[Tin Star]

Went to the PD HQ to pickup some paperwork.
On the way out, I run into my LT, who is also in charge of EOD (Bomb unit).
He was there picking up weapons and ammo from the crime lab. The court cases were closed and the stuff wasn't being returned for one reason or another.
My buddy and I help load up two carts full of misc. weapons and ammo. When we get to his SUV to unload all the stuff that is to be blown up later that day, I hold in my hands a almost brand new Marlin 60SS. I knew the serials were already sent in to the ATF as being destroyed and couldn't rescue it.

2 hours later, a big boom from the range and I knew it was gone.

That was a sad day.......................

 

[Pard]

Why are they weapons and not inert firearms?

 

[Pat/Rick]

Seems that PD's could defray their training and equipage costs by reselling these at auction. Is there a good reason why they don't?

 

[M700]

At my PD, I routinely auction off seized and surplus firearms. The proceeds go directly to supporting our firearms program. In the past year I've put flashlights on all our patrol rifles, purchased ear & eye protection for the firing range, and obtained all of our cleaning gear by auctioning off seized & surplus weapons. It works great.

There are guns I send to the incinerator instead though: anything illegal, like a sawed off shotgun, or something converted to full auto, or anything with the serial number ground off. Also send any Jennings or Ravens or other little cheap guns to the incinerator. If I don't, they're re-sold here locally, and the guys are bringing me the exact same guns a few weeks later when we take 'em off some bad guy in an alley again... So, off they go to be melted down.

The big thing PD's are afraid of is that some gun that was in our possession, gets auctioned off and is then used in a violent felony - making bad press for the PD. It is a real concern, but so far I've been able to convince the City Council and the Chief that auctioning off most of our seized guns is the way to do business. Heck, we outfitted the entire department with new pistols a few years back, by using seized guns!

Regards, Guy

 

[Pat/Rick]

Glad to see that some PD's are doing that. I definently understand the reservations about selling arms only to face them later on, and admit I should have given that aspect more thought.I guess that as long as the pukes of society keep stealing and taking the dark side of life, that possibility exists. Thanks.

 

[Tin Star]

They used to auction off the good ones, but they got bit in the ass with one that was used later in a murder. The guy who bought it didn't commit the crime, it was stolen from him months after he bought it from PD.

So now...........EVERYTHING goes to the bomb guys to get blown up and destroyed.
There are only little pieces left. I've watched them do it before.

That Marlin was the best in the bunch that day.
If I would have been thinking, I would have stripped it and left only the receiver to get blown up. Oh well.............

 

[M700]

Recently we auctioned off a Marlin and two Win 94's, all .30-30. The Marlin had been hacked up a bit, but could have been salvaged, and the two Winchesters were in really good shape. I was tempted to buy the Marlin myself for a project, but I've got enough work to do, keeping my own 336 up and running. Apparently mine led a hard life before I got it.

Buddy of mine got some stern questioning when a .44 Super Blackhawk he'd sold was used in an armed robbery down in Texas a few years ago. He was the last owner anyone could document. The guy he sold it to had it stolen. Or so the story went...

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to the day when someone commits a crime with one of the guns I've auctioned off. Might just end our practice of doing so. Until then though, it sure helps out with our firearms program!

Guy

 

[Tin Star]

Why are they weapons and not inert firearms?

The crime lab doesn't make any firearm inert. (my dept anyway)
Until they get thrown into the hole, along with a lot of C4, and blown up, they will function the exact same way as when they came in.
I don't work in the CL, so I don't know the reason

Wished I did..........could make a mint on selling spare parts.

 

[Pat/Rick]

Good idea!, perhaps instead of destroying or selling the firearms, agencies that destroy or frown upon sales, could strip the parts and sell them to numrich or brownells, etc.

 

[FL EOD Tech]

I too have watched my share of big $$$ stuff get shipped off for destruction. I just stand there with my hat over my heart like Buford T. Justice in the funeral procession scene of Smokey and the Bandit.
I work down in in heaven's waiting room and old widows just gotta call the cops to haul off the dead husband's gun collection. It happens all the time. Also the hand grenade, the shell he brought home that has been in the attic for 50 years, the "fireworks" etc.

 

[biku324]

Police agencies are political creations, although officers and administrators should work hard every day to avoid politics. As such one often ends up with particulalry stupid, politically-motivated policies that are legal. One such would be destroying perfectly good firearms instead of auctioning them at an annual FFL-only auction and using the funds for equipment or overtime.

Sigh.

 

[skmarsh77]

a few years ago I heard a couple of similar stories that just made me sick to my stomach. In Lexington ma the police department had I believe 2 original thompson M1's. The chief was going to have them melted down. One of the officers in the department had a class 3 license and wanted to purchase one of them and the chief would not let him and had them melted. Around the same time the Cambridge Ma police department had 5 of the same guns supposedly unfired and in the original boxes. They were going to have them destroyed also. They turned them over to the state police and from what I heard they auctioned them off and got $20,000 each for them. I think if police departments have firearms that are not damaged and determined to be safe then they should be auctioned off. The money could be used for christmas parties or other needs the department may have that would otherwise cut into their budgets. Problem is that alot of chiefs want to take more guns off the street and not put more out there.

 

[Gunjunkie]

Considering our tax money bought them in the first place I agree they should be offered up

 

[biku324]

Even lawfully forfeited and abandoned firearms shoulod be sold - no sense throwing away valuable assets and spending even more tax money instead.

 

[ia1727]

I thought we are suppose to become a GREEN SOCIETY--recycle everything--save the earth--our precious resources, etc. Other than the tupperware guns--what's in a firearm that's not recyclable ? At least recycle parts as mentioned. Sounds like more political BS so someone can get more face time.

No wonder foreign countries laugh at us.

Steve

 

[bullethole]

I would of took it and put it away to take home.

 

[sleddman]

I would of took it and put it away to take home.

Hate to say this but you would be sitting in the slammer now if you did. Not worth tarnishing your badge no matter how it hurts to see the gun blow up. I watched thousands of guns going into the sea and some being melted down. NJ has a no recycle gun law, they all are destroyed. Talk about a waste of money, and in a state that can't pay their bills. Maybe someone should wake up and get their head out of the sand.

 

[Golfbuddy45]

I did not take the time to read every post in this thread so if I am repeating something already said - - - - - - well then it needs to be repeated!

There are those people in our Government (and I mean local as well as National) who are using the destruction of guns and other firearm items that have been used in criminal events as their way to get rid of what they see as BAD THINGS. So a gun is used to commit a crime - I do not want a gun with a serial number that was recorded as a murder weapon, for example, but what if that serial number is struck out and a new serial number put on the gun? The bad history of the gun is eradicated and the gun has a second chance at doing what it was intended for, hunting, target shooting, or personal protection.

They resell boats, cars, and trucks that were used in crimes, why not the guns?

GB45

 

[biku324]

There's no national database of guns used in crimes, only of weapons reported stolen and not recovered (through the National Crime nformation Center, or NCIC, which is police-only access). Likewise there is no national database of weapons registrations (in those states that require such) or first purchasers of guns from retail. The only way to know a specific weapon was used in a specific crime woud be to know what crime, where and when it weas adjudicated, then get a copy of that report - the weapons serial number would be listed there.

While officers and detectives should be able to pull up firearms placed in evidence by make, model, and serial number, in their own information system, that would only include weapons in that specific agency's evidence inventory or that HAD been in the agency evidence or abandoned property inventory.

 

[GaCop]

Our department sold off (via bids) legal confiscated weapons, but only to FFL holders.

Tom