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!
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)..