Question on status of museum ship guns

[LeftyJason]

Just recently watched The History Guys video on the Battleship Texas' role in WW1 and decided to read up on it on the battleshiptexas.org website. They have a running update on the work being done on it. Just read through all of the updates. It is in the middle of being prepared to be moved to drydock to have hull below waterline replaced.

Their (8) 40mm guns, (10) 3” guns, (8) 20mm guns, (9) Mk 51 gun directors, and (2) 24” signaling searchlights were recently removed for restoration. They are preparing their (6) 5" guns for removal for restoration once it is in dry dock.

My question is what status could those guns be in currently? Would they have to be registered as destructive devices or machine guns where applicable? Would that not apply since they are owned by the state of Texas? What condition would they likely have to be displayed in? Firing pins removed? Other modifications? (Alot of the breeches on the 3" and 5" guns were stuck closed until recently but their bores were in good shape).

Figured some here might know or have some idea.

 

[ZG47A]

You could go to the Battleship New Jersey website and ask them. They are heavily into producing and posting (very good)YouTube videos at the moment, in order to keep (financially) afloat. Their curator, Ryan Szymanski, would be able to answer your question.

 

[five 0]

I know you can donate unregistered machine guns to a Military museum. They have paper work that has to be filled out but I don't think they register them. If they are a Military museum a guess would they would be considered part of the museum.

 

[Random Guy]

I don't know what they do to permanently de-commission guns on an old battleship. The one's I've seen up close had about 100 coats of thick Navy paint applied on them. They are permanent fixtures on a ship that the Navy transferred ownership to via a separate entity (and presumably 110% de-activated).

USS North Carolina battleship hull restoration video:

 

[eicas]

Interesting question. It's not like you can go down to WalMart and buy ammo for it tho...not that the .gov would apply common sense tho either. I do recall years back there was a semi-local bruhaha over a motar on display at a park that was discovered to not be demilled. Can you buy a subcaliber kit for a 16" naval gun? Asking for a friend...

 

[NukeMMC]

On the 3"/23 or 50cal, 5"/25cal and the (2) 6"/53cal (from USS Narwahl, SS-167!) guns I have seen as static displays at various locations, they have had breeches welded, chambers torch-cut, barrels cast-plugged or other means of permanently preventing firing.

 

[Waorani]

I've got a couple of 16" training rounds. Would love to find a barrel slice but guessing there probably aren't too many out there.

 

[pitspitr]

Apparently "spiking" the barrel of a muzzle loading howitzer is or was considered de-milling. Yes, that's a cannon ball in there.