an ex IRA gun heavily scrubbed to remove serial numbers but they missed the now well known secret one. It was captured by the British and was sold onto Baptys (or is it Bapties) with a lot of other odd guns. Who, many years later sold it on again.

[GeeRam]

I know of one deact 1921, it was an ex IRA gun heavily scrubbed to remove serial numbers but they missed the now well known secret one. It was captured by the British and was sold onto Baptys (or is it Bapties) with a lot of other odd guns. Who, many years later sold it on again.

I may have seen that when it was up for sale after Bapty sold it, pretty sure it was on a dealers stall at War & Peace probably around 94/95 ish...?
Wasn't in great condition if I remember, and was without the Cutt's which typical of those early numbered IRA guns, and wasn't cheap, even then, and a few of us were looking at it, not really sure if it was real, faked or what.