Where to buy a Dewat?

[Huligan Arms]

Hi everyone,

I'm fairly new to the machine gun world and want to get into it. Semi-autos are getting sort of boring (after shooting a few machine guns already), and I want to expand my horizons so to speak. Would love opinions on machine guns as well. My goal is to get it to give people the opportunity to shoot history. Forewarning I studied it in university!

Would love help in tracking down dewats, and maybe even getting one. I got some pieces I'd like to offload, and maybe get to a good home.

Thank you and advance, and any advice would be appreciated.

[smdub]

Same place you find machine guns.  Here, auction sites, etc.  There are very few dewats left.  Given the price of MGs today almost all of them have been reactivated.  They don't sell for much of a discount (if any) anymore.

[johnd.bush]

Dewat is a specific term covering machine guns that were generally welded during or shortly after WWII, and means Deactivated War Trophy.  It was thus a tax-free transfer.  When that program ended there was the "unserviceable"  machine gun that allowed any live machine gun to be welded and a tax-free transfer could then take place.  As stated above any of these could be made "live" by paying the deferred tax.   Prices on these are about the same as live guns.  Remember that many of these guns back, in the day were cheap, many were closed out at $19.95 when interest lessened.   Just look at catalogs from "Ma Hunter", Ivy Armament, Hy Hunter and others from the early to middle 1960s.  Even ARMEX dealer only guns were cheapo, TSMG were under $200. MP40s under $300 and so on. 

[browning1917a1]

I have seen a number of dewats sell this year at different auctions. I own 5 dewats that I hope to rewat when I retire.  I have bought at about 30% below market. Please be aware that all dewats are not dewatted equally. Some are simple rewats with others being major rebuilds.

Browning1917a1

Brian