Gun Collecting: IMA Offers an Alternative for Machinegun Collectors

Owning a piece of history is something special. Owning a piece of history that is actually a machinegun requires a lot of special paperwork and hassle. The alternative is to get a historic item that doesn’t actually fire. While that might seem like half the fun is missing, think of half the fun you get for having a fantastic display item – one that is generally legal to own and still looks quite impressive. 

International Military Antiques (IMA) is one of the premier sellers of such historical items, as well as other unique oddities and collectibles. We talked to owners Christian and Alexander Cranmer about their business, how they got started and what the future might hold for collectors. Read more

Gun Show Report Offers Biased Stance

In a blog post titled “Gun show stirs concern,” the writers at LoHud.com, which is powered by The Journal News, offered a rant against a recent gun show:

“No doubt a good time was had by all at the weekend gun show at the Westchester County Center, hosting the emporium of guns, knives and collectibles for the first time in 11 years. We just hope that the event does not mark the end of the pragmatic bipartisan support for smarter gun policies that has been the regional norm these last few years.”

While this post is more editorial than news feature, we do ask whether anyone was really “concerned” by the event? Like many gun shows it is just an event. Likewise, is there really “pragmatic bipartisan support” for stricter gun policies? We would tend to disagree.

1,200 Guns Melted Down: How Much History Was Lost?

Open to the back page of This Old House magazine and there is always a property worth saving. Move into a so-called historic district and be prepared to argue with a zoning board if you want to make changes to the property you just bought. These are a couple of examples of our nation’s obsession to “save history.” And while I’m all in favor of this, it is interesting to note that none of this applies to firearms. The Chicago Tribune reports:

“Some 1,200 guns surrendered or seized in recent years have been melted down in a blast furnace of an Indiana steel mill.”

The article fails to mention any historic significance to these firearms. The mainstream media just sees these as dangerous weapons, not part of history. That’s a shame. Military history in general is usually only saved by museums and private collectors, but this is something rarely reported by the MSM.

TPM Writer Misses Mark on Gun Owners

In an editorial for TPM Café writer Leonard Zeskind suggests that gun shows have transformed from a regular event that was about hunting and collectibles, into something aimed (no pun intended) at recruiting a white nationalist movement. He states this by noting:

“A few collectors remain, who display antique weapons in the same way as their cousins might collect stamps, particularly at the smaller weekend events. Nevertheless, as anyone who has been around these shows long enough to remember the time when mahogany exhibits of Civil War muskets were the rule and not the exception.” Read more