Looks Like a Sad End to a NICE Gun...

[BruceB]

I'm the owner of a legal, registered etc. full-auto .303 Bren Light Machine Gun, in Canada. It was non-importable when we moved to the USA from Canada, and therefore has languished at my Mother-in-law's home in Edmonton, Alberta for the last nine years.

Her son at some time removed the gun from her home, apparently under the premise that her basement was flooding, or about to, or whatever. As soon as the gun left that address, registered as my address-of-record, it became ILLEGAL. It was locked in its issue chest, but bolt-cutters fix padlocks rather easily.

Now just lately, my brother-in-law has finally been meeting his legal come-uppance after YEARS of shady dealings, and faces a dozen or more serious charges in court this coming week. The sleazy b-----d just might make a run for it, and try to duck his just desserts. Believe me, he has an INCREDIBLE number of chickens coming home to roost, or maybe they're buzzards.....?

As the legal owner of the Bren, I simply can't afford to have my nether regions hung out in the breeze, should the gun come to light in the wrong hands. It's entirely possible he sold or traded the gun for drugs, or favors, or whatever.

Sooo.... considering the gun has a Canadian legal-collector value of maybe $CDN 500-$1000, we decided we can't afford the risks. Karen called the Edmonton Police Service today to report the Bren as "missing", and followed-up with a call to the Alberta Provincial Firearms Officer. I strongly suspect dear ol' B-I-L is about to receive, or has already received, a visit from the gendarmes. They didn't seem too uptight on the phone (surprising me) so I hope they don't do a SWAT-type door takedown.

My chances of ever seeing my all-time favorite firearm are now very faint indeed. If we can somehow arrange to donate it to a museum or something, I'd do that, but I suspect it's headed for the smelter.

Still, better it should go to the smelter than me going to the Big House to room with Bubba.

BTW, the going price for a legal full-auto Bren LMG in the USA is around $40,000, yep, FORTY grand!

[grumpy one]

None of my business Bruce, but I have considerable sympathy for any LEO who has to try to reclaim that BREN from some plug-ugly who positions himself on a hilltop with it. It is sad to have it get destroyed, which seems fairly likely from this distance, but not as sad as having somebody end up facing it unexpectedly.

Years ago I gave an old SMLE Mk III* to my brother, because I'd stopped using it. He put it in a gun rack on the wall of his study, with a Model 92 44-40, a Carcano 6.5, and a 12 gauge double. The study had a glass door facing his back yard. Naturally after a while a low-life saw the rack through the window (while casing the neighbourhood I guess), broke in, and took all the guns plus the stack of ammunition at the bottom of the rack. The police were happy to treat the loss of the Carcano, the Winchester and the 12 bore as a bit of bad luck, but they were really long-faced about having to try to get that SMLE back at some stage. Damned if I'd want to do it myself, either. That 0.6 second interval between shots can spoil your day. So how much worse is a BREN?

Geoff

[NVcurmudgeon]

That is a terribly sad situation on so many levels. I don't know which I despise the most, anti-gun governments on either side of the border, or lowlives who give antis a pretext for disarming honest citizens. Then there is the loss to meltdown of many of the weapons which stalwart men used to save civilization 1939-1945.
Then these same weapons went on to serve honorably in the hands of younger men to deter the communist threat for another forty odd years. If for no other reason than as a symbol of desperate danger overcome, these knightly swords of the twentieth century should be preserved as a reminder to future generations that the wolves are still howling just outside the safe firelit circle. My sympathies to your in-laws and admiration of you and Karen for making the only moral choice in a bad situation. Nobody ever said wearing a white hat was easy.

