NM: Sante Fe Destroys Hundreds of Valuable Guns

Gun Watch ^ | 17 June, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Some of the Firearms Destroyed in Santa Fe, NM

One of the oddest parts of the political desire to disarm Americans is the push to destroy valuable property for propaganda purposes.   In Santa Fe, New Mexico, tens of thousands of dollars of valuable property was destroyed purely for propaganda.  Even in the old Soviet Union, which was no slouch when it came to disarming its people, the guns that were collected were not wantonly destroyed.   They were cared for, refurbished, sold to renew state resources, or used to defend the state from its enemies.  No doubt many were redistributed to reliable Party members and officials.

The Soviets understood that weapons were valuable, and they had no desire to destroy valuable assets for no reason.  Even obsolete revolvers manufactured for the Czar before World War I were reconditioned in state armories for potential future use.  I own one of them that was sold as surplus in the 1990's. The lack of weapons in time of need was burned into the Soviet brain from their experiences during World War I, the revolution, and World War II.

But in the United States, those who wish to disarm the people insist on destroying valuable property, as if the property itself contained some kind of evil spirit.   It is a sort of weird animism.  From  krqe.com:

SANTA FE (KRQE) - They were trying to help the city by taking unwanted guns off the streets, but police quickly realized getting rid of two tons of guns safely, isn’t so easy. It took one New Mexico city a year to figure out how to do it and they took an interesting approach.

 When police sell confiscated firearms, they usually bring about $100 each at auction to federally licensed dealers, where they are re-sold through the current commercial system, complete with background checks.  Santa Fe destroyed over 600 firearms, about $60,000 dollars worth of property.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but that’s not in the case for about 600 unwanted guns in Santa Fe. They met their demise when a bulldozer rolled over them Wednesday morning at a landfill.

“We had a challenge in disposing of these guns, we wanted to make sure that they were thoroughly destructed so that you couldn’t put any pieces together, couldn’t be reconstructed in any way,” explained Celina Espinoza, spokesperson for the Santa Fe Police Department.

Anyone who understands basic economics knows that when you reduce supply from one source, it increases demand on remaining sources.  As confiscated guns would be sold to those who can legally buy new guns, the destruction of old guns only increases the demand for new guns, benefiting gun manufacturers.

The police were not entirely idiotic in this policy: They cherry picked the firearms and found about 15 percent to go to museums and the State Crime Lab.

Fifty antique guns from the buyback were donated to the New Mexico Military Museum. Another 50 unique guns went to the State Crime Lab to help in any ballistic investigations.

Academics have found these sorts of programs to be ineffective in reducing crime.   Several states have outlawed the practice of police destruction of guns as a waste of valuable resources.

Here is a detailed image of some of the pistols that were collected:

There are some obviously valuable firearms in the picture.   The Colt and Smith & Wesson revolvers in the center bottom are worth hundreds of dollars each.  The Ruger pistol, lower center right, is worth $400-$500.

Of particular interest is a pistol in the image below.  At first glance it appears to be a semi-automatic.  Closer examination reveals that it is likely a homemade pistol.

In this shot it is center right, wood grips, multipart trigger guard with what appears to be a aluminum "grip safety" in the back.  The "grip safety" is probably just a filler for the grip.   I suspect that the pistol was made on the "sandwich" system, where the frame is constructed of several layers, usually at least three, that are then bolted together.  It is one of many methods whereby firearms are easily made at home with simple tools.  It will likely be supplanted by 3-D printers as the technology becomes more available.    Homemade guns become more common when factory guns are harder to come by.  At one point it was estimated that 20 percent of the guns confiscated in Washington, D.C., were homemade.

The comments on the krqe.com article show significant skepticism that the valuable guns were all destroyed.  Commenter Sharon Ostberg writes:

Yes, those were just the ones that were not wanted by Santa Fe' cops for their very own, or deemed fit for use as throw-downs by the NM Law Enforcement Favor Bank, lol.

Another commenter makes the obvious observation about resource conservation.  Old_Military_Guy writes:

This could have been a good plan if properly done. Sell the usable guns, sell the rest as scrap, use the money for something good.

 A supporter of the program explains some of the motivation for the destruction.  From  Tony C:

This makes the NRA lemmingaide drinkers sad - which makes ME happy.

