Original US Military Machine Guns on the Civilian Market (w/ John Keene)

Published on August 3, 2024
Duration: 20:45

This video, featuring NFA specialist John Keane, delves into the complexities of original versus non-original US military machine guns available on the civilian market. Keane explains how factors like post-war surplus, import regulations, and amnesty periods significantly impact the availability and legal status of these firearms. He highlights specific models like the Browning M1917A1, M1919A4, BAR, M16A1, and M60, detailing why some are scarce while others are more common, often due to how they entered civilian hands.

Quick Summary

Original US military machine guns are often scarce on the civilian market because many remained in service, were difficult for soldiers to bring home as souvenirs, and faced strict import and registration laws. Unlike foreign weapons, US service firearms were less likely to be acquired and legally transferred to civilian ownership.

Chapters

  1. 00:03Introduction with John Keane
  2. 00:48Original vs. Non-Original Machine Guns
  3. 01:00Reising Submachine Guns
  4. 03:02Browning M1917A1
  5. 04:06Browning M1919s
  6. 05:22Maxim Machine Guns
  7. 05:56Japanese Nambu
  8. 06:20Vietnam Era Regulations (M1911)
  9. 07:05Vietnam Import Restrictions
  10. 07:45The BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle)
  11. 08:00Bren Guns Scarcity
  12. 09:01Mat 49s
  13. 09:26Swedish K
  14. 10:36Original BARs vs. Non-Originals
  15. 11:00Police Department BAR Acquisition
  16. 13:25M16A1s in Europe vs. US
  17. 14:13M16A1 Civilian Market Availability
  18. 15:51Scarce Military Issued M16s
  19. 17:38Variations and Combinations
  20. 18:00Thompson Submachine Guns
  21. 18:24M60 Machine Gun
  22. 19:34Human Ingenuity in Acquisition
  23. 20:29Conclusion and Future Topics

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are original US military machine guns scarce on the civilian market?

Original US military machine guns are often scarce because many remained in service, were difficult to bring home as souvenirs, or were subject to strict import and registration laws. Unlike foreign weapons, US service firearms were less likely to be acquired by soldiers and brought back legally.

What is the difference between 'original in fact' and 'original' for NFA items?

'Original in fact' refers to a firearm produced in a specific historical period. 'Original' in the legal NFA context also includes its registration status, which can be crucial for its legal transferability and ownership status today.

How did parts kits contribute to the availability of machine guns?

The availability of inexpensive parts kits, often imported, allowed for the assembly of firearms onto newly manufactured or registered receivers. This practice significantly increased the number of 'non-original' but functional machine guns in the collector market.

Are M16A1s readily available to civilians?

While US military-issued M16A1s are scarce, Colt produced and sold M16s and M16A1s to the civilian market until 1986. Examples with serial numbers in the 9 million range are more common civilian market guns, whereas lower serial numbers may indicate military provenance.

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