DLO Manufacturing Production Numbers

By Dan Shea

There have been four basic “Waves” of Special Occupational Taxpayers (SOT) since the National Firearms Act of 1934. While dealers may have come into the business at similar times, this description does not categorize them with other SOTs from the same era, this is simply to put some familiar names into a time perspective.

The “First Wave” was the few SOTs from 1934 to the early 1970s- J. Curtis Earl, William Vallerand, Military Armament Corporation and Dolf Goldsmith would be examples from that era. The “Second Wave” would include up to around 1982 or so- including AWC (Doc Dater), DLO Manufacturing, Jonathan Arthur Ciener, Reed Knight, Law Enforcement Ordnance Co, Bob Landies, LMO, Kent Lomont, RPB, SWD, and many others. The “Third Wave” was a major influx of dealers and manufacturers that happened in 1982-1988. Many familiar names came into the business at that time, including AWC Systems Technology, Fleming Firearms, S&H Arms, Catco and F.J. Volmer. Many of the 4500 SOTs in that period dropped their SOT status when in January 1988 we were all assessed a new tax level- from $200 per year to $500 per year, and we were billed mid year. In the following year, SOTs dropped to around 2000. The “Fourth Wave” occurred in the years from 1988 to date- it has been a cycle of new dealers and manufacturers coming in and going out, with a few sticking around for the long term. Like any other business, the Class 3 community has a turn over rate as people’s ideas either work, or don’t work, based on their reception in the marketplace.

DLO Manufacturing (Douglas Lawrence Oefinger) was a Class 2 manufacturer from the “Second Wave” of Class 2. DLO employed 2 workers other than Doug for approximately 4 years. Doug Oefinger’s contributions to the Class 3 community have been impressive. He has a somewhat combative personality and sticks up for his beliefs at all levels- and is quick to point out that to this date, he has proven his points. I have been friends with Doug for many years, and have interviewed him several times in relation to the laws that we deal with every day.

In a conversation some time ago, I suggested that the production numbers of various Class 2 manufacturers who impacted on the Class 3 community would be of great interest to SAR’s readers, and good for our historical record. Doug agreed, and he gave us his production numbers- approximates, to keep the records “Right”.

In the hopes of inspiring the rest of the Class 2s to do likewise, SAR presents the DLO Manufacturing production amounts.

All numbers are approximate, and came from Doug Oefinger as such; he did a general count, not a full item-by-item count. One other item of note, is that Doug has a longstanding Buyback Policy- DLO will purchase their machine guns back at the full price that a machine gun was purchased from DLO, once it has been three years since it was purchased from them. This is on a case by case basis, with the current NFA legal structure.

The transferable machine guns were manufactured from 1977 to 1986.

Transferable machine guns manufactured by DLO.

65 Water cooled Browning blued Commercial covering both the N.E. Westinghouse and Remington marked guns. These were Belgian Rust Blued by hand.

150 1917A1 Water Cooled Brownings, with either a bronze or steel trunion and end cap. Parkerized finish, 30-06 only.

65 MG-40 Browning machine guns- parkerized, mostly in 30-06, a few in 8mm. These were Colt Commercials originally in 7mm, bored to 30-06, and found in the UK in the early 1980s.

20 M37 Browning machine guns, all in 30-06. Ten were made for the Mini-Series “Amerika” with right hand feeds to mimic Soviet beltfeds. Ten were made for a commercial contract.

635 1919A4 Browning machine guns, all parkerized, 30-06 and 308 caliber.

4 M2 .50 caliber Browning machine guns, parkerized, welded up in the late 1970s.

25 Uzi submachine guns, all registered receiver conversions, Parkerized, 9mm. These registered receivers were converted by removing the semi auto receiver rail/ block, most had IMI Open bolts, a few had the semi auto bolts converted to open bolt.

1000 Sten MKII submachine guns, 9mm, all parkerized. Some left DLO suppressed, and almost all had loop style stocks, a few had tube/ tee stocks.

60 AK Registered Receiver conversions of both stamped and milled receivers, all 7.62×39 caliber

10 AK Registered Trigger packs. Serial Numbers AK01-AK10. These were disallowed at first, then Technology Branch ATF accepted them, as installed in host firearms.

10 Soviet SVT to SVT Automatics (Select fire), with wide trigger guards.

2 MG08 Maxim guns.

1 MG08/15 Maxim gun.

250 Conversions, assorted, all makes and models. This number also includes registered Short Barreled Rifles, Short Barreled Shotguns, Smooth Bored Pistols, AOWs.

Pre-86 Dealer Sample machine guns imported by DLO:

4 L4A1 “Bren” reworked, new in 308 caliber, done in the mid 1980s

75 AKM-56-1 Chinese export models, imported 1980-81. Underfolders with Chinese characters on the selector, and British Nitro proofing.

Post-86 Dealer Sample machine guns imported by DLO:

14 MG40 Colt manufacture, 30-06 caliber, government contract

Suppressors manufactured by DLO

300 Sten Suppressors

100 Uzi suppressors

Some prototypes, including a 1919 suppressor that was 3 1/2’ long

Semi Autos manufactured by DLO

40 1919A4

20 1917A1

2 M37