Help from a Bren Gun authority

[junebug1225]

I am trying to findout more on the regulation surrounding the LMG. I have been contacted by a local lady that says her father brought back a Bren Gun from WWII. She has ask me to help her and I am concerned that the gun could be an orginal auto version and I am looking for help to make sure I am in compliance with BATF. Can someone tell me the best way to handle this. I am sure the lady has no understanding of the laws for LMGs. I know it is marked with "Bren Mk I m " "INGLIS 1942" according to her.

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[Peter Laidler]

It seems to me that you don't need help about the Bren gun, yoiu need halp from a lawyer! The simple fact is that the Bren gun was made to be an automatic firearm by definition - and all that that entails within the legal framework of your state!

I'd say that, in short, things ain't lookin' good!

[Mikesm44]

You need to get a lawyer. I have very limited understanding of this, but you can probably get I think it is a Class III license. What you might want to look into also is a "gun trust". I don't really understand how it works, but I believe it is quicker. I think at the moment getting a license is taking around 15 months or so I have heard. I do not personally have one, but know a few people with full auto firearms. It is do-able, I would just wonder what is the ATF going to say about that Bren in the interim? If she doesn't have a license it might make things even trickier.

[gsimmons]

Have you tried the atf.gov website?

[djandj]

OK, while I am from CA, (and thus have limited experience with FA weapons), I do know that the ONLY FA weapons which may be transferred are those registered prior to 1986 or a post 86 dealer sample or police weapon. Since the Bren is clearly neither a police gun or a dealer sample, IF it is a real WWII bring back, it is a FA, and also likely unregistered which means there isn't ANYTHING she can do to sell it.

There was a news story not long ago about a widow to found a FA MG42 in her husband's collection. Since it was FA and not registered, (and worth a small fortune) about the only thing she could do was to turn it in or (maybe) donate it to a museum etc. Or perhaps have it de-milled and then rebuilt as a semi.

[jmoore]

Unless it's a recently "remanufactured" semi-auto only Bren, then it will need the NFA paperwork. Either as a live weapon or as a registered "dewat". (deactivated war trophy)

Otherwise, she needs to turn in the bare receiver to the authorities, local or otherwise. The rest of the parts don't matter, legally, but they won't be worth a whole lot (~US$200-400 or so, maybe a bit more or less).

If there are papers, then she can have it transferred to her at no cost assuming she inherited the rest of his possessions. Then she can sell it for large money legally! Last I checked (it's been a while), tranferrable Brens were on the market at roughly US$40,000. So it's worth her while to turn the house upside down looking for one piece of paper.

[Peter Laidler]

If it IS or MIGHT be registered as you say JM, will the fact/serial number be recorded by the BATF (or whoever holds the records.....). So a quick phone call to them might give a yes or no answer. Or, being a foreigner, am I barking up the wrong tree

[Lee Enfield]

Full Stop!
This question comes up all the time, the individual should contact a reputable machinegun dealer who can access the BATFE on her behalf.

The problem being that the gun may have been registered in '68 or earlier, and the paperwork gone astray.

Apparently, because tax records are confidential, and the registration is actually a tax, it may require an access to information request.

I would recommend someone like Black River Militaria Main Page bmg17a1@gmail.com

---------- Post added at 10:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 AM ----------

If it IS or MIGHT be registered as you say JM, will the fact/serial number be recorded by the BATF (or whoever holds the records.....). So a quick phone call to them might give a yes or no answer. Or, being a foreigner, am I barking up the wrong tree

2 main problems are apparently that the BATFE records are VERY incomplete, and they are deemed to be TAX records, and therefore only confidentially held.

[jmoore]

2 main problems are apparently that the BATFE records are VERY incomplete, and they are deemed to be TAX records, and therefore only confidentially held.

The incomplete part is the main drama. It's a problem for these older NFA items that may not have seen the light of day for 40 years or more. Especially the registered dewats. It basically on the owner to keep the records. Because the folk that require the paperwork can't be bothered to keep up with THEIR copy!

No reason getting worked up over the issue, as junebug1225 hasn't been on site since 20 minutes after his post...