A World War II-era German machine gun discovered in a basement safe at Abbot Hall has been transferred to the Marblehead Police Department, following its recent discovery by town officials.
The MP40 submachine gun, manufactured in 1942, was found in October when Christopher Butler of the Marblehead Historical Commission was preparing to remove an old safe from the basement of the historic town hall building.
OVERLINE: WWII RELIC
The weapon, which has “southern France, 1944” scratched into its side, was brought back from Europe by Peter McManus, a Lynn police officer and World War II Navy veteran who served on the USS Augusta. After McManus’ death, the weapon was eventually donated to the Marblehead Maritime Museum’s collection that was funded and overseen by the late Raymond Cole — a longtime local dentist who died in 2010.
“It’s rather small and lightweight, very versatile,” said Butler, describing the weapon that had been stored in a locked safe in a secure basement room. “The firearms expert told us it’s worth approximately $45,000 if it had been registered prior to 1986 with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”
The discovery prompted immediate action from town officials. Marblehead Fire Chief Jason Gilliland played a key role in researching options for the weapon’s disposal, ultimately connecting with the Springfield Armory. On Nov. 21, the Historical Commission voted unanimously to donate the weapon to the armory, which is legally authorized to possess and display such firearms. Police Chief Dennis King felt the gun should be stored in the Gerry Street police headquarter’s armory for safekeeping, according to the Historical Commission.
Historical Commissioner Harry Christensen said he helped receive the weapon in the 1990s when McManus’ wife donated it to the town after her husband’s death. Christenson and Randy Bartlett placed it in the Abbot Hall safe.
“The barrel of that gun was inspected by me and Randy Bartlett. It was welded shut,” said Christensen, explaining that the weapon had been modified to prevent it from being fired.
The weapon’s mechanism reflects its deadly efficiency.
“The magazine has a double row. Rather than just a single roll of bullets, they’re actually boom, boom, boom,” Peter Stacey of the Historical Commission explained. “The spring is so tall that they have a hook that they pull down while they’re loading. It’s quite a killing machine.”
According to town officials, previous attempts to register the weapon were unsuccessful due to strict federal regulations requiring registration before 1986. Unregistered machine guns cannot be legally owned or transferred, regardless of their historical significance.
Gilliland’s research confirmed that the Springfield Armory was the most appropriate destination for the historical weapon. The transfer may require additional approvals, including possible review by Marblehead’s Select Board.
