Author Topic: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro  (Read 6175 times)

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jayb

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The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« on: May 16, 2018, 08:08:18 PM »
Reprinted from the following Google search:

https://www.google.com/search?q=machine+gun+australia&client=firefox-b-1&ei=QtX8WvisC4zHjwTa4ZTwAw&start=10&sa=N&biw=1920&bih=946

OLIVIA CAISLEY
A Thureon Defense machine gun.


A morbidly obese Melbourne man has been jailed for importing “truly terrifying” machine
guns from the US, but dozens of the firearms he smuggled remain on the streets.
Paul Munro, 64, was jailed today for at least six years by Victoria’s County Court for
importing Thureon fully-automatic machine guns and semi-automatic handgun parts
between 2012 and 2016.

Munro decided to illegally import the Thureon machine gun, which can fire up to 1000
rounds per minute, after he went to a gun show in Las Vegas. The mechanic later asked
Thureon Defense owner Andy Huebschmann, based in Wisconsin, to send him the machine
guns hidden in the false base of containers holding engine parts.
Munro also asked Huebschmann to send him triggers that would convert other semiautomatic
guns into fully automatic weapons.

“The Thureon in fully automatic mode is a truly terrifying weapon,” judge Douglas Trapnell
said.
“It has no use other than a mass killing machine and has no place in civil society.”

Munro paid about $US1000 per assault rifle and $US2000 for some of them to have their
serial numbers or identifying marks removed.

Back in Australia, Munro was arrested at Geelong on August 30, 2016 after he set up a deal to
sell 15 firearms for $110,000 to an undercover operative. The mechanic was selling the
Thureon rifles for $15,000 a piece, and charging $5000 for the handguns.

Before Munro was arrested, a local gun dealer warned the mechanic about selling illegal guns
to people he didn’t know.

The dealer advised Munro not to trust people who wanted to do business without a personal
recommendation.

Judge Trapnell said police were yet to recover 40 firearms and firearm parts that Munro
smuggled into Australia, including five Thureon fully automatic machine guns.
Three Thureon machine guns were seized at Caroline Springs, Williamstown and Rockbank
as police charged three men with trafficking a commercial quantity of methamphetamine.
A fourth Thureon weapon was handed in to police as part of a gun amnesty.
Judge Trapnell said Munro ran his “nefarious scheme” to support his lifestyle after various
failed stints in farming and car restoration.

Munro pleaded guilty to four charges of importing firearms and two counts of attempting to
import firearms.

He was sentenced to 10 years and three months in jail. He has already served 617 days in presentence
detention.
« Last Edit: May 16, 2018, 08:14:51 PM by jayb »
Jay Brown
- 1969 Mach 1, Drag Week 2005 Winner NA/BB, 511" FE (10.60s @ 129); Drag Week 2007 Runner-Up PA/BB, 490" Supercharged FE (9.35 @ 151)
- 1964 Ford Galaxie, Drag Week 2009 Winner Modified NA (9.50s @ 143), 585" SOHC
- 1969 Shelby Clone, Drag Week 2015 Winner Modified NA (Average 8.98 @ 149), 585" SOHC

   


ToddK

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2018, 08:57:01 PM »
It is a sad case. He had invested so much personal effort into developing his SOHC parts, in a era when there where few other options. His engine products had a lot of potential, so much so that I invested in one of his complete kits. Unfortunately I received very little for the deposit I paid.

I personally can not understand how someone could think that such a business arrangement of importing illegal weapons into a strict and controlled country could be viable. Maybe he had a “Breaking Bad” situation in his life. Whatever the reason, it’s all very sad for Paul, his family,and those affected by him.

cammerfe

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2018, 10:45:14 PM »
The political climate in 'Oz' is such as to make commiefornia look positively conservative. Rape might almost be OK there if you don't have a gun at the same time.

I guess I won't go there.

Bad deal about Munro.

KS

Drew Pojedinec

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2018, 10:56:27 PM »
Sad case?  Seems like he broke the law and is now going to prison.

I don't think the local heroin dealer is a sad case either.....

Autoholic

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2018, 01:14:45 AM »
I know Australia is rather screwed up with their gun laws, and locals are getting rather pissed off about it. This sounds like Thureon Defense had an active role in breaking Australian law, if they removed serial numbers for payment of that service. If Thureon didn't do it, whoever did do it is likely going to prison.

Jay, do you know if the company you're working with will produce some of Munro's parts, like the intake manifold?

What is it about the SOHC and attracting individuals who want to screw you over or break the law? First Coon, now Munro.
« Last Edit: May 17, 2018, 01:16:22 AM by Autoholic »
~Joe
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cjshaker

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2018, 07:03:55 AM »
Sad case?  Seems like he broke the law and is now going to prison.


