Posted on 07/23/2014 12:07:26 PM PDT by marktwain
The Billings Montana Police Department and Yellowstone County Sheriff's department are going to auction off a number of guns on Saturday, August 2nd, from 9 a.m. to noon. The stated reason for the auction is the law passed in Montana that requires such assets to be sold to federal firearms dealers (Montana code 46-5-313) rather than be destroyed. These pictures give us an idea of the assets that are being saved by laws such as these. Each picture is one lot of guns. The guns will be auctioned off in lots. Notice the minty looking Springfield 1903 in the center. Original 1903 Springfields in that condition are difficult to find. They are almost never used in crimes.
The lots are of five guns each, with two lots containing six handguns and another two containing four handguns. There are nine lots of handguns and six lots of long guns. The lots appear to have been judiciously mixed to include expensive and inexpensive guns. A number of the bolt action rifles appear to be missing bolts.
Here is one of the handgun lots:
I wouldn’t assume the liability of selling some of those junkers.
MT law - GOOD!
Billings PD - effin’ stupid on that black powder rifle since it doesn’t require an FFL to sell it or a 4473 to buy it. The 1903A3 qualifies under Curio and Relic status (I think) so that kind of license should be able to acquire it rather than having it mixed in the modern firearm lot. I saw a couple of others that likely qualify for C&R, too.
RE Junkers:
They’re good for apprentice gunsmiths to work on and learn, at the very least. Also, with a little TLC, some of them can be made into fine weekend range buddies.
Either way, it’s good that they’re not getting destroyed. The one Lot (#9) has a Browning Hi-Power in it, and it’s worth more than the other four together in the same lot.
Lot 5 has a nice Desert Eagle.
There’s a couple nice Smith N frames, and the Colt Police Positive in the last lot is in very nice condition for a 20’s-30’s vintage gun.
Look at the last lot of four pistols.
One Colt on the rug. Looks pretty good.
One Ruger MKI, I think. In parts.
One Smith & Wesson New Frontier (top break) missing grips. Quite the collectors gun.
One Hi-Point, looks functional.
For the most part, lawbreakers don’t appear to use very good guns. Lots of Jennings in those lots.
TC
We really do not know how the PD and Sheriff acquired these guns. A lot of people simply turn in guns from estates into police.
A fair number of men are accused of Domestic Violence, and give up their guns.
Some may have been from game violations.
Over half are inexpensive guns, but over a third are of decent quality. Even Hi-Points can kill a big bear.
http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2014/07/ak-man-kills-9-foot-bear-with-45.html
I just love old guns. I’d have a ball with all of them.
Love working on them, shooting them, teaching new shooters and giving them a chance to shoot both old and new stuff.
marktwain, you mentioned the disassembled Ruger MkI ... I had to laugh when I saw it - someone took it apart and probably couldn’t figure out how to get it back together! Ha!! I have a really early model MkI and it is a PIA to put together... but man, it is a TACK DRIVER.
The Colt is indeed a beauty. And I REALLY want that Browning Hi-Power in Lot 9...
There’s a couple of Baby Colt 1911s in lot 13 and 14; don’t know if they’re Mustang .380ACPs or not. But they’re still nice as well.
The Saiga in lot 5 is decent too.
Damn... I’d take them all...
Might be a good thing to send that Police Department a letter, thanking them for not destroying those guns. Appreciation goes a long way.
I’m sure they’re getting hate mail from leftards over this.
Would be good to let them know there’s still Americans out here who appreciate when somebody does the right thing.
You’re not kidding about the Ruger being a pain.
The 2” Smith Model 10 in lot 3 is nice too.
RE a Pain:
Haha!! Oh, yes... the first time I ever took that thing apart, I suddenly realized I could swear in German, Macedonian, Swahili, Lower Eastern Urdu, Southern Catalonian, and North Philly-ese...
It was one of my very first firearms, and was a hand-down from family. I still love to shoot it, and my early Ruger 10/22 as well.
And those old Smith revolvers are rock-crusher reliable and legendary.
“The 2” Smith Model 10 in lot 3 is nice too.”
My guess is a J frame model 36.
That little .32 Saf-T-Hammerless under the Desert Eagle is a nice little collectible too.
“You’re not kidding about the Ruger being a pain.”
Oh, come on. If you have the factory directions, have excellent reading comprehension, and follow directions precisely and well, it is not that terrible.... ;-).
I still have to reference the directions to remember the exact angle that you have to hold it upside down while inserting critical parts....
2" Model 10, the shape of the top strap and grip frame is the give away. Plus, the spacing of the cylinder flutes for a 6 versus 5 shot.
Not so much, it's an Iver Johnson, they made a bazillion of them.
Good eye.
Yeah, I know... but I like it :^), and as time goes by and they get older, well, I’ll like it even more!! ha!
Like I said... I’m a sucker for old guns. LOVE the 1880s/1890s vintage stuff too.
Had a couple of Krag rifles years ago - one of them a real carbine (not a faked cut down), and I sold them, unfortunately, not realizing how valuable they’d be.
Got a bunch of nice vintage and modern stuff now... but there’s still some toys I’d love to get.
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