Today's random thought, Police auctions

[Sticks]

Police and federal auctions that sell off confiscated items (cars, houses, boats, etc...They are making a ton of money, hopefully those sales go towards their operating budget.

I was wondering what if the LE agencies opened a gun shop in one or two major cities per state as a clearing house and sold off confiscated firearms, that for all intensive purposes are legal to own by Jane or Joe law abiding citizen. Whole new source of income for their constricted budgets.

If the gun was used in a crime, after whatever trial is over, they have the ability to wipe the gun clean (log the serial number as cleared). I'd have no problem owning a firearm used in a crime, same as no problem owning a nice car owned by a drug runner.

Just wonderin' about the possibilities.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Jbabbler]

I have no problems whatsoever with them making a little money off of the crap they sieze. My local gun shop sells a lot of Police Evidence guns. I picked up a confiscated Rossi 357 mag snubbie last week for $65.

She aint much to look at but she's accurate and smooth as exlax...

[msgt/ret]

I have not seen one but I did purchase a Colt Government Model .380 from a pawnshop once that had been purchased from a police auction. I would think that if they did auction firearms it would be to dealers only since I doubt a police department would have an FFL.

[Sticks]

OK, I guess some places do sell off the firearms. I was under the impression that they were destroyed as per SOP.

[QKShooter]

Posted just as an interesting FYI

Back when Ebay was still allowing most major gun part sales - There was one Police Officer that was disassembling confiscated guns and selling all the parts as a package except for the serial numbered frames & receivers.

That was NICE! & I got a few good deals....since you could pretty much buy an entire spare "parts kit" for whatever long gun or handgun he popped apart.

Sadly...those days are gone on Ebay.

[HKinNY]

I thought the OP meant about buying a Police Officer from an auction. Never mind!!! By bad.

[hogdaddy]

Yea you get Last DIBS the OFFICERS GET FIRST ;-)
H/D

[BigStick]

I too was under the impression that evidence guns were destroyed after they are no longer needed as evidence. Maybe it depends on what jurisdiction you are in and how the high ups view guns in general. You would think there should be some uniform guidlines.

[Rob P.]

Some places have laws which require that seized firearms be destroyed. Other places not so much.

Personally I'd think a couple of times about buying a handgun that had been used in a murder. Every time I would carry it, I'd be thinking "what if they ran the serial number?" Yeah, supposedly it would be cleared in the database. But, as we all know, SOME LEO are backwards and don't update their information until decades afterward.

[Stevew]

Yea you get Last DIBS the OFFICERS GET FIRST ;-)
H/D

That's the way it works here. Mostly just junk left by the time you can buy it.

[HotGuns]

I was wondering what if the LE agencies opened a gun shop in one or two major cities per state as a clearing house and sold off confiscated firearms, that for all intensive purposes are legal to own by Jane or Joe law abiding citizen. Whole new source of income for their constricted budgets

And also a conflict of interest. Do you really want cops seizing guns so that they could sell them at their own gun-shop?

We do have auctions here. Not only does the county Sheriff have an auction of confiscated weapons, but unclaimed generators, cars, trucks, saddles, just about anything that goes unclaimed for a year or so.

They usually have lots of shotguns,rifles and handguns but the reality of it is that most seized guns are either run of the mill or junk. What few nice ones there are go quickly. Lots of single shot shotguns go for anywhere from 15-60 bucks depending on condition.

Also, the DEA and the city PD have yearly auctions here. I cant bid on Sheriffs Auctions, but I once got an Auto Ordnance .45 in excellent condition for 120 bucks from the last DEA auction that I went to. I couldn't believe that it was going so low, so I bought it. The handler apologized because it didn't have a magazine with it. It proved to be an excellent shooter too. At another auction I got a pristine Colt .22 Mark 3 Trooper with a pachmyer grip that was too low to let slide. It had the 4" barrel and is another great shooter.

Most seized guns are really do look like junk. RG's, HighPoints, FIE, Rohm,some beat up and trashed Smith and Wessons, an occasional Ruger revolver that looks like it was drug behind a truck. I have yet to see a SIG or an HK.

Like any other auction, things can get stupid. I once saw two Marlin Model 60 .22 rifle with a cheesy scopes go for close to 500 bucks a peice because they had a history. It was used by two young men to murder their father in an ambush that made national news and got a lot of attention by the news media. Those guns were purchased by their Grandfather, who originally bought them in the first place. He was set on buying them back no matter what the cost was and he did.

Another was a .22 Buntline Special, a Ruger revolver used by mass murderer R.Gene Simmons to kill 14 people, 12 that were his relatives as they walked in the front door one Christmas eve. That gun went high too and was purchased by a collector.

[ak56]

I thought the OP meant about buying a Police Officer from an auction. Never mind!!! By bad.

Nah, they're too heavy and awkward to carry.

[chiefjason]

And in another interesting twist. A buddies dad just got a handgun back after it had been stolen and used in a murder. Once the trial was over they returned the gun to him. They don't all get crushed or cut.

[UncleDannie]

OK, so were would one find out who and where such gun auctions are held?

[msgt/ret]

I don't know if they ever sell firearms but here is a link to some seized property auctions.

SeizedPropertyAuctions.com - Auction Events