This poor 1894 Colt.....

Shameful, just shameful.

ontarget said:

Shameful, just shameful.

Click to expand...

Indeed. I tape the light to the bottom of my revolvers.

God I saw that today and wanted to throw up. What a great old revolver that is now going to be scrapped because of some idiot criminal who should not have been out, but was released. And the flashlight on the barrel...no comment.

I thought it might be a 1917 loaded with moon clips....

SteadyD said:

Indeed. I tape the light to the bottom of my revolvers.

Click to expand...

No way, that ties up the ejector rod. What happens when it is time to reload?

I’ve seen so many guns similar to this over the 9 years I worked with evidence guns. The saddest thing is what happens to most of them.

In the sad story category---
When I first joined the Air Force I was in Security Police. We carried S&W Model 15s. The Master Sergeant I worked for in the armory in Alaska in the 70s had been stationed at Robbins AFB, Georgia prior to this.
One of his periodic duties was to witness the destruction of surplus weapons in the post-Viet Nam years. It was determined that the cost (manpower, shipping, red tape, etc.) of basses shipping their older S&W Model 15s to Robbins and having them send new surplus guns as replacements was greater than the cost of a new gun. I believe the contract cost at that time was just under $100.00 and they were received from S&W in heavy, foil lined paper envelopes.
He said that more than once he had to witness brand new Model 15s taken out of the factory sealed package, the serial numbers recorded, and the guns destroyed.

In the early 2000’s I would cringe at all the Guns for Money buyback programs my Dept was doing. We even had an open ended one for years, just walk in and get paid. Quite a few we’re not worth the $100 gift card. But when the WW2 bring backs came in like MP40’s, Lugers, Victory Models a few figured out how to save them. Well the non NFA stuff anyway. Nothing like a fully suppressed Mack 10 walking in and knowing it was going to the furnace.

wcwhitey said:

In the early 2000’s I would cringe at all the Guns for Money buyback programs my Dept was doing. We even had an open ended one for years, just walk in and get paid. Quite a few we’re not worth the $100 gift card. But when the WW2 bring backs came in like MP40’s, Lugers, Victory Models a few figured out how to save them. Well the non NFA stuff anyway. Nothing like a fully suppressed Mack 10 walking in and knowing it was going to the furnace.

Click to expand...

All those surrendered guns were dropped off at the TF to be delivered to the Bx., nothing made it to Rodmans Neck without going under the scrutiny of the gun guys, the good, the bad and the ugly! The 62 always came in with the best stuff, the 67,71,69 was usually a scrap heap like that Franklin Ave. monstrosity above! Funny how no one ever turned in anything with a magazine in it!

Regarding the Air Force destroying
brand new Model 15 Smiths, that's
nothing new for the military.

In the case of the Smiths, the company
was probably quite happy at the time
that no "surplus" 15s would appear on
the civilian market to compete with
normal production.

At the end of WWII, the U.S. destroyed
huge stockpiles of vehicles and weapons
lest they compete with the civilian market
if released as "surplus."

My brother was a Marine and helped
send many Ford trucks and uncased
.45 autos into the Pacific off the deck
of a small supply aircraft carrier.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Assuming the gun is stolen, and the rightful owner is identified, wouldn't the gun be returned after the case is closed- even if used in an attempted murder?

Click to expand...

If a life without parole or other major sentence is handed down to this mope, the potential for appeals is high as the years pass. So, evidence in those cases is often kept in storage for decades. This is in case the evidence is needed again for future hearings.

And yes, watching fine firearms being tossed into a metal bin destined for the electro-furnace at the Tamco steel mill to be made into rebar is not fun. Many years ago I had the responsibility to inventory and transport the seized guns. I saw us toss a .357 Dan Wesson Super Mag, a Wildey .475, a few Weatherby and Browning O/U’s, dozens of decent S&W, Ruger and Colt revolvers, nice autos all thrown in with a literal pile of Glocks, Lorcins, Jennings and other gangster specials. (The Wildey was used in an elderly mans suicide after his wife passed away. I was on that call myself )

Stay safe.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

View attachment 1040108
...was recovered at the scene of a shooting in NYC Tuesday. Looks like its loaded with modern .38s. Aside from the patchey spray paint and tape job, appears to be in decent condition. The amazing thing is that it was actually functional given their propensity for breaking springs!

