DEWAT info anyone?

[theMexican]

Long story short, is dealing with a "DEWAT" worth the trouble? Ive got an opportunity to purchase an M1A1 but have no idea what this requires.

At the vary least Its a parts kit to me I guess.

 

Thank you for your input.

 

[Uncle Zeek]

If its repairable, then yes, its worth it as you end up with a transferable MG.    Alot of DEWATS had very minimal things done that can be repaired fairly easy.

 

Heh, if you don't want it, send me the info on it      

[SGT Fish]

Worth the trouble? Its essentially a transferable machinegun that needs a bit of gunsmithing. Way wayyyy more valuable than a parts kit. Many typically just need a new barrel. Maybe a bolt and some machine work.

Edited September 1 by SGT Fish

[theMexican]

 

Good info, thanks yall.

 

[MPFiveO]

Like they said, most Dewats had minimal modifications done to render them incapable of firing. I've heard stories of guns with melted lead in the barrel or a plug brazed or soldered in the chamber. Very easy to reverse these fixes. Some were more permanent such as a hole drilled through the barrel and a rod welded in place. A new barrel would be needed in that instance. Check the other parts for modifications such as the firing pin being ground off. Pretty much anything is fixable in a M1A1 so I'd definitely say it's worth the trouble if priced right.

[johnsonlmg41]

Some dewats are very difficult.  It just depends on the gun and what was done to it?  Then there's what's left over after the repairs.  Some guns require refinishing and if there is a welded barrel on the outside like an M1A1,  sometimes you can see it....forever, devaluing the gun.   Mostly it depends on what you pay as to whether it's worth it or not?  I do a lot of them, some take an hour, some take many days, and I have a full machine shop at my disposal.

[Rtollcs]

Only if the paperwork is rock solid and price is low.

[Rtollcs]

Only if the paperwork is rock solid and price is low.

[Got Uzi]

It depends on the gun, price, and how the DEWAT process was done….but before you get too excited, make damn sure there is paperwork on it. 

[Malico]

Feel free to reach out and we can talk live.  I just went through reactivating a DEWAT for a customer of a 1928A1 and making it transferable.  The gun condition doesn't matter, the paperwork trail 100% does.  If the paper trail is cold, you are out of luck.

I cover it in my video on the Thompson I am doing.
 

 

[johnsonlmg41]

9 hours ago, Malico said:

Feel free to reach out and we can talk live.  I just went through reactivating a DEWAT for a customer of a 1928A1 and making it transferable.  The gun condition doesn't matter, the paperwork trail 100% does.  If the paper trail is cold, you are out of luck.

I cover it in my video on the Thompson I am doing.
 

 

You can't grind off all the markings and re-do them.  That gun would have a hard time breaking 20K when you are done....yikes!

[Malico]

The customer didn't care about sale value, he wanted it cleaned up.  Third video about to come out, you can do remarks in certain circumstances, which I will explain there.

[MPFiveO]

I could be wrong, but I thought ATF was pretty clear about removing markings on Title 1 vs Title II firearms. Title 1 you can remove all the markings except for the serial number. With Title II you can't change or alter any of the markings. That's always been my understanding of the way the regs were written.

That said, we've seen a lot worse with people making modifications to machine guns. I don't believe that making original markings legible was something they were trying to keep people from doing.

There are a number of registered receiver HK 94's out there that people would love to have remarked to MP5 but that would violate the regs as written.

Then you have people ripping apart transferable AK's believing that the trunnion is the registered part because it has the serial number on it. Nevermind that the receiver is the part with the third hole in it and the C2's information that did the original Form 2 prior to May 19, 1986.

We've also seen people take 80% AR receivers or another AR and transfer the serial number and markings from a transferable M16. Pretty sure that is very much frowned upon.

Looking forward to seeing the new video of the completed Thompson with test fire. Pretty cool that the owner bought it in 1965 as a registered Dewat. My M1A1 has the original 1968 Amnesty paperwork with it.

Oh, and Dewat is short for Deactivated War Trophy, not demilitarized. And the Ejector is the part on the receiver, the extractor is on the bolt. Sorry about my OCD.

Also, just curious why the owner didn't file a Form 1, pay the $200 to reactivate the gun and then just leave it with you for gunsmithing?  My concern would be a SNAFU where the ATF would consider the gun to be a post 1986 dealer sample if you filed a Form 2 as an SOT. An individual is not required to do a Form 5 to have an NFA item repaired, but the ATF still suggests it just to have a paper trail.

[Malico]

I will go into the remarking stuff in the video coming up.  It really comes down to what markings did the DEWAT mfg put on the Form 2 when they made it.  In this case, they only put their name, none of the auto ordnance stuff, therefore it doesn't matter if you change it or not.  Only the CADMUS IND, model, and serial number mattered.

and on your OCD, lol... I do that all the time between extractor and ejector.  I had to correct myself a couple times on the video.

As far as why the transfer to be first, to keep it 100% legit.  If he did the Form 1, then took it to me for gunsmithing, grey area.  With me, I do the paper form 2 as a REWAT so it does not change the mfg date.

It is in my eforms as a transferable, so the process worked.

[GCBE]

If the paperwork is good, I’d definitely look into it. I wouldn’t assume it’s just a parts kit until you know exactly what you’re dealing with. DEWATs can get complicated pretty quick.