Millsbomber

[Panzer 3]

Hi,
Did you see this in the paper today, it is a warning to all collectors, if you have something you shouldnt have, be aware.
Dave.

[Dimas]

Technical knowlege to reactivate them.......... and just for the knowledge 5 years prison?
What is the law when the peoples get prison for nothing? The shotgun etc- no more than a year of in a jail for that

[Australian Guy]

5 years That seems very harsh.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Gun crime in the UK, i.e. possesion of prohibited weapons, like the Luger or one without the correct Police permit (the shotgun) carries a heavy penalty. I have read of other criminals getting a lesser sentance though. The guy was very foolish. He could have had the Luger deactivated and applied for a permit for the shotgun, provided he had a clean police record. The talk about "technical knowledge" I am afraid is typical newspaper talk in todays climate of fear of gun crime and terrorism.

This guy ran a website about Mills bombs which was very informative. I won't add a link here as I think we don't want our site connected with him in any way.

Cheers, Ade.

[Australian Guy]

Thanks Ade for the information, very informative It is also pretty tough in Australia, but down here it is even more complicated with each state having slightly different laws and knowing what you can send to one person or another is a nightmare! Easier just to not own firearms or ordnance unfortunately Do you know if any of his sentance was related to the actual Mills bombs or was it just the firearms? The papers down here would call anything militaria "firearm related" just for the headlines and I imagine it is similar in the UK?

[grndskeeper]

So in the UK a WW1 Luger is "illegal" if operable? I guess my family's problem with importing the Ypres Luger from Canada makes some sense then.

Ade, what's the legal rationale for declaring a 75-year-old German pistol "illegal"?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, just to answer your questions.

All of the Mills bombs were legal and they did not land him in any trouble.

His sentance related to the Luger, the shotgun, also a Belgian revolver and the anti tank missile. He got three 5 year sentances, but all are to run concurrently.

All pistols are banned in the UK. Only exceptions are air weapons and black powder cap and ball or muzzle loaders. This ban came about as a knee jerk peice of legisation after a massacre of some school children in Scotland by a man with a fully licenced legal firearm, a Browning HP. He was obviously mentally ill. Our previous firearms problems, banning semi auto rifles etc, came about due to a similar situation. A mad man ran amok with a semi auto AK47. Again it was legally held. Investigations after both these tragic incidents showed both men were actually unfit to possess firearms and it was the system which failed. Changes have since been put in place. But the anti gun lobby combined with the TV & Press and public hysteria led to a total ban being put in place.


Hope this helps you understand?

Cheers, Ade.

[southjj]

I've seen his stuff, always on specialistauctions.com
cheers
jon

[neil]

Here in the States it's a little more complicated.

From what I see he can have all this stuff. A lot depends on HIM or the owner, if he has a clean police record, he's a legitimate collector, and it's all deactivated, he's in the clear. Our "Freedom to Bare Arms" law holds, HOWEVER, that law is VERY restrictive. Stuff like any weapon on or near school grounds, very bad. Selling drugs and they find a gun, very bad. Any felony crime, no more weapons allowed forever, etc.... The good people have the freedom, bad people don't, that's the theory anyway. Don't get me wrong, if the police saw this collection, there would be a FULL investigation, and I'm sure the bomb squad would be there, but, if he's clean, and everything is deactivated, they probably won't do anything. There are two collectors of weapons that I know...they invite the police over, "Just wanted to show you around", no surprises.

One note, the United Stated Military sell no weapons to the public, only Goverments, meaning if you have any U.S. weapon even deactivated it's illegal! [OFFICIALLY] Say I buy a deactivated grenade some one found on a battlefield over there, I buy it and you ship it to me, I can be arrested for theft from the U.S. Goverment. NOT that there going to of course, but if they WANT me bad enough, they can. An American lend lease Sherman tank, found rusting in Russia, purchased for a million dollars and shipped to the U.S. for restoration...yep still U.S. property "officially" The only thing I've heard that comes close is when they found the DD tanks, The U.S. Goverment wanted one, and they got one. (I'm betting someone mumbled sell it or we take it) I read they were compensated well.

[I don't know the exact laws, this is very general as I know it]

So, I wonder what kind of a legal background this guy had, were they "picky" or were they worried about him?

just my thoughts

neil