A sad end for this classic old Colt.

Click to expand...

Damn I could use a few parts off that... My 32-20 doesnt lock up due to worn piece (the one that pops up through the frame)

The philosophy seems to be that a gun used in a crime or even just careless enough to let itself be stolen, should not be allowed back on the street for fear it will resume its bad habits.

There is a company contracting to destroy seized firearms by cutting up the receiver but in such a manner that no other parts are affected, then selling parts kits. The prices are high enough that you would nearly have to have a stripped receiver to rebuild to make it worthwhile. Or maybe to get a replacement part for something so rare as to have no other option.

TFLT said:

All those surrendered guns were dropped off at the TF to be delivered to the Bx., nothing made it to Rodmans Neck without going under the scrutiny of the gun guys, the good, the bad and the ugly! The 62 always came in with the best stuff, the 67,71,69 was usually a scrap heap like that Franklin Ave. monstrosity above! Funny how no one ever turned in anything with a magazine in it!

Click to expand...

All those 49’s the CO’s had to sign. Exactly what I was referring too!

wcwhitey said:

In the early 2000’s I would cringe at all the Guns for Money buyback programs my Dept was doing. We even had an open ended one for years, just walk in and get paid. Quite a few we’re not worth the $100 gift card. But when the WW2 bring backs came in like MP40’s, Lugers, Victory Models a few figured out how to save them. Well the non NFA stuff anyway. Nothing like a fully suppressed Mack 10 walking in and knowing it was going to the furnace.

Click to expand...

I traded some junker guns in for cash, to buy new guns, at a buy back at a church in Brooklyn. One of the guns laying on the counter where you turned them in was a SSA Colt with US marking. I asked the khaki dressed range officer if that was going to be destroyed, said no, it would be held for research purposes back at Rodman's Neck.

Saw lots of milsurps, including US WWII stuff, also a bunch of lever actions. Funny thing was, people weren't removing scopes, and there was a pile of gun cases, some of them very nice.

Word was the guns were to be melted down and turned into clothes hangers.

This is gonna turn into a thread that makes me every time I read a new post...

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Assuming the gun is stolen, and the rightful owner is identified, wouldn't the gun be returned after the case is closed- even if used in an attempted murder?

Click to expand...

It all depends on if there are criminal charges related to the firearm. Unless it’s a capital crime, once the case is adjudicated, the gun can be returned to the owner.

GunnyUSMC said:

I’ve seen so many guns similar to this over the 9 years I worked with evidence guns. The saddest thing is what happens to most of them.
View attachment 1040129 View attachment 1040130

Click to expand...

I too destroy firearms for my employer. A crying shame some of the things that have passed through my tiny hands.

EMC45 said:

A crying shame

Click to expand...

If you're like me that wouldn't be just a figure of speech in some cases.

SteadyD said:

Indeed. I tape the light to the bottom of my revolvers.

Click to expand...

You too. Works for me.

NIGHTLORD40K said:

Assuming the gun is stolen, and the rightful owner is identified, wouldn't the gun be returned after the case is closed- even if used in an attempted murder?

Click to expand...

It depends on the jurisdiction and laws in the state, county, city.
Here in Granola Land you will not get your gun back in the most “progressive” (regressive) counties, but in more conservative counties you may if the gun was stolen but not used in a crime.

Pat Riot said:

It depends on the jurisdiction and laws in the state, county, city.
Here in Granola Land you will not get your gun back in the most “progressive” (regressive) counties, but in more conservative counties you may if the gun was stolen but not used in a crime.

Click to expand...

Exactly Pat ! I been on the suck end of a gun burglary in early 1980s and found in a bust 6 months later that I set up with tips I brought. But another was found 10 years later around 1994 and I saw it in a gun store , proved it was on ATF stolen list , got the receipt for buying it and cops would not give it back without me going to small claims court and giving the new " owner" what he claimed he paid for it to an unnamed person. The hell with one way gun registration