Why do LE Agencys destory or melt confiscated guns?
- Thread starter Doug.38PR
- Start date
armoredman
New member
TPD used to sell them in batches to gun shops. I saw a few of those batches, and about 90% of them would have been better used as manhole covers. Junk. There were a few jewels, such as a very nice Colt El Presidente in 38 Super one guy got before I could get the cash together...
But, the LIEberal leftists scream,and elected officials, such as mayors, cower before the leftist war machine, and start feeding all of the captured firearms into the grinder, regardless of value.
But, the LIEberal leftists scream,and elected officials, such as mayors, cower before the leftist war machine, and start feeding all of the captured firearms into the grinder, regardless of value.
FirstFreedom
Moderator
Because they're morons?
Because they don't serve the taxpayers well by making money from the sale instead?
Because the taxpayers don't hold them accountable for flushing money down the toilet in such a way?
Because they're anti-gun, and don't understand or don't care that it won't make a hill of beans different in the crime rates to re-sell them instead, provided they are sold in the proper channels, which of course they would be.
All the above?
Take your pick.
Because they don't serve the taxpayers well by making money from the sale instead?
Because the taxpayers don't hold them accountable for flushing money down the toilet in such a way?
Because they're anti-gun, and don't understand or don't care that it won't make a hill of beans different in the crime rates to re-sell them instead, provided they are sold in the proper channels, which of course they would be.
All the above?
Take your pick.
fisherman66
New member
Think the gun manufacturers "convince" depts to eliminate that source of competition? Wouldn't surprise me one bit.
I'll with all of the above. It's sad to say, but i've seen many nice firearms detroyed over here (Iraq, Afghanistan) and I cringe everytime I see it. Even the ones we get over here, instead of detroying them, you think we could use them ourselves (training, special units, ect.) but no, we destroy them, then spend the taxpayers money to get new ones for them to ship over here for us to use.
Mister_Dinky
Moderator
Why do LE Agencys destory or melt confiscated guns?
They do it because they are told to by the political hacks to whom they report.
They do it because they are told to by the political hacks to whom they report.
The last one is the most truthful. Most departments try to "trade-in" older weapons, enabling the next purchase's costs to be defrayed slightly. If they stay with the same manufacturer, chances are that they will be given a discount for the used weapons. The manufacturer usually rebuilds them, and sells them as used to distributors. Smaller departments, unable to take advantage of state or larger department's bids, may well buy from a local retailer, and trade their used pieces in. It's just another "feel good" piece of meddling by politicians who really don't think that the public cares how money is spent.
I see a fair amount of LE trade-ins on the market.
I don't see a practical way of working a similar arrangement with confiscated arms. Contrary to what Sarah and VPC assert, confiscated firearms seldom include Barrett .50s, FN5.7s, M-4s and high-dollar German rifles.
From what little I've seen of the mess pulled in from the street, there seems to be an abundance of chewed up low-grade pistols, pot-metal revolvers, stuff that doesn't work, airsoft with the orange painted black, rusted shotguns, some of which would need a tax stamp to be sold and the like. IOW, the kind of stuff CDNN wouldn't let into the parking lot, much less the catalog. Liability suits would fly like confetti.
IMHO, there wouldn't be any money left after the non-functioning, too short, serial number challenged and generally unsalable stuff was graded out. It's not like destroying a pile of Garands; it's mostly junk. Not all junk but certainly not as "clean" as turning over a load of used Security Sixes to CDNN.
I don't see a practical way of working a similar arrangement with confiscated arms. Contrary to what Sarah and VPC assert, confiscated firearms seldom include Barrett .50s, FN5.7s, M-4s and high-dollar German rifles.
From what little I've seen of the mess pulled in from the street, there seems to be an abundance of chewed up low-grade pistols, pot-metal revolvers, stuff that doesn't work, airsoft with the orange painted black, rusted shotguns, some of which would need a tax stamp to be sold and the like. IOW, the kind of stuff CDNN wouldn't let into the parking lot, much less the catalog. Liability suits would fly like confetti.
IMHO, there wouldn't be any money left after the non-functioning, too short, serial number challenged and generally unsalable stuff was graded out. It's not like destroying a pile of Garands; it's mostly junk. Not all junk but certainly not as "clean" as turning over a load of used Security Sixes to CDNN.
In the old days
Before the current cycle of anti-gun hysteria, many police agencies routinely sold off confiscated "crime" guns to dealers (usually at auction), as long as they were otherwise legal. Sawed off shotguns, machine guns, etc., were destroyed (some examples wound up in police collections, some even in police use) but rifles, shotguns and handguns were often sold after disposition of the cases was finalized.
Starting in the 60s, many major metro police depts and state police in some states adopted a policy of destroying the guns, usually after a case where one of the guns sold by the police was involved in another crime. Politicians and others decided that it was important to ensure that the guns didn't get back on the street, so they stopped sales to the public (dealers).
back in the early 70s in New York state, we found out (as a result of a traffic accident) that if the pistol permit holder died, the pistol(s) would have to be surrendered to the police. If they were turned over to the State Police, after 60 days (IIRC) they would be destroyed. If they were turned over to the local sheriff, and a permit applied for, they would be kept until the application was either approved or denied, and if denied, then they would be destroyed.
Over the years more and more agencies have stopped selling siezed guns and are having them destroyed. Your tax dollars at work.
Before the current cycle of anti-gun hysteria, many police agencies routinely sold off confiscated "crime" guns to dealers (usually at auction), as long as they were otherwise legal. Sawed off shotguns, machine guns, etc., were destroyed (some examples wound up in police collections, some even in police use) but rifles, shotguns and handguns were often sold after disposition of the cases was finalized.
Starting in the 60s, many major metro police depts and state police in some states adopted a policy of destroying the guns, usually after a case where one of the guns sold by the police was involved in another crime. Politicians and others decided that it was important to ensure that the guns didn't get back on the street, so they stopped sales to the public (dealers).
back in the early 70s in New York state, we found out (as a result of a traffic accident) that if the pistol permit holder died, the pistol(s) would have to be surrendered to the police. If they were turned over to the State Police, after 60 days (IIRC) they would be destroyed. If they were turned over to the local sheriff, and a permit applied for, they would be kept until the application was either approved or denied, and if denied, then they would be destroyed.
Over the years more and more agencies have stopped selling siezed guns and are having them destroyed. Your tax dollars at work.
Its called Civil Liability. In the sue happy society we live in, it doesnt take a lot of thinking to see that a gun sold by a department, used in a crme, could sink the city in a frivolous lawsuit.
Furthermore, the quality of guns that the majority of PD's get ahold of is not of the kind most dealers want.
Furthermore, the quality of guns that the majority of PD's get ahold of is not of the kind most dealers want.