   Private buyers often compete with those who organize these gun turn in events.  In the case of Santa Fe, the police used intimidation to prevent legal private sales:

“They essentially cut off gun collectors from being able to save these neat old guns,” said one Santa Fean who declined to give his name. “To see them get cut up makes me sick to my stomach.”

 In some places the guns are sold to raise money for charities.

 ©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

All for promoting the message: Guns are bad and should be turned in to the police.

[CPT Clay]

The City different!

[Organic Panic]

The gun manufacturing industry isn’t concerned.

[Scrambler Bob]

Can I 3-D print a firearm cheap enough to make money on one of these buy-backs?

Do they even check if it works?

[Disambiguator]

Santa Fe is basically Berkeley at 7000’ elevation and lots of turquoise jewelry for the locals to strut around in.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Hm! That looks like the gun I sold to Ross Sporting Goods in Farmington NM back in 1974! I was low on cash!

Meanwhile, here in this county in Arkansas, they destroy confiscated guns. I saw some beauties cut up with a torch. Made me want to cry! COLT Gold Cup-torched. Beautiful hammerless S&W-torched!

Meanwhile, In the county West of here in Oklahoma, they sell confiscated guns at public auction. The guns sell for near new prices, even non working guns go HIGH, HIGH, HIGH!

[SkyDancer]

And they’ll be the ones yelling for help with the SHTF from the illegals 0bama let loose in their state.

[Constitution Day]

WTFIIWNM?

[corlorde]

All for promoting the message: Guns are bad and should be turned in to the police...

...and that the only one's who should be "allowed" to own/carry, are our overlords, who rule over us, and make decisions for us and the common good.

[Hot Tabasco]

Can I 3-D print a firearm cheap enough to make money on one of these buy-backs?

"Sir, how did you happen to come across 1,000 identical handguns?"

LOL! Brilliant idea.....

[BCR #226]

Actually, some of us are concerned. ATF has destroyed some one of a kind pieces that were technological marvels and the designs are now lost.

It’s like the Cash for Clunkers BS... destroy destroy destroy with no thought to the value of what they are destroying or the potential loss for the future.

[Ray76]

Unarmed people are easier to kill. Killing the unarmed is a NM specialty.

[LouAvul]

The police were not entirely idiotic in this policy: They cherry picked the firearms and found about 15 percent to go to museums and the State Crime Lab.

What? No mention of the scores of truly mint firearms that found their way into the corrupt Jack Boot Thugs' private collections? I wouldn't doubt that the whole scheme originates solely for that purpose in the first place. Cops.

[lurk]

Stuck on stupid

[TigersEye]

Destroying guns in Fanta Se NM is like paddling out to the middle of the Pacific Ocean and trying to empty it with a bucket.

[Trod Upon]

Leftists.

[MHGinTN]

Bezerkley in New Mexico. How quaint.

[Bikkuri]

Back in the late ‘80s, I observed (physically) our local County Sheriff’s Office place about 1000+ firearms in a pit, along with (oilfield) directional perforators and other odd dangerous items.. Blew them all up :p
The collection also had Tommy-guns, which my friend said were “extremely illegal” :O and HAD TO BE destroyed :p

They used a small device a little about the size of a mini-maglight with a pull ring (used a 12 gauge primer) to start the primacord (fuse).. and we had about 5 minutes to get to cover (about 3/4 mile away).

The explosion was... hmm, no way to describe it, except that it actually put a hole in the clouds above us O.O

I remember standing there with my jaw dropped to the ground.. then my friend told me to find cover.. I turned around, and everyone else was under their cars, lol.. so, I went to the nearest pickup and crawled under.. not 15 seconds later, the perforators started falling all around (1 hit my car on top and left about 1/2 inch dent (and set the alarm off). I remember ‘seeing’ the blast wave coming, and I was amazed.. then the “punch” of the explosion.

Looking back, I had NO idea of the consequences of what it was leading up to (like today)... and I was furious back then that the weapons, some were VERY nice, were being destroyed :/ I, back then, had a nice collection myself (3 handguns, 11 rifles and 2 shotguns). (This was in Texas).

Today, every-time I read one of these stories, I want to shoot the people involved myself (I can’t even own a pocketknife here in Japan... I miss having my guns, and probably will be the first thing I would purchase if/when I go back to the states (if possible.. day-by-day, seems less likely possible :( )

Still, have to admit, the explosion left me speachless (also left a 15 foot crater)..