Luger sold at gun turn in

[383 magnum]

I was surfing the Net last night and came across a TV station Web site that had a video about a gun turn-in program held by Minneapolis Police last year. When the camera panned across a table of guns, I saw, to my horror, a Luger! Police were paying $50 for revolvers and $75 for auto pistols. The sad thing is the Luger was probably turned in by some old widow who did not have a clue about its value.
This just shows how morally bankrupt some police departments are that they would bilk senior citizens out of valuable property. These gun-turn ins are nothing but scams that waste money and law enforcement resources and I have no use for any agency that sponsors them. The morons that sponsor these programs do not even use proper English, and refer to the gun turn-ins as "buybacks." You cannot buy something back that you never owned.
For once, I would like to see a reporter expose these programs for the scams that they are. Even many non-gun people would not like the idea of a senior citizen being taken advantage and persuaded to sell a valueable gun at fraction of its value in the name of "crime control." I did not get a good look at the Luger shown on the TV video, but if original, any Luger is worth about a grand these days.
On the other hand though, I chuckle whenever I hear about a gun collector turning in a bunch of junk guns and doubling his money!

[Edward Tinker]

It would seldom be the police department that is corrupt, as they follow the city / county directives.

I chuckle whenever these guys get money for their junk guns too, but do wonder if turning them in just propagates the system, as every gun turned in is a number for the politicians to use...


Ed

[383 magnum]

I realize not all cops support their bosses, but during these gun-turn ins, there is always some anti-gun chief talking about the program's success and how it saved lives.
There was a case in Florida a few years back where a gun collector cop saved a rare gun. A vet turned in a Japanese pressure-test rifle for a gift card and an officer from another department noticed the rifle in a newspaper photo and contacted the paper. The newspaper published a story about how rare the rifle was and quoted the veteran saying he had no idea the rifle was that valuable. The department returned the rifle to the vet a few days later.

[Ron Smith]

Denny Wright, the Ex Police Chief of Coburg , OR. The only town that would sponsor "Cease Fire Oregon" turn-ins, used to walk up and down the line and give free appraisals while people were waiting to get there $50 food coupon in exchange for their gun. He saved a lot of nice guns, but it's also ,in part, the reason he is now the Ex Police Chief.

[Steinar]

It's a shame that rare and historical firearms are melted down like that..

We have had simular turn-in's here in Norway also, where all non-registered firearms could be turned in without any question asked. (it's strictly forbidden to have a unlicensed firearm )
A lot more than expected came in, mostly old shotguns and various firearms from ww2.
I manage to save two Lugers that where placed 'on hold' in the police station by the previous owner. Tried to save a Stuhrmgev�«hr and a US carabine as well, but they went into the flames..

Looking at it from another side.. the weapon industry has been a horn of plenty. Shaving away some of the 'modern' firearms floating around makes sense to me.

[Lugerdoc]

When I was living in the SF Bay area, I obtained an interesting Mauser Cone hammer that a cop "saved" from destruction. A well worn, but not pitted one probably captured from the Spanish duing the SA war in the Philipines. What was most interesting, was the "Mastransa de Manila" marked holster with it with the name O.P. Hazzard stamped into the leather: he was one of the 5 Officers who lead the raid that captured Aquinaldo, the rebel leader, and was presented the broom with personalized holster. TH

[383 magnum]

Tac,
I wonder why the owners of those Lugers didn't have them deactivated? That seems like the lesser of two evils.

[Edward Tinker]

because it cost them a lot of money for the right to have each one deactivated.


nothing is as simple as it sounds; an old lady has 6 guns that her kids don't want; she doesn't want to just give them away (afraid of who might get them), she doesn't want to put an ad in the newspaper and have folks come to her house; so then she hears that she can get $50 each at a turn in downtown.

I don't like these turn in's, but I realize that many of these folks aren't screaming anti-gun folks who don't want guns, since they wouldn't have them anyway, but folks who think its easy money or the solution to their "problem".

Ed

[Pete Ebbink]

Methods used in some parts of the world outside the USA :

[Steinar]

..here is another

[Steinar]

Think juggling with them would be just as effective way of deactivation.. must be just for the 'show'.

Tac, there is wierd thing down to the right with white grips, one like it 2cm up with darker grips. Any idea what that is?

[the gunman]

At first I thought broomhandle mauser . but grip angle wrong . And it appears to have some sort of removable magazine....? Can't make out any lugers. "Thank God"

[Steinar]

Originally posted by the gunman
Can't make out any lugers. "Thank God"

yes.. that would be like watching something like this;

Link to a sad picture..
(don't klick on the link just before going to bed, it might cause nightmare)