Eye Candy Alert!

[TXGunNut]

Local Library ( Ft Worth, TX Cabela's) has purchased a collection of what appears to my uneducated eye to be WWII machine guns. Descriptions were vague and I don't trust them anyway, seen lots of carelessly labeled guns in there. A water-cooled Browning and some type of British water-cooled MG sold before I made it in. They're mounted on carriages and tripods and many have belts and ammo boxes and dummy ammo. I was told they were all capable of firing but only in semi-auto mode.
They still have a large NIB Colt collection; several NIB 2nd gen SAA's with well-preserved "stagecoach" boxes.
Nope, nothing I wanted. Pretty much broke right now anyway but it sure was fun to look!

[MtGun44]

Now that is amazing. Here, I would expect the librarians to wet themselves and run if they saw
the first one of this sort of thing.

Bill

[facetious]

In the mid 90's I got to shoot about half a belt in a water cooled Browning. The first thing I noticed was the empty's come out the bottom and right in to your pant legs when you are wearing shorts.
The other thing was how heavy it was. You see them running a round with them in the movies like it was nothing. The tripod was close to fifty or sixty pounds and the gun did't seem much less.

[FISH4BUGS]

I'd be interested to know more about the status of these guns. You don't just "convert" a machine gun to semi auto. The ATFE has a policy of "once a machine gun always a machine gun". For instance, M2 carbines, even when converted to semi auto, are still considered machine guns when marked M2 on the receiver.
Any more details aboout this?

[Joe504]

I'm sure other more knowledgeable members will chime in, but basically companies manufacturer new receivers that will only fire semi auto, then new weapons are built with parts kits and the new receivers.

Here is a link to a company that makes BAR's and 30 cals.

http://www.ohioordnanceworks.com/rifles/semi-auto/oow-line.html?p=2

[Hamish]

What? No pictures? You label the thread "eye candy", but no pics?

A pox upon you, sir! [smilie=l:

[FISH4BUGS]

I'm sure other more knowledgeable members will chime in, but basically companies manufacturer new receivers that will only fire semi auto, then new weapons are built with parts kits and the new receivers.
Here is a link to a company that makes BAR's and 30 cals.
http://www.ohioordnanceworks.com/rifles/semi-auto/oow-line.html?p=2
Yup....OOW does do that. I am quite familiar with them. However, the OP said WW2 machine guns so that caught my eye. It could easily be confused with the semis that OOW builds.
However, the ATFE says that "once a machine gun , always a machine gun". Example: M2 Carbines that were converted to semi and still marked M2 on the receiver are still considered machine guns and subject to registration.
I wondered if there was any further info about these guns....a news story perhaps? I would think Cabela's would know the difference but I would hate to see WW2 machine guns be called contraband. Happens all the time with vet bringbacks from WW2.
Any further info would be appreciated if available.

[TXGunNut]

What? No pictures? You label the thread "eye candy", but no pics?

A pox upon you, sir! [smilie=l:

I'm sorry, pix wouldn't do them justice. Changed phones today so it would probably be a week before I got them posted. It's quite a miracle I stumbled into the WiFi function and got online tonight; all the instructions are online, of course.
I did see another Legendary Frontiersman on the rack, looked to be a 95-98% gun for $999, my NIB was marked $899. :smile:

[lefty o]

once a machine gun always a machine gun refers to the serial #'d reciever. since the ATF considers the sideplate to be the gun on these, alot of old beltfed guns have been built into semi auto's, just like oow does. they were all MG's at one time, but since its the reciever that counts, its just old parts installed on a new gun.

[FISH4BUGS]

once a machine gun always a machine gun refers to the serial #'d reciever. since the ATF considers the sideplate to be the gun on these, alot of old beltfed guns have been built into semi auto's, just like oow does. they were all MG's at one time, but since its the reciever that counts, its just old parts installed on a new gun.
Agreed. Do you have any info that this is the case here?
OOW semis or actual registered (or not) WW2 machine guns? Big difference. If they are really machine guns and NOT registered, the ATFE will declare them contraband and destroy them. There is an option to Form 10 them to a museum. Again, just trying to get more info on the actual status of these guns if anyone knows.