Last week a US Marine was convicted of illegal possession of a machine gun (see story here). Part of what made the story colorful was the fact the gun allegedly belonged to Saddam Hussein or one of his personal body guards. Also, as a combat veteran, the Marine received some sympathy. After all, there is a long tradition of bringing home a war souvenir–particularly enemy firearms.
Arsenal Attorneys are often asked about such firearms families have inherited as treasured and presumably valuable heirlooms, particularly machine guns brought home after World War Two. Unfortunately, machine guns that were improperly imported and never registered according to the National Firearms Act are illegal. Because such situations were so common, the US government granted an amnesty to allow registration of these illegal firearms to make them legal. That amnesty ended long ago.
Regardless of how one thinks about the National Firearms Act or the recently convicted Marine, there is a lesson for us to consider. What if the Marine’s possession of the machine gun had gone undetected. Regardless if he kept it or sold it, the machine gun could one day be inherited by a person completely unaware of the fact it is a crime to possess such a firearm.
Do you own a firearm which could create problems for you or those who could inherit it? If you own lawfully registered NFA firearms, such as machine guns, silencers, and short barrel rifles and shotguns, do your loved ones understand how to handle them safely and lawfully?
Our services related to our Arsenal Gun Trust helps address these issues. We are particularly concerned with providing your loved ones the guidance they need to comply with the law. We help you create an estate plan even for the worst case scenario–your gun collection is inherited by someone who knows nothing about guns or gun laws. We want to provide them the written instructions they will need to stay out of trouble.
