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A Lost Treasure Discovered... MP40

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    A Lost Treasure Discovered... MP40

    So this is a unique story.

    My grandfather died in 1983. My father was the executor of the will and as tragedy is often followed by pain, my uncle passed on as well within 3 months. My father was the executor of his estate as well.

    After the estate(s) were worked through, my father brought home several trunks from his dad (my grand father) and his brother (my uncle). It was a very hard time. The trunks stayed locked in our basement for 30 years....

    So a few years back, my dad calls me up. He decided to finally go through these dusty trunks. Low and behold, inside he finds an MP40. With it, were copies of Treasury Department Form 6. The MP 40 was papered to my grandfather in 1947.

    My dad, in his eighties, was worried he'd get in trouble for owning it. I told him I would help him get it papered or sold. I knew a forum member here that I called first. He graciously offered my dad $6000 for it and he'd cover all costs getting it papered to him.

    Well, that didn't work out. I have several friends in the BATF. One, an avid collector. Between his help and another forum member, my father has a fully functional and papered, matching numbered MP40, bnz43.

    My father was going to sell it, then he was going to keep it. Several friends learned of it's existence and offered much more than the initial forum member... Dad wanted to keep it.

    So here it is....
    Attached Files

    #2
    The chamber


    (Please understand - my father asked me to show only these pics). Out of respect for him - these are all I'm showing. BUT - it goes to show all of us that these are STILL out here.

    Blessings!

    TK
    Attached Files

    Comment


      #3
      Outstanding story with a happy ending.

      Comment


        #4
        Tom,

        Wonderful!

        Best regards,
        RonR

        Comment


          #5
          i thought this was going to be a april fools joke.

          Comment


            #6
            Beautiful Tom, congratulations to your Dad!!
            When you go home
            Tell them for us and say
            For your tomorrow
            We gave our today

            --Inscription in the 5th Marine Division cemetery,
            Iwo Jima 1945

            Comment


              #7
              I got to fire one of these and a Thompson back in the late 70's. It would top the list of guns I would love to own.


              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

              Comment


                #8
                That's great. I wish I had something like this...but I'm afraid no German item, and my family lived in another country...

                Carles

                Comment


                  #9
                  Thanks to all! It really looks much better than the photos show.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    From time to time the parts missing show up at the internet. You can complete it easily.

                    Carles

                    Comment


                      #11
                      An original front sight hood and muzzle nut can be purchased from auctions of www.gunbroker.com for very reasonable money. Also, parts can be found on www.bergflak.com, a site devoted to MP40 and a couple other guns. The site is run by a Norwegian collector. Import of such parts is not controlled.
                      It would be nice to see the gun without the large red words overlaid on the gun. This obstruction of the picture is really completely unnecessary.
                      There are hundreds of registered MP40s in the NFRTR, the ATF registry. It was a widely desired war trophy by the GIs. Many more were imported into the US during the 1950s and modestly welded to make them inoperable and thus not controlled as MGs. These DEWATS, Deactivated War Trophies we're quite popular. The gun control act of '68 required all MGs to be registered, and one window closed for the legal registration of vintage MGs. Many were not registered and they still show up, but cannot be registered for legal possessioin. Many show up that are still welded, DEWATS, but are registered and these can be restored to firing condition. Then there are those that show up with import paperwork, as in the case of yours, or other documentation that they were legally registered at the time. They are increasingly popular MGs for collectors and the values have jumped dramatically even in the last couple years.
                      Pictures of the gun cannot be used for purposes that will compromise your father's legal possession of the gun and are perfectly legal to post. It would b since to see the receiver markings and other aspects of the gun, and without the red lettering. FWIW

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Yep, Berflak is a member here. This is the link to the MP38-40 section:

                        http://www.bergflak.com/mpsale.html

                        Carles

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Very nice MP40 your dad has there.
                          I was so happy to hear it had papers with it. I was so worried this would be a tragic ending!

                          So, who was the member who, "graciously offered $6000 for it?"

                          Matt

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by MP41 View Post

                            So, who was the member who, "graciously offered $6000 for it?"

                            Matt

                            I think he would be humiliated if I divulged that. Let's say he wasn't happy after he was asked to stop emailing us... Not a bad guy at all, I just think he already had a buyer at 2x's + what his investment would have been and was upset at the loss of a great matching #'d MP.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              What a beautiful story, thank you for sharing with us! All the best to you, Tom, and your Dad!

                              Comment

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