Re: [MV] Reply to Gordon - retroactive government demilling

From: Jon Shoop (shoop19@brick.net)
Date: Sun Aug 20 2000 - 16:33:11 PDT


Yes..a true shame...and to think it could happen here...........in the US!

Jon

>
>The talk in the US about demilitarization AFTER the fact makes one pause for
>thought. IT HAS HAPPENED IN CANADA ALREADY.
>
>The following example is about guns BUT IS RELEVANT TO MILITARY VEHICLES.
>
> In the 1970s in Canada I used to by deactivated machine guns (DEWAT)
>without any paperwork or permits. These were released by our government.
>They simply cut the Brens in half, removed the firing pins, and burned a
>hole in the barrel. Stens were similar - a slash along the side, mess the
>firing pin up, zap the chamber. Browning M2 and M3 HMGs simple had holes
>zapped into them. Collectors rewelded them for display (e.g. on restored
>military vehicles) and/or as cock and click (some similarity here with M151
>MUTT cutting up and then rewelding stories).
>
>*********************** Now, the Canadian government has changed the laws
>and these same DEWATs must now (30 years later!) have many more destructive
>actions taken - e.g. inserting a hardened steel pin into the chamber and
>welding it, destroying auto selector mechanism, body welded shut to keep
>bolt in, attaching magazine to gun permanently etc. etc.
>********************************************
>
>I used to joke that the Canadian government would one day ban 2 seater
>sports cars (now I wonder about surplus jeeps!) because they are "unsafe and
>have no practical use". Then they would tell owners that they could keep
>them (famous Canadian "grandfather clause") but not sell them except to
>people who already had some, or give them to museums, or have them
>destroyed. They could NOT leave them to their sons and daughters unless
>deactivated. They could keep them for as long as they lived but not take
>them out of their garages. If they wished to take them out of their garages
>to display, they would have to weld the engine crankshaft tight, weld the
>wheels to that they could not move. They could sit in the car and make vroom
>noises (with their mouth) and move the stick shift (ooops sorry, that is a
>selctor device) and pedals. Oh yes, the muffler is a "silencer" (just ask
>any Brit) so it has to be sliced open.
>
> In Canada it used to be legal to collect full-autos guns by simply applying
>for the appropriate licence. Then the government changed the laws.
>
>Then it was legal to collect "converted automatics" (CA) that could only
>fire semi-auto (e.g. Bren gun with welded selector switch). Then the
>govenment changed the laws.
>
>It was legal to collect semi-autos such as the FN and AR-15 and go target
>shooting or hunting with them. Then the govenement changed the laws. A
>friend of mine reluctantly deactivated the following: AR-15A2 heavy barrel,

>Daewoo, AK-47, AR-10.
>
>It was legal to collect replicas. We were told - these are non-guns, they
>can never shoot anybody, so collect them instead. Then kids started pointing
>these replicas at police and getting shot. Bleeding hearts complained. Then
>the govenement changed the laws.
>
>In Canada it was legal to own the well made S&W Detective Specials, Walther
>PPK and Colt .32 Then the govenement changed the laws and now these have
>been declared Saturday Night Specials (by virtue of their calibre and size).
>
>
>In Canada a Bren or Sten mag (which every kid used to have) or a 20 round
>magazine for an M16 or FN for example. Then the govenement changed the laws
>and it is now a PROHIBITED WEAPON ! In Canada, mass murderers who abide by
>our gun laws who use full or semi-automatic weapons have to reload after
>five shots (exceptions are bolt actions such as Lee Enfield and M1 Garand
>which only has 8 round clip. Oh, I think belt fed is excluded too).
>
>One can only hope that they leave our MVs alone.
>
>The moral? Don't collect anything. The government will tax it and later ban
>it even years afterwards.
>
>Postage stamps? Well, maybe someone will figure out that the old glue MAY be
>carcinogenic and say that one may not collect mint stamps as they have the
>POTENTIAL to be licked by some child (who would have to lick a million or so
>to get any effect, but that is beside the point). Maybe someone will realize
>that criminals are using valuable collector postage stamps to launder or
>transfer vast amounts of money out of the USA (or where ever) and ban them.
>Or one could use old stamps to forge a document - so old stamps would have
>to be defaced to prevent this.
>
>Gee, and you thought that only Texans were paranoid about 'big brother'
>government!
>
>The simple solution is to simply tell governments to stop making new laws.
>We have more than enough thank you. Just leave us alone, and let us play
>with our MVs.
>
>In Vancouver, BC area we decided that we could not host another MVPA
>convention. We would love to but the changed laws would make it a nightmare.
>Collectors bringing restored vehicles in would have replica guns seized at
>the border (I'm waiting for the first privately owned restored million
>dollar warbird at a Canadian air show to have its replica guns seized).
>Dealers who happened to leave a beat up old 20 round M16 mag in a junk box
>of militaria or on a mannequin could be arrested and charged with possession
>of a prohibited weapon.
>
>Pity.
>
>
>
>===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
>To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: <mil-veh-off@skylee.com>
>To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to <mil-veh-digest@skylee.com>
>To reach a human, contact <help@skylee.com>
>



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Sep 02 2000 - 09:32:31 PDT