Well, I don't know if anyone saw my thread in GD about buying an M1 Thompson from a family member. Well he gave me the price he wanted to keep it in the family and I jumped at the chance. Now comes the fun part..

My uncle lives in Michigan, and bought this Thompson in 1992 when only C&R machineguns were legal there. So when I went to fill out the Form 4 and have him sign it, he told me that the lengths I have listed don't match up to what's on his form.... Everything I've read, and without being able to go up there and measure it myself, the M1 Thompson submachinegun has a barrel of 10.5" and an overall length of 32". His form lists his barrel as 11.5" and 35" overall length. Was this some kind of "way around" Michigan's overall length rules? I'm not well versed in Michigan gun laws......

And then, what do I do now when I fill out the new Form 4? My guess is fill out the correct numbers of course. My uncle, being an older gentleman and not wanting to "rock the boat", thinks it best to copy what's on the old Form 4 since that's what the ATF approved in the first place...

And just in case someone asks... Here's "my" future Thompson.

Just curious, but is there a reason to just let it slide?

You know why I hate you don't you?

Can you have him get a FOIA request while it's still in his name?  (Warning this will take a long time these days.)  The reason I ask is because it would have been very easy for someone to have mis entered the numbers on a prior transfer.  If the original registration (probably done by a PD in '68) was done correctly, you should be able to send a copy of the FOIA with the correct info and a cover letter along with your transfer to you having the correct numbers entered.

Nice looking gun - best of luck.

To me, transfer with the measurements listed on the Form.  Once the gun is yours then you can write to the NFA Branch and straighten out the any problems with the Form.  No sense getting your Uncle upset.  I'd do it the way he wants and straighten it out later, while you are shooting it.

Scott

Do this!!!

This is really the best way to go.  If the ATF has a problem with it, they'll contact the seller to get it straightened out, and it should delay the process by no more than a few days.

As an aside, I just had that happen to me on a transfer I've been waiting for.  Even though I copied the info from the last form, the seller was recently contacted to verify it.  Apparently the ATF went through the gun's entire history and noticed that the data was not included on the original form.  That data was not included on 1934 registrations...

Copy exactly what was on the owners form 4. I learned this the hard way when my MG was rejected when I put the model as what was written on the side of the gun, not the random crap someone wrote on their prob back half a centry ago when the ATF wasn't as anal

Copy what is on the existing form 4.  A vector mini uzi still has a barrel length of 10" on their forms.  Makes sense huh?

Thanks for the help guys. The forms should be here from my uncle today and then out to the ATF tomorrow..

And then the long wait......... It might be shorter times right now, but never short enough....

Tag for vids

There will be vids! Had to change the avatar as well..

Thanks again for the help guys!

Nice Tommy!

BigBore is right.  Dont rock the boat since it is a big paperwork chase anyway.

Dont forget to start reloading for your Tommy and stock on up 30 round stick mags.  Whatever you do, DONT start watching the movie Kelly's Heroes - it will drive you insane until you get that Tommy!

Good thing you put the numbers from the old form down: any deviation is likely to lead to a delay.

Nice buy!

Since you have not measured it your self, what are you letting slide?

Well, as far as I know, it's a run of the mill M1 Thompson. Nothing special or rare about it, other than the fact that it's a registered C&R Thompson... So why would this one have a 11.5" barrel and be 3" longer than any other Thompson out there?

Either way, the forms were sent, lots of 45 ammo is being purchased, and I'm ready for my long wait... I think... Against suggestions, more Kelly's Heroes and maybe the last battle from Saving Private Ryan will need to be watched......