This item came into police possession in 1989 and has been in the basement evidence locker ever since.
The original report from 1989 has since been destroyed in accordance with the applicable records-retention schedule, but the story goes that officers responded to a welfare check in 1989.
During the call, an officer asked about the firearm and was told, essentially, “That’s my machine gun.” It was subsequently determined that the firearm had not been properly registered with the federal government prior to May 19, 1986, and it was confiscated.
In 2022 or 2023, the ATF was consulted and they advised that it would have to be destroyed or demilitarized by cutting it, even if it were to be donated to a museum. Given its historical significance, that was not an option the police were willing to pursue.
In 2025, the police contacted the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton and had some discussions regarding a potential transfer.
In 2026, we began discussions with the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., regarding the possibility of preserving the firearm in a federal museum collection. Those conversations are ongoing, and our hope is ultimately to see this piece preserved and displayed as part of our nation's history.
The police dept position is pretty simple:
We don't want to destroy it or cut it apart. This firearm has survived intact since approximately 1918. Everything still appears to function, and the components appear to be original. Because of the federal restrictions involving machine guns and the firearm's registration history, simply registering or transferring it today is not presently an available option. Federal law does, however, contain specific provisions concerning possession and transfers involving governmental entities.
The Sheffield Lake Police Department's goal is to preserve it.
Hopefully, its next chapter will be in a national museum where future generations can appreciate a remarkable piece of American and military history.
In 2025, the police contacted the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton and had some discussions regarding a potential transfer.
In 2026, we began discussions with the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., regarding the possibility of preserving the firearm in a federal museum collection. Those conversations are ongoing, and our hope is ultimately to see this piece preserved and displayed as part of our nation's history.
The police dept position is pretty simple:
We don't want to destroy it or cut it apart. This firearm has survived intact since approximately 1918. Everything still appears to function, and the components appear to be original. Because of the federal restrictions involving machine guns and the firearm's registration history, simply registering or transferring it today is not presently an available option. Federal law does, however, contain specific provisions concerning possession and transfers involving governmental entities.
The Sheffield Lake Police Department's goal is to preserve it.
Hopefully, its next chapter will be in a national museum where future generations can appreciate a remarkable piece of American and military history.
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