Why do many WWII guns have receivers that have been cut in half?

It was part of the disarmerment agreements for one, many were just destroyed. Second, if the reciever is cut up, its not a gun anymore and can be sold without BATF or FFL issues.

No, you cant weld them back together and safely fire them. The heat from the weld will soften up all the metal, its a disaster waiting to happen. So, if you want to own a iece of history, go for it, its a curio now.

An STG44 is an NFA Class III machine gun, illegal to own without a class IIl license or a special tax stamp. One might be able to purchase privately a former machine gun, but the receiver must first be cut in half. Federal law states that an intact receiver of a machine gun, or any parts therein, constitute a "machine gun" and must be registered under the NFA regulations.

There are many replicas out there (most are made in Japan, where private gun ownership is banned), and can be a bit costly. If all you are looking for is a heavy metal copy, you might try this approach.

9 times out of 10 it is a fully automatic gun

The only way to import it is for it to be torch cut into three pieces per BATF rules which renders it no longer a firearm

You can then buy dummy receivers for display or in some cases you can buy new built semi auto receivers to build a functioning semi auto gun

I have several cut auto AK47 kits that I bought with cut up recievers

Thew only other time I could see s if it were a "non sporting" gun that is being imported

because to the government, only the receiver is the "gun" part. everything else isn't a gun. by destroying the receiver the "gun" can be sold to anyone.

there's also issues like 922r compliance, 1986 automatic weapon import bans, and other import restrictions or bans (like the 1993 ban on all Chinese made rifles and ammunition), so since the receiver is a "gun", by destroying the receiver the "gun" can be imported more easily and not subject to so many stupid laws.

You can find them and they are C&R eligible if you have the 10-20 thousand dollars to buy one. I've been looking at the russian ppsh-41 lately and those run about 12-16k. They had to cut the receivers as so many people pointed out to comply with the auto weapons ban. and weapons in country before that were spared.

It has been illegal to import into or manufacture automatic firearms in the US since 1986 for civilian use, so my guess would be at least all that have been imported into the US since 1986. They cut them and then import them and then someone can build a semi-auto receiver for them and use some of the parts out of the imported firearms.

If your a good enough machinist to weld, remachine and heat treat a demilled receiver, your good enough to build your own. The STG-44 is an NFA weapon. Check the law first. Even in a non functioning "wall hanger" state, it falls under federal/state law.

that's a failed technique of deactivating protection tension weapons. They make a pair cuts in the receiver it is legally the gun. yet as you realize something of the factors are nonetheless sturdy so anybody can build a clean receiver and now and lower back even restoration the previous one. Now they shred them or drop them in the sea.

I'ver never seen a cut reciever, but I would imagine it is similar to the reason the GIs cut the stocks, easier transportation.

you could possibly have a good welder weld it back together so it looks ok,shootable it will never be.