While Clearing GB Watch Box

[painter777]

When clearing out my GB watch box today of ended items I looked over a few to see what they sold for. One I recall was a late Inland I had clicked 'Watch' on to look over later, it was late at night. Never got back to it until today and seen it had ended for $1,200 without hitting the reserve. Opened it up to see if it was relisted, but it wasn't. Seen the seller was a Pawn shop, so figured they sold it in shop.

Then noticed they had added this to the description on 9-16:

This is a Class 3 item and will be ended and relisted correctly to satisfy ATF laws. Sorry for any inconvenience.

"To satisfy ATF laws" Sorta stands out doesn't it ?

Originally I never studied the pictures and was planning on looking it over later but never did. Now after looking I see it was a M2 stamped receiver.
For the heck of it I did a Google search of the item number and found a post about it on a carbine forum.

Here's part of the OP:
came across a nice looking late featured inland M1 listing.. Serial number in the 7 million, with M2 marked receiver, 45 dated barrel. A legitimate inland M2. The seller was a pawn shop in Jonesboro, AR who had no idea what it was. It was purchased by them as part of a large collection. The seller had purchased it years ago in an estate sale. I alerted the seller to the issue by email . I called the ATF with the serial number and was told it was not in the registry. I called the pawn shop today and asked them about it. Fortunately they read my email (never got a response) and contacted the ATF. They told me they had buyer pleading with them to end the auction early as the reserve was met. This beautiful piece of history came to an inglorious, although legal, end today when they sawed it in half. .. I am buying the barrel, stock, and small parts however, so not all is lost.

(Actually the Reserve hadn't been met)

The OP caught some burn from a few other members, mostly Asking Why was it any Business of his.

OP replied in part:
"I believe in helping people when they clearly are making an honest mistake that could cost them dearly in legal terms."
"I did not rat them out the ATF. I only asked if the carbine was on the registry, and gave the ATF no additional information. I passed this along to the seller and advised them what they should do. They were free at that point to make their own decision. They were very appreciative of my help, by the way. If it had been registered, I was going to buy it, and offer them what it was really worth- another reason why it was my business."

***I'm wondering if the parts, stock should have been offered to the leading bidder at the time they ended the auction. Or maybe the seller felt obligated to sell those parts to the Guy who informed him it was a M2. I know it was the sellers call, so just wondering.***

***Very interested in members thoughts about how this was handled ? ***

Link to GB: Inland US Carbine 30 Cal Rifle - Semi Auto Rifles at GunBroker.com : 878732931
Link to forum post: True story, happened this week...

Inland Serial Number 7,131,626

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[ssgross]

Quite a story. Not being a class 3 dealer, or ever owning any class 3 items myself, I wonder what recourse there is with ATF for this kind of situation? I mean suppose you found something like this in your deceased family member's basement. At what point is it mandatory to destroy or else? Could it not have been legally turned over to a class 3 dealer to register, and hold on to until legal sale was arranged - perhaps with a fee for their trouble? Or is the chop saw all that could be done? Knowing it was chopped up bothers me more than who the parts were sold to after it was.

[deldriver]

I remember this auction too and wondered what would become of it, now I know. The "OP" in this scenario should have minded his own business or at the very least should have just contacted the seller and let that be it. To have ever called the ATF shows incredible stupidity, arrogance and a self-righteous attitude.

[GotSnlB28]

Not too long ago I ran across a 6.8M Inland m2 handstamp on GB. I did privately contact the seller because I thought it was the right thing to do -- I'd hate to see an uninformed person get pulled into serious legal/jail trouble over it. I do not pursue such things past a single notification. The shop immediately responded and thanked me, and ended the auction. Sometime after that, it was relisted as a parts kit and the receiver had been demilled.

[tenOC]

Inform the seller and let it alone. I disagree with the ruling on the law in the first place. Leave people alone to do as they do in a harmless case like this one.

[painter777]

I only asked if the carbine was on the registry, and gave the ATF no additional information

No additional information ?!? ...... Other than giving ATF the F...ing Serial Number.

I agree about giving a heads up to the seller. But by calling ATF with the Serial ##, IMO he had tied the sellers hands. OK, so it wasn't registered as a M2, but was that serial number on the books already as part of a transfer ?
Makes me wonder about a alternative motive?

I'm guilty of passing along FYI's to sellers. Just recently messaged a seller that the Rock Ola he is offering is really a 1,812,246 S'G' with Rock Ola Recoil plate.
They never replied back and haven't changed the description. Maybe because they have a Full Rock Ola book report written up about it and have 17 current bids.
What the seller chooses to do with passed along info is his business.... Period.
Makes you wonder if the winning bidder will expect a RMC or already knows it's a S'G'. Especially lately as we see so many buyers with 0 - 5 or 6 transactions buying.
Wrong maker could complicate the paperwork, but I've had FFL's just write down US M1 carbine and the serial # and get back the confirmation they need.
Here's the RMC/S'G' : 1944 Rock-ola US M1 Carbine 18 *INCREDIBLE PIECE OF HISTORY* Amazing Find - Semi Auto Rifles at GunBroker.com : 885342219


The M2: No one wants to see a seller walk in to trouble, a message is the right thing to do for our hobby and investments. We don't need any trouble especially now with a new administration coming in.

Appreciate all your replies,

[GotSnlB28]

The law is the law #1, but it does bring a tear to my eye as a collector to think about the fate of 7,131, and others. Nice crisp mint original rifle from what I see in the pictures (actually I can't believe I missed that one). It's nice to see the legal parts kits rebuilt on M1 receivers so it's not a total loss.

[painter777]

Not too long ago I ran across a 6.8M Inland m2 handstamp on GB.

Did it look like this one that was sent to me via a PM here from a member who did notify the Auction company rep.

1945 US M1 .30 Carbine Rifle | Online Auctions | Proxibid

[GotSnlB28]

Did it look like this one that was sent to me via a PM here from a member who did notify the Auction company rep.

1945 US M1 .30 Carbine Rifle | Online Auctions | Proxibid

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/122_13-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...2/122_10-1.jpg

No, this was a different one on GB 68348xx, ears cut off the front sight, barrel band cut down, crack in the stock. Nice dark park original finish. Parts kit sold for $1120, insane in my book!

[old tanker]

Many ages ago, pre-GCA 68, an M2 carbine would appear among a pile of surplus M1 carbines. It was still possible for an ordinary citizen to simply get a tax stamp and comply with the NFA. The "amnesty" that was part of the 1968 law forever made unregistered machine guns contraband. A person could still apply for permission to build a machine gun and pay the tax to register it. Ever since underhanded skullduggery added Hughes amendment to the FOPA 1986 there has been no recourse. While technically not a "ban on machineguns" with the 86 law the government simply closed the registry and refuses to accept any tax payment.

Politics being what they are, even the 95 year old widow of a WW2 vet who finds the nifty "souvenir" her husband brought back from Germany in 1945 would be lucky to escape prosecution over the sale of an unrecognized machinegun, no matter how innocent or naive.