This is sort of related........ sort of........ just another gun tale............. sort of..........
Many years ago... my uncle, who lived in Texas, called me and ask me about some advise concerning some collectors weapons he had and what he planned to do with them. Now I have always been into guns to one degree or another but most all I have are just regular stuff... no real rare pieces or not real valuable... they are all very good quality weapons but nothing over the top, so to speak. You gun people know what I am saying... Remington, Ruger, Browning, Marlin, Winchester, S@W, Colt.... stuff like that.... good stuff but not real collectibles...
Just wanted to set the stage for my little tale.
So my uncle (the crazy one) calls me and tells me that he wants me to transport his firearms from his home in Texas to my home in Virginia and "Sit" on them while he is out of town for a couple of months if not years... now, I had no idea at the time what he had but here is a very partial list.... British Bren LMG Mark 1(M): Mk 1 Barrel; Belgian 9mm Vigneron SMG Gun; MP 40 German WWII SMG w/Carry Case; 3 or 4 German Lugers; a Swedish MG I think was a Valmet; several Russian MG's of various models... at least 6 .45's all 1911's of various manufacturers (did you know Singer Sewing Machine company made 19ll's?); and several P-38's... these were all fully working weapons... can you believe this..... he was gonna give them to me and the chances are he would not be back to get them............
I reluctantly turned him down..........
I checked with several gun dealers and inquired as to the shipping costs, also local LE for the laws of transporting collector items.... I also very seriously considered driving to Texas and picking them up.... I chickened out.... at the time, had I been stopped and the weapons had been found in my car, I would have had a very hard time explaining the deal and in fact would have lost the guns and very likely my freedom... I did not go and he gave them to another family member in Texas.
He did however mail me... through a gun dealer in VA... the Swedish Valmet and a very nice 1911 Colt, the Valmet I found out was not full auto, so was legal for me to own... I have kicked myself many times since then... but, who knows where that would have gone..... I also was not real sure where my uncle... God bless him... got these guns and who would know that I was picking them up... another reason... but sure wish now I had gone and taken that chance....
This is the same 'crazy' uncle (you all have one don't you?) that took me and my Dad (his brother)... 20 or so years ago... out in the Gulf of Mexico on his 45' boat where we shot several of these weapons... the one I like was the MP40MG... there were 9mm casings rolling all over the deck... can you imagine what would have happened to us all if the Coast Guard had heard us shooting automatic weapons out in the Gulf... we would all still be in jail in Texas.....
Just sort of a related tale thought you might like......... see why I am a little guns shy.... and a bit crazy... it was my uncle... it's in our blood....