[Lee]

NV, I lurk some, speak up some, rarely have I seen as eloquent a response to a thread as I have yours. THAT should be a "sticky note", "pinned subject", required reading for Grades 3 thru 11.....well ya' get the point.
Well spoken Sir!.............................................. ......Lee:)

[omgb]

In 1989, my grandfather died and left me $1,000. I spent some of it on a long wanted CAR15 with a serial number under 4,000 still in its factory box with the magazines unwrapped and all of the goodies intact. A year later the CA assault weapons ban went into effect and all such weapons were required to be registered. I left CA at that time and never thought I'd return. A year later, I was back and I now had to register the gun. Unfortunately, mine fell into an "orphan" date of purchase were such guns could not be registered. Repeated calls to the the Ca DOJ got me nothing but double speak. Eventually, not wanting to be a felon and unable to keep my teaching credential as a result, I sent the gun to my father-in-law in Montana. A few years back, i arraigned to swap it for a "mint" Garand. The swap was done and I received the Garand. It was the most worn out *** I'd ever laid eyes on. The stock was so abused that if you fired a string of 5 rounds, the whole trigger mechanism would drop out of the bottom. Groups at 100 yards were lucky to stay inside of a 40" circle with lots of keyholes at that. I'd been hosed by some "pal" of my FIL, who handled the deal. It took Fulton Armory and another $1500 before I had an accurate rifle. The op rod, gas cylinder, stock, barrel and op spring were all so worn they had to be replaced. Even on of the sight knobs was cracked. The gun is great now, almost a full National Match rifle with a NM barrel, sights and accuracy job. The CAR15? who knows. But that wound up being a $2500 rifle.

LA times ran a story today about an illegal woman and her "husband" They have 10 kids, three of whom were triplets and conceived while taking fertility drugs. The latest bunch are quads. She speaks no English after 20 years in this country. Her husband works but makes less than $800 per month. he wanted a son to carry on his name so that's how they got the quads. They get every kind of a$$istance the state has to offer and her two teen daughters still can't speak English and they were born here. How all of this relates I'm not sure other than it all sucks and I lose both times.

[keeper89]

omgb--I often wonder what if anything it will take to wake up the REAL americans to the point that all this limp wristed, "let's be everyones friend but our own" BS gets replaced by some good old common sense--guess I'm old fashioned but by God, I can still remember the face of my father!:Fire:

[StarMetal]

America is never going to wake up and if you think it's bad now wait till the Democrats win in 2008...esp if Hillary makes it. Kiss your guns and your asses goodbye. We need to pull together NOW. I have a good slogan for OUR independent party "LETS TAKE AMERICA BACK". Let's go guys, let's do it.

Joe

[KCSO]

As long as the average man does not need a weapon to supply his daily meat he will be dis interested. When the riots come to their neighborhood or their home is threatened then and only then will the average man say what happened. By then it is too late and the wolves are runing the lives of the sheep. Read the history of gun control in England from 1890 to present. We are now where England was in 1930 and without the support of the MAJORITY we will go the same road. We are losing or have lost or younger generation. My son who was raised hunting and shooting, quit when he moved to the city as it was just too much trouble to own a gun. We won't take the country back any more than England will repeal their present laws, unless there is a major disaster, and I hate to see it happen.

[BruceB]

My wonderful Bren LMG is now in the possession of the RCMP as of today. No details to report, except that my BIL has some other "firearms issues" to be dealt with by the police.

I do know that four police officers showed up at his place with warrants yesterday, but I don't know if the Bren was there or elsewhere.

At any rate, apart from any potential financial loss, I should be off the hook for anything arising from this episode. The police personnel involved warned us to beware of possible retaliation, and to alert the local Sheriff. We are in the process of doing that today.

[grumpy one]

The gun's in safe hands, nobody was hurt, and no violence or additional major legal problems were precipitated in the process of getting it sorted out. Sounds like an excellent outcome - your judgement has been vindicated.

Geoff

[9.3X62AL]

RETALIATION? Barking dogs seldom bite. And--having been in the company of Bruce B and family many times at shooting venues and elsewhere, any fool contemplating such action will be in far greater danger than the Bannisters are.

Tough choice, good call, and well done Bruce.

[NVcurmudgeon]

Yeah, all of what Al said. Also, though the outcome is sad, at least you are clean, while your BIL may be Bubba's new main squeeze. Or is that Bubbeh in Canada?