If the U.S. Attorney General can smuggle them into Mexico and get away with it, why can't an average guy take some to Australia?
Kidding, of course. Mr. Munro was trying to buy a couple blocks off of me several years back. I suppose my phone number is on some CIA/FBI watch list now..lol :P

What is it about the SOHC and attracting individuals who want to screw you over or break the law? First Coon, now Munro.

Makes you wonder what Jay is up to!  ;D ;D
Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

jayb

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2018, 08:26:30 AM »
Ha!  I'm definitely up to no good, just ask my wife  ;D ;D

Apparently Paul owed the machine shop that was machining his heads and intakes a bunch of money, and before he was incarcerated, made a deal with the shop to give them the casting patterns to cover the debt.  The machine shop operator has visited me here in the US, and is trickling out some of the parts.  I've already sold some blower manifolds for the SOHC to a few people here in the US that have come from Munro's tooling and the machine shop, and he is also going to make the 2X4 manifolds available.  Also, anyone at the FE Reunion may have seen the SOHC head that I had there, this was also from Munro's tooling.  I am working with the machine shop operator to develop a high port version of this SOHC head.  Munro's castings were very, very heavy, and there is room to raise the intake and exhaust ports in his casting, without hitting water, so no welding is required.  This is in direct contrast to the Coon heads, which don't have the room in the casting for these modifications without a lot of welding.  I'm hopeful that when this is all done I will be able to deliver an SOHC head that flows 430+ cfm with the stock 2.300" valve size on the intake, plus a spacer kit that allows the use of a stock intake manifold with the raised ports.
Jay Brown
- 1969 Mach 1, Drag Week 2005 Winner NA/BB, 511" FE (10.60s @ 129); Drag Week 2007 Runner-Up PA/BB, 490" Supercharged FE (9.35 @ 151)
- 1964 Ford Galaxie, Drag Week 2009 Winner Modified NA (9.50s @ 143), 585" SOHC
- 1969 Shelby Clone, Drag Week 2015 Winner Modified NA (Average 8.98 @ 149), 585" SOHC

   

mbrunson427

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2018, 08:57:23 AM »
^^^ Sounds like it may not be such a sad deal after all! Finally get the tooling in the hands of somebody that can do something with it, rather than trying to support it with the snowball of bad business.
Mike Brunson
BrunsonPerformance.com

machoneman

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2018, 08:58:43 AM »
Very cool Jay....to know the work on your hi-port SOHC head is proceeding with a thick-walled casting.  ;D

Somewhat related though is the limited cam/valve lift you ran into long ago now. Will the new head and/or cam layout allow higher-than-stock valve lifts as well? 
Bob Maag

jayb

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2018, 09:48:32 AM »
No, the cam and rocker shaft location in these heads is stock, so the same 1.3 ratio rockers and valve lift limits will apply.  At some point I may go further on my 1.5 ratio rocker idea, but that's probably a long way off...
Jay Brown
- 1969 Mach 1, Drag Week 2005 Winner NA/BB, 511" FE (10.60s @ 129); Drag Week 2007 Runner-Up PA/BB, 490" Supercharged FE (9.35 @ 151)
- 1964 Ford Galaxie, Drag Week 2009 Winner Modified NA (9.50s @ 143), 585" SOHC
- 1969 Shelby Clone, Drag Week 2015 Winner Modified NA (Average 8.98 @ 149), 585" SOHC

   

turbohunter

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #11 on: May 17, 2018, 09:52:02 AM »
Interesting how the article starts, “a morbidly obese Melbourne man”.
Doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the case but ...... judgy.
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


jayb

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2018, 11:21:40 AM »
I also noted the judge's comment about how the weapon is "not good for anything but mass killing".  There are lots of gun proponents in the US who would take issue with THAT statement.  Not a big step from there to "That 600 horsepower car isn't good for anything but a racetrack".  Glad I live in the USA...
Jay Brown
- 1969 Mach 1, Drag Week 2005 Winner NA/BB, 511" FE (10.60s @ 129); Drag Week 2007 Runner-Up PA/BB, 490" Supercharged FE (9.35 @ 151)
- 1964 Ford Galaxie, Drag Week 2009 Winner Modified NA (9.50s @ 143), 585" SOHC
- 1969 Shelby Clone, Drag Week 2015 Winner Modified NA (Average 8.98 @ 149), 585" SOHC

   

turbohunter

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #13 on: May 17, 2018, 11:37:34 AM »
Amen brother
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


machoneman

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Re: The sad case of Australian SOHC manufacturer Paul Munro
« Reply #14 on: May 17, 2018, 06:04:12 PM »
No, the cam and rocker shaft location in these heads is stock, so the same 1.3 ratio rockers and valve lift limits will apply.  At some point I may go further on my 1.5 ratio rocker idea, but that's probably a long way off...

Thx Jay! I hate to be a maven of high lift but if anyone can do this mod it's you!   
Bob Maag