Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum Under Threat

AmmoLand ^ | January 2, 2025 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum Under Threat

The world-famous Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum (LSAFM) in Australia is threatened by a combination of police bureaucracy and clueless or hostile management. On August 25, 2024, thieves broke in and stole 27 antique and collectible pistols. At this time, 18 of the pistols have been recovered.

One of the two displays the 27 pistols were stolen from. There were dozens of such displays in multiple rooms in the Museum.

This correspondent visited the wonderful museum in 2019. It is an incredible example of cultural heritage and history. It contained thousands of invaluable historical artifacts of firearms and their technology. Here is a summation from of the museum site as of 30 October 2024:

Following a break-in on 25 August, making national and international news, urgent security upgrades are needed.  Approval for these upgrades has still not been given by the site owner. This is despite their knowledge that the museum’s future is now at risk. Delays and uncertainties regarding site ownership threaten conservation and education on this remarkable site.

NSW Police have ordered security upgrades to protect the historic firearms collection. Three of these are critical for safe-keeping of the historic firearms. Another 14 are necessary before rebuilding of the displays can begin. Without these upgrades, LSAFM risks losing its firearms permits, which would lead to the confiscation of its collection and the death of the Museum. The historic firearms were the Factory’s major product and remain a key drawcard for visitors.

The multinational Thales Group, the building owner, has prohibited any work, even minor cosmetic fixes,

[marktwain]

The Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum is a world treasure. It is under threat because of a combination of Australian police bureaucracy and French Industrial insanity.

[marktwain]

The Museum is bleeding cash at the rate of $5000 a week, mandated security by the police for 24 hour guards at the storage facility where the thousands of firearms have been taken.

Volunteers are not allowed to provide security.

Meanwhile, Thales wont allow the security upgrades at the Museum property to take place, and the Museum has no income because all the displays have been taken down and the firearms locked up.

The firearms are, by law, were already rendered inoperable, by the removable of critical fire control parts.

[OKSooner]

Sounds like that's that, then.

Most unfortunate...

It really sucks to be Australia these totalitarian post-covid days. That's about all one can say.

[FreedomPoster]

Sounds very Australian totalitarian.

[caver]

Thank you for letting us know what’s going on down under. The Aussies get more unhinged every day. I don’t suppose the museum’s firearms can be shipped out of the country to a safe space either?

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Note to self: display of guns...boobytrap each item to kill thief.

[marktwain]

Not sure.

The Museum staff was talking about the potential necessity of turning them over to the police.

[Rappini]

That museum would be a big hit in the US.

[marktwain]

It is a fantastic museum. I feel privileged to have seen it in its prime.

The buildings are part of the museum. Wonderful to see how it was done before electric power became widespread, and how the conversion was done.

[caver]

Geez, that does not sound like a safe place either.
More history being erased.