Will you pay more for a former police shotgun?

[bushmaster1313]

I just bought a Winchester Model 12 Riot Shotgun formerly owned by the Washington State Patrol.

I probably paid an extra $50 to $100 because of its source and markings.

Assuming that two guns were in the same condition--
would you pay extra for a shotgun because it was a former state police gun?

 

[Bobarino]

the state patrol has cost me enough money already. i'm not going to spend more for a shotty because it belonged to them.

Bobby

 

[hexidismal]

Hmm, not me. Generally I'd expect to pay less for a police trade in actually.

 

[Dope]

Same here. I'd expect them to be quite abused and garner a lesser price.

Dope

 

[Mot45acp]

I voted "less" as well. Generally poorer conditioned as well as not being maintained on a regular basis. Cause and effect maybe.

But if you collect police memorabelia (spell check I know I murdered that one) Then more power to you. I think It would be cool to have something police marked from my state. Especially Texas Ranger. I might pay more for that but, its because its what I want. Texas DPS ummmm NO.

 

[Clifford]

Only if it's got a 14" barrel

 

[gunnutery]

Haha, +1 on the 14" barrel.

I can personally attest to the police shotguns being abused. I'd offer to pay less for one. I personally check our department's shotguns about every three months or so for rust, but other than that, they don't get taken out of the rack except for annual training (and they've already aquired some feeding issues before I joined the department).

For me to vote "yes" in this poll, it'd have to be a model a really wanted and it'd have to be in perfect condition.

 

[Mal H]

No, I wouldn't.

 

[ClayInTX]

No. I’d pay less and a lot less.

 

[Deus Machina]

If it's in freshly unboxed, wall-hanging collector's condition, I would. A great piece, plus a bit of back story.

More realistically, they tend to be pretty beat up, full of crud, and rarely cleaned or lubricated. I've seen 'fairly new' police trade-ins on the rack in worse condition than four generations of hunters have done.

My friend bought a police trade-in Winchester 1200, and it had bluing worn, gouges in the receiver, had never seen solvent in the barrel, had literally about a quarter-cup of dust/unburned powder/dirt-mixed-with-oil crud in the inside, which we only found out about after the (I kid you not) the pebble inside the receiver worked into the trigger group and locked it up.

And that was the best one on the rack!

Fridge logic on the pebble problem: this had apparently come straight from a cruiser trunk or armory to the rack. What if it had been pressed into use in that shape? Bad juju.

 

[Fiv3r]

I'd pay less as well. However, to qualify that, I have found that much older 870P's are worn in and, to me, feel a lot better than what I can get fresh out of the box of a brand new Express.

I traded my relatively unfired 870E for an old 870P with no regrets. Stock needed a little work and I probably ought to change out the mag spring sooner or later, but feel and feeding...the old Police blows the Express out of the water. With minimal maintenance, my grand children should be able to wear it out in about 60 years.

 

[Fred Fuller]

No. I've bought LE trade-ins in the past, and expect to find them at lower prices because of their former agency status- not higher.

lpl

 

[CoRoMo]

I look for LE trade-ins because they are usually good deals for good, used guns. I can't justify paying a premium for them though.

 

[al123]

I would look to pay LESS since such a firearm for my purposes would be for home defense and they're used.

 

[ArmedBear]

Chances are a LE gun, by the time the agency unloads it to a surplus vendor, will have several orders of magnitude more rounds through it than a civilian equivalent. I'd expect it to be cheap.

Not talking about antiques, of course... Wouldn't keep a pristine Model 12 for HD anyway.

 

[Girodin]

I'm with those saying less. Its pretty easy to find old shotguns that have spent a life time sitting in a closet, with that in mind I certainly wouldn't pay more for a banged up police trade in.

 

[Defense Minister]

I'm swinging the whip at the already dead "less" horse, here. I would expect hard use, and possibly abuse, are included in the price on any LE trade-in.

 

[DeepSouth]

Another "I would pay less" here.
Somehow I doubt they are properly maintained.

 

[Tom D]

Well, I think it depends on the shotgun. For a more modern shotgun, I think most of the posters here are correct in that it would be worth less. But it is not always the case that PD guns are worth less. For example, several years ago a dealer acquired about 70 Model 1897 trench guns from a police dept. The PD had acquired the guns from the Govt' shortly after WWI. Some of these guns were hardly used. A gun like that, an 80 year old trench gun with provenance, is going to cost more than a like gun w/o provenance.

 

[Strahley]

No way

 

[Al LaVodka]

As stated, PD guns are often abused, not used. Police tend to be the worst shooters and that includes maintaining their guns (which is why they are routinely inspected and tested).

Unless it was an unissued gun, no, they are worth less (unless I were a collector of such guns).

AL

 

[opie4386]

now if it said " Federal beureua of investigations" then i would pay more but deff not for county/state.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

No way, unless it was a collector's item or antique.
I'm with Al. The limited experience I've had with police weapons, they've proven to be not well taken care of. I would buy a police trade in, but would expect to pay less.

 

[Rshooter]

My experience must come from shotguns owned individually by a local Mountie. I have had nothing but luck with the guns I have bought, but I bought mine before they started charging a premium.

 

[ironvic]

I'd pay a bit more if it has WSP markings, just for the coolness factor. I have an old (1970s) short barreled Remington 870 Wingmaster marked "EPD" from a Washington State LE agency. I paid considerably less than retail and it looks pristine inside. Outside, the only wear was from the patrol car shotgun rack on the trigger guard and the usual "used gun" blemishes on the finish. Even the gunsmith who checked it our remarked that the shotty was well kept and looked like a new gun inside.

I tend to prefer my guns to have character and if it's military or LE in nature, that's fine by me.