Valuable WWII Gun at Police Buy-Back

[liberty]

Were these officers guilty of violating the spirit of the law to collect weapons to be destroyed?

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/va ... ories.html

..Valuable WWII Gun at Police Buy-Back
..By Annie Rose Ramos
.Posts .By Annie Rose Ramos | ABC News Blogs – 14 hours ago
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(Image credit: NECN)Just like a scene out of "Antiques Roadshow," a woman in Hartford, Conn., turned in an old rifle to her local police station's gun buy-back, only to discover the gun was worth anywhere from $20,000 to $25,000. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, inherited the gun from her father who had brought it home with him from Europe as a memento from World War II.

The two officers conducting the gun buy-back, who are resident gun experts for the Hartford Police Department, informed the owner she was in possession of a Nazi Assault Rifle, the first of its kind, that dates back to 1944.

The gun is called a Sturmgewehr 44, literally meaning "storm rifle," and is the first "modern assault rifle ever made, eventually replaced by the AK 47 in 1947 by Russia, who copied the German design of the Sturmgewehr 44," Officer Lewis Crabtree, one of the two officers who discovered the gun, told ABC News.

"It's like finding the Babe Ruth of baseball cards," said Officer John Cavanna. "The rarity, it was made for such a very short period."

Most people, however, who aren't avid gun fans would have no idea what role this gun played in history.

"If you were to look at the gun and didn't know anything about guns, you would think it was garbage," Crabtree said.

That is essentially what the owner thought the gun was, bringing it to the station knowing full well it would be put into a smelter, melting the gun down into an iron brick.

"People turn in guns for a variety of reasons," Cavanna told ABC. "They don't have a good way to secure it, they have kids around their home, or they don't know how to use it. This is an anonymous way for someone to take an unwanted firearm and get it off the streets. We then give them a $50 or $100 gift card to Wal-Mart."

Crabtree attributes gun accidents to ignorance and carelessness. The anonymous gun buy-back program is aimed at preventing people from running into potentially dangerous situations with a gun they don't know how to use or work.

This seems to be the reason the woman who dropped off the historic rifle.

"Her father passed away. The gun was in her closet," Cavanna said. "She did not know it was a machine gun.

"If the gun had been in the closet loaded, any second you could hit the wrong level and discharge a fatal round," he said of the Sturmgewehr 44.

This German-made machine gun can fire 500 rounds in minutes, according to Cavanna, who is also a gun range master.

At the time the officers received the gun, it was in such disrepair that it was inoperable, unable to shoot a bullet even if the gun had been loaded. Cavanna said ammunition would have to be especially made for this gun.

The unnamed owner of the gun has left the valuable artifact at the police station for safe keeping.

"We did not take the gun in for the gun buy-back program," Crabtree said. "If we took it as part of the buy-back, we would have no choice but to destroy the gun. We don't want to destroy that gun."

The owner intends to sell the Sturmgewehr 44.

"It sounds like her family could use the money," Cavanna said

[oldr_n_wsr]

"We did not take the gun in for the gun buy-back program," Crabtree said. "If we took it as part of the buy-back, we would have no choice but to destroy the gun. We don't want to destroy that gun."

Good for them.

But there are conflicting statements.
first statement

"If the gun had been in the closet loaded, any second you could hit the wrong level and discharge a fatal round," he said of the Sturmgewehr 44.

I assume he meant to type "lever"
Agreed, she didn't know the condition nor whether it was loaded or not.
but then the second statement

At the time the officers received the gun, it was in such disrepair that it was inoperable, unable to shoot a bullet even if the gun had been loaded.

I can see the concerns as I own guns, although I do not have any at my house (only a crossbow pistol). All are secured in my cousins safe and I do not know the combination although I do know where the combo is written down and it's in code. just in case

[Lord Jim]

Good for the cops.

They could have taken the rifle and sold it themselves, and no one would have been the wiser. Instead they did the right thing, and the rightful owner will now come into what is apparently some much needed money.

[liberty]

Good for the cops.

They could have taken the rifle and sold it themselves, and no one would have been the wiser. Instead they did the right thing, and the rightful owner will now come into what is apparently some much needed money.

And hopefully it will end up in a museum as a piece of history that could have been lost.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Would be cool to make it operational first. then maybe disable it

[rubato]

To my way of thinking the drawings are of more value than the artifact. And cost less to preserve.





yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

To my way of thinking the drawings are of more value

Oh good! I love a raffle with a chance to win a gun.

I bought tickets for a Policeman's Ball once and only later found out it wasn't a dance.

Meade

[oldr_n_wsr]

To my way of thinking the drawings are of more value

Oh good! I love a raffle with a chance to win a gun.

I bought tickets for a Policeman's Ball once and only later found out it wasn't a dance.

Meade

Butt you enjoyed it anyway?

[rubato]

"To my way of thinking the drawings are of more value than the artifact. And cost less to preserve."

The quote was short enough to be reproduced in its entirety without strain.

For those who care about truth.


yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

Oh but that would spoil my joke about the raffle. Your point, fascinating as it may be, was not at all to the purpose.