Most folks believe it is illegal to own a machine gun. The truth is, it is completely legal to own a machine gun—if it is registered with the federal government. Owning and shooting fully automatic machine guns is a vibrant … More
Tag Archives: Military Hobby Blog
25 Years of Military Vehicles
How time flies! When I began gathering materials for the December issue of Military Vehicles Magazine (MVM), it occurred to me that it was going to be the 150th issue. As I paused to do the math to determine 25 … More
Selling a Collection: Some Lessons Learned
It seems there is a lot of talk about “selling a collection” these days. Whether it is the uncertain economy, life adjustments or simply a change in interests, the fact is, many collectors are divesting themselves of years of accumulation. … More
The Devil is in the Details
“The person who defines their own qualities by quoting someone else does just that.” It seems like everyone is quoting someone these days. I am normally not a big fan of quotes, but I do keep one on my desk … More
The ‘New’ Collecting Landscape
From the time immediately following WWII until the last few years, the nature of military collecting has followed a generalized path. Collectors gathered whatever they encountered—if the price was “right.” During the last decade, that style of collecting has given … More
Parental Guidance in the Hobby
At a recent military vehicle show, the event planners organized a last-minute “parade of historic military vehicles.” Each owner was asked to drive his or her vehicle past the bleachers of viewers while a narrator explained highlights of each MV. … More
Piece of History Goes Down in Flames
This past Monday morning, a human tragedy was averted, but the cost was the loss of a significant piece of history. The restoration, flying and destruction of a WWII B-17G bomber has ignited an old discussion about utilizing or statically … More
Summer’s not just about Shows
For a lot of our readers, the Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer show season. In preparation for the various parades and veteran recognition events, historic military vehicle (HMV) enthusiasts pull out their vehicles, clean off the … More
Memorial Day a reason to remember… and honor
In a few days, we will honor our military dead with a federally designated “Memorial Day.” Even though many will have the day off from their jobs (if their employers still believe it is in their best interest to honor … More
To Restore or Not Restore?
“I just pulled a Jeep out of a barn where it sat since 1945 and want to restore it, what should I do?” This is a question that I hear about once a year. Each time, I know the answer … More