M-3 Sringfield .50 cal. bmg stash found! HELP!!

[sixtycrewchief]

Good Day All!
I am writing this in none other than Athens, Geece! After 10 months in combat I decided that I needed a break! My wife and I agreed to have our 20 year honeymoon here of which I couldn,t have picked a better location. I gunsmith as a hobby , collecting as I go. Over the years I have gathered together an impressive collection. But , now, remember I came here to relax, well ,anyway ,thats my cover story with my wife!
We were antique shopping down from the PLAKA at the base of the Acropolis , stopping in a shop that had apparently had older merchandise than the other shops had. While my wife was bending down looking at something when I turned to her to ask for a cigar of mine that she had in our back pack she had on. When lord behold, next to her, leaning against the shops wall was a M-3AN Basic .50 cal. Springfield BMG!! And closer inspection revieled it to having a serial number of the first one millionth made, Now, it was missing the back trigger group plate, both sides of the charging handle guides , the bolt and the sights. Besides being covered in dirt and cosmoline , its in great shape! Now, the barrel is welded over at the end. I suppose here, it is considered a DEWAT but I do not think it is legal to ship back to the states. I am still researching the B.A.T.F. regs on bringing it back to the States seeing that yes, I did buy it for nothing more than 150.00 Euros. Yeh I know, I could,t pass it up! And to make matters worse, the vender now tells me that he has 50 more BMG,s and some Boefors cannons on wheeled carriages!! My God , he has his own little army here!
Does anyone have any info that could help me expedite it legally back to the States for my leave is about to run out. And no, I can,t buy the rest of the lot,but perhaps there are others out there that could also benefit from my find!
Hope to here from someone soon!
Have A Blessed Day!!
Sixtycrewchief

[oprod1]

I think your going to have a hard time bringing in the gun parts such as barrels, and firing mechinisms. there are import laws that regulate that stuff which are pretty clear on how to go about doing that. I think you can however import the tripods and aceccories with no problems. Keep you eye out for water cooled 50 bmg mounts. danged near worth their weight in gold. I think most were left over there.

[KABAR2]

I suggest you buy property in Greece, it's the only way you are going to be able to keep it,

As far as ATFE is concerned when the gun sets down on U.S. soil it is contraband - an illegal
unregistered machine gun. no if and's or butts about it, and no getting around it,


Even without the right sideplate you will have to get an import permit you will have to drill several holes in the barrel and demil the trunnion.
One fellow was caught "importing" some thompson parts into the country in a car he had shipped in, the parts and the car were impounded,
I don't know what his lawyer fees were or if he did any time, it's not worth a stay in the greybar hotel to try to sneak it in........

What you have bought your self is a headache sorry to say.

[medalguy]

I agree. No way, no how. It is strictly illegal here and no way to make it legal. I'm not sure you could even import ANY of the parts, down to the springs. Makes me want to move to Greece to live if there's that kind of stuff lying about!

[Lamont]

Contact ATF, ask for a Form 6 import form. As long as it's demilled to current specs(torch cut rec, or missing right side plate, demilled barrel either by cutting or drilling barrel and chamber) once you jump through the hoops, it'll be yours here in the USA.

No laws about importing a parts kit demilled to current ATF regs. Or are all those 1919A kits and BAR kits and AK kits and G3 Kits all illegal?

You won;t be able to bring it in complete, but as a "parts kit" it's just fine.

If Parts kits were illegal to import, Century would be out of business the next day.