Fed licensing question

[oldcodger]

I may be inheriting a WWII japanese weapon from a family member who doesnt want it. This weapon was brought back after wwII by a former soldier as a souvineer he has passed on and I may pick it up just so it doesnt end up in a landfill. the issue is they arent clear on what it is but possibly may be a full auto capable weapon I am not sure if its been made inoperable yet because i havent seen the weapon yet. I really have no interest in attempting to shoot the weapon but was wondering about the procedure for applying for a permit license whatever is required to own a full auto weapon just for curiositys sake? depending on its condition i may donate it to the citizen soldier or National Guard museum here in Sacramento. But i just got curious and thought id ask and see what the members here might know.Evidently its a rifle not a tripod mounted weapon one family member did tell me its a machine gun not a standard rifle but they arent gun owners so thier knowledge is limited to stories they heard as kids many years after the weapon was brought back. If it is really something interesting id much rather see it in a museum where it can be viewed by many who may appreciate it rather than have it sitting in a closet wasting away. From what ive gleaned off the internet it looks like its unlikely that any ammo for it could be sourced anyway. Once i do get my hands on it ill post information and pictures incase anyone is interested or could tell me something more about the weapon.Thanks

[EOD Guy]

If it is a fully automatic weapon and is not in the national registry, then it is contraband and illegal to possess. I would suggest consulting an attorney familiar with Federal firearms laws in order to properly and legally dispose of the firearm. You can no longer add additional automatic weapons to the registry.

[GKCArmory]

Could also fall under the ATF as relic/antique.

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/curios-relics.html#definition

[Mssr. Eleganté]

Could also fall under the ATF as relic/antique.

http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/curi...tml#definition

If it's a WWII era Japanese machinegun then it is definitely C&R. But like EOD Guy said, if it's not already in the NFA registry then it is illegal contraband. Relics aren't exempt from the NFA.

[GKCArmory]

If it's a WWII era Japanese machinegun then it is definitely C&R. But like EOD Guy said, if it's not already in the NFA registry then it is illegal contraband. Relics aren't exempt from the NFA.

I see... thx!!!!

[Mssr. Eleganté]

I should add that whenever somebody at work brings up the Japanese machinegun their grandfather brought home from WWII, half the time it turns out to be a bolt action Arisaka and the other half the time it turns out to be a commercial Howa M1 Carbine from the 1960's.

[oldcodger]

well Thanks for all the great information. I still havent seen the weapon I was kind of hoping it wasnt really full auto and it was a misidentification. when i do see it ill look it over and if its actually a full auto i may just tell the person who currently has it to turn it in to the ATF. i certainly dont need that kind of trouble. Thanks so much for the information everyone.

[AMProducts]

One thing you may need to check on is to see if it's a "DEWAR" meaning an NFA firearm that has been "de war'ed" usually the barrel is filled with lead, and a bunch of other things to keep the gun from firing. I don't know that california has any particular standing on the process, however they may simply consider a DEWAR an NFA weapon (and thus illegal) because DEWARs maintain their NFA status, and it is one of the few ways you can "make and register" a new machinegun.

Oddly enough, the japanese didn't really have too many "machineguns", they were not like the germans in their doctrine and instead tended to rely on the their arisakas. Most japanese machineguns are cartoonishly large goofy looking contraptions that I can barely believe anyone carried into combat, much less successfully.

My suggestion is if it does end up being a machinegun to hire a lawyer and arrange a safe surrender. I've heard enough stories of people "surrendering" an unknown machinegun and getting pinched for it to make me more than a little nervous.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

One thing you may need to check on is to see if it's a "DEWAR" meaning an NFA firearm that has been "de war'ed"...

You mean DEWAT. Deactivated war trophy.

[ke6guj]

If it's a WWII era Japanese machinegun then it is definitely C&R. But like EOD Guy said, if it's not already in the NFA registry then it is illegal contraband. Relics aren't exempt from the NFA.

even if it isn't registered with the NFA, there is the possiblity that it can be made legal. If there are "bring back" papers documenting that he had permission to bring home that MG, ATF has accepted those to allow for it to be added to the registry. The OP would definitely want to talk to an NFA-knowledgeable attorney to navigate that minefield, but if it is an MG with bringback papers, it would be worth the effort.