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BTW:
It is my understanding that most of these loaned guns were rounded up and destroyed after the war.
Jim

Jim, I don't see anything on there about "loans".

I do read the request for "Gifts of pistols - rifles...."

He is probably thinking of the so called "land lease" deals between USA and Great Britain. The fact that one sees US firearms with British Proof like S&W 'Victory' model proves that not all of those weapons were destroyed.

PJ, I believe that was "lend lease" at the time and it pertained to military hardware. The idea was sold to the US public with the notion we would get the 50 aged navy destroyers back when England didn't need them any more. Americans at the time were clinging to a notion of Isolationism. We really didn't want anything to do with either side, or appearing to favor either side.

After Churchill's famous "we will fight them" speech, once the microphone was turned off, he rather famously uttered, "but I don't know with what" referring to the fact that Great Britian was already pretty well disarmed by then.

Best,
Ted

James:
I don't think the Americans ever expected these firearms to be returned and I do note the use of the term "Gifts"(Notice the size of the print) but the fact that they were for the most part rounded up and destroyed in an affront to many even today. and that fact has been reported over the years.
Anyway my point is what would they do now if England was ever threatened with invasion again?

Jim

That might be a moot point in the case of a country that has Trident submarines at it's disposal, even if they are based in Scotland.
The bigger point to me seems to be that individuals in the UK have given up so much in the way of gun rights, and gotten so little in return for that.

Best,
Ted

Well said Ted. Sadly, Canada seems intent on emulating them in the area of gun control.

I don't think they were destroyed in the normal sense, they were mostly dumped in the ocean by the English Government.If they were "gifted", they were gifted to the people, not the Government. Who would have intended for their grandfather's deer rifle to be dumped into the ocean? The English sold their surplus small arms after the war(mostly to us), why did they have to dump our heirlooms into the ocean, after we answered their call for help? Not very thankful.
Mike

Der Ami:
That is the core point and the reason I started this thread.
Taking this scenario to a personal level; If someone "gifted" something to me I indicated I desperately needed IMO the height of insults would be to discard the item in this manner when it was no longer perceived to be needed as the Brits did.
This subject has come up in gun publications in the past and family members of those who donated firearms are still put out by the end result.
Even the Russians had the sense to put the Lend Lease Thompson SMGs into storage. These were re-imported as parts kits(without the receiver) over the last 15 years and has keep the small pool of registered Thompsons in spare parts ever since.
The Idiots currently in charge here to date have blocked the re-importation of around 500,000 M1 Garands and M1 carbines from South Korea. If they remain there I suspect they'll eventually be cut up for scrap.
Jim