Capture papers

[popgun]

School me on capture paper. What is a form 33 and what are Sec VI, Cir 155 and Sec III Cir 353. And are they the same as Custom Clearance Forms.
Thanks
Popgun

[Jim K]

I don't know about those numbers, presumably military regulations. But "capture papers" have nothing to do with customs. They are documents, issued by a local commander, usually at company level, allowing US military personnel to retain and bring back to the US captured enemy weapons as long as they were legal to own in the US. Since the NFA was passed in 1934, machineguns were not legal, so they could not (legally) be brought back.

But pistols and rifles were OK, and many were brought back with and without the "capture papers". The authorization covered WWII and some of Korea, but later the rules changed and today it is nearly impossible for GI's to bring back any captured enemy weapon from the middle east, although some antique and C&R guns can be purchased and brought back legally. Those have to go through customs like anything else any traveller buys overseas. Guns purchased by military personnel from PX/BX's and gun clubs overseas can be brought back; check military regulations.

A word on WWII "bringbacks." Only captured enemy weapons could be brought back legally. Bringing back a US weapon (M1 carbine or M1911A1 pistol) was illegal and was theft from the government, pure and simple (yes, I know all about how your grandfather brought back 25,000 M1 rifles in his duffle bag, but he was violating the law). It was also illegal to bring back Allied weapons, but that rule was pretty much ignored in the case of Allied weapons captured from the enemy.

Jim

[popgun]

Here is what I found. these are consider "Capture Papers" by some. but they are marked "Customs". Some that I've seen are just the botom half of the form.

[Jim K]

The first page is a normal customs declaration; not many returning GIs filled those out and no one bothered them. They were returning on ships by the thousands, not coming in by air a few at a time.

The seond paper is very odd. I have never seen any paper authorizing bring back of Allied weapons under any circumstances, and I can't imagine how a T5 would be authorized to possess them. The gun in question seems to be a German carbine (K.98k?) which is listed under Allied material. Confusing.

Jim

[Jackman]

Originally Posted by Jim K

A word on WWII "bringbacks." Only captured [B

enemy[/B] weapons could be brought back legally. Bringing back a US weapon (M1 carbine or M1911A1 pistol) was illegal and was theft from the government, pure and simple (yes, I know all about how your grandfather brought back 25,000 M1 rifles in his duffle bag, but he was violating the law). It was also illegal to bring back Allied weapons, but that rule was pretty much ignored in the case of Allied weapons captured from the enemy.

Jim

Probably true what you say but back after WWI bring backs were common and not viewed as illegal, fast forward to today I took my Grandfathers M1911A1 pistol WWI bring back which was never registered ever anywhere and I turned it into the State of N.Y. in 2008 and it was returned to me as a registered legal firearm the state did not care that it was a USGI weapon , I even told them where it came from.