True story, happened this week...

[mitchell6776]

Perusing gun broker and 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.
Here is the ended auction.
https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/878732931

[Johnny P]

Another case of the absolute stupidity of some gun laws. The only difference being whether the receiver received a 1 or a 2. Years ago I saw one at a small gun show with the MII Stamped receiver and NRA/DCM sales papers. I told the owner what it was, but didn't call the ATF.

[Sunray]

Yep. Your unelected civil servants at the ATF decided long ago that an M2 receiver is FA with their 'Once an MG, always an MG' idiocy.
They ran around confiscating surplused M14 receivers without compensation, as I recall, several years ago. You need to scream at your elected representatives about unelected civil servants being allowed to make law by regulation.
"...stupidity of some gun laws..." This one, the unelected civil servants being allowed to make law one, is the GCA of 1968. The worst part is that our idiots copied the 'Once an MG, always an MG' idiocy.

[Hal O'Peridol]

So, why was this any of your business?

[lyman]

So, why was this any of your business?

+1

[mitchell6776]

Are you asking me why it was any of my business? I believe in helping people when they clearly are making an honest mistake that could cost them dearly in legal terms. I guess you don't...

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.

[Hal O'Peridol]

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back.

[mitchell6776]

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back.

Don't worry, I'm not. I absolutely did the right thing, and most people reading this would agree. You, however, come across as a jackass.

[lyman]

Don't worry, I'm not. I absolutely did the right thing, and most people reading this would agree. You, however, come across as a jackass.

please read the rules in this forum,

[mitchell6776]

One more thing before you post another witty retort- The point of my post was not to "pat myself on the back". I always thought the "I went to buy an M1 carbine and it was marked M2" stories were somewhat apocryphal, and never really happened. Up to 10 years in prison and 250K fine for selling an unregistered machine gun is not something most people are interested in. The fact that the end result of this was the prompt destruction of the rifle illustrates the absurdity of some of the laws, as other people pointed out.

We could go back and forth with this ad infinitum. My posts speak to the type of person I am. Your's speak to the type of person you are. I think we are very different.

[JOHN COOK]

How many of you knew that the poster , HAL O’PERIDOL’ was actually a medication to help treat schizophrenia and some other mental problems. Hmm maybe there is a problem here...

John in SC

[lyman]

How many of you knew that the poster , HAL O’PERIDOL’ was actually a medication to help treat schizophrenia and some other mental problems. Hmm maybe there is a problem here...

John in SC

I know him fairly well, why?

[JOHN COOK]

Seems a Little odd to use medication as a user name. No offense intended..

John in SC

[lyman]

Seems a Little odd to use medication as a user name. No offense intended..

John in SC

know of a guy on another forum (gunboards) that goes by Paddy O'Furniture,

[M1C]

M2s pop up several per year. It's not unusal. This isn't the first one on GB in the past year. Not a good situation all the way around.
It probably would've been better to not post the story and just advise people to pull the slide back on a Carbine to look for the M2 stamp. Also that if you're looking at a 7 million serial that is is POSSIBLE that it's an M2 whether stamped or not.

[Hal O'Peridol]

As to my user name, it is an inside joke often used by medical people. I have been a jouster member for about 20 years now, even a member of the old Gun and Knife boards run by Mark Bitting.

As for the OP, if you wanted to buy the M2 as parts, a private conversation with the seller should have been enough. I'm still trying to figure out the purpose of your post. You knew the law, why even get the feds involved?

[fguffey]

M2s pop up several per year. It's not unusal. This isn't the first one on GB in the past year. Not a good situation all the way around.
It probably would've been better to not post the story and just advise people to pull the slide back on a Carbine to look for the M2 stamp. Also that if you're looking at a 7 million serial that is is POSSIBLE that it's an M2 whether stamped or not.

It seems some members went through life 'WHUA'. I have old friends that bid on and won gun parts that had been cut up and rendered scrap, two in particular went on a long trip, one of them could have been certified as a mad man at the wheel; one of them still talks about that trip today. The other died just over a year ago at about 89.

They got together with another smith/machinist to made jigs. The short story, they built rifles and pistols from parts, when finished there was nothing left. When they started they had 8,000 pounds of parts from the first trip.

There were collectors standing in line. One unsuspecting owner was at a private range that is used by law enforcement including the ATF. The rifle he was shooting caught the attention of the ATF inspector. It was made clear to the shooter he was not going to be allowed to keep the receiver, he was instructed to strip the rifle of parts. After stripping the receiver he was allowed to keep all of the parts.

And then they made another trip thinking the parts had been cut, instead the parts had been sheared. Shearing caused fractures.

F. Guffey

[M1C]

Trying to keep my cold natured old convertible Pontiac from stalling at a stop sign one cool morning, the police officer (which I saw) sitting at the other stop sign didn't feel I completed my stop. At my car window he asked me if he could just could just go get his morning coffee like normal if I promised to stop in the future, or if he had to write me a ticket. He was going to drink coffee way, so why trouble him?

Two showed up at one show I went to, which made me feel it wasn't by accident. Outside waiting to see what came in when here came a guy older than me with a modified Carbine and 2 other guns. The shortened barrel Carbine had a flash hider thing permanently attached to make it long enough for legal and other things had been done to it. I made a deal of $350 for it and just happened to move the slide to look how crisply the front ring was stamped. Then I saw the M2 stamp. It took some convincing by me for the guy to believe it's a machinegun even without the internals, but he eventually handed it to a minor child and told him to go put it back in the trunk.

Then a late serial Carbine arrived near closing time. Someone had clearly carved out the 2 on the receiver ring. That one was at the next couple of shows too, still unsold. It didn't have the 2 but still.. Not interested.

[BlitzKrieg]

Life is an IQ Test. Not saying anyone is failing or excelling here.

Hey Hal...you're right about Enfields !!

[fguffey]

The fact that the end result of this was the prompt destruction of the rifle illustrates the absurdity of some of the laws, as other people pointed out.

Not quite; The shooter at the private range east of Mesquite was ask to strip the receiver, he was given time and told he could keep all of the parts that were left over. The machinist that put all of those rifles together had no clue. Out of all of those parts they built some magnificent 45s with long frames and slides.

Never happened? If you were involved with the collectors association that put on the Market Hall Gun Show you know some of them, and if you did not make the effort to get to know them you will never know how talented some of them were. Problem: Time is catching up with us, 3 have died in the last 18 months, all over 81. When I added my age to their age and then divided the number in the group they make me look old.

F. Guffey

[lyman]

best to let this one drop off