COLLECTING PD GUNS

I have a West Virginia State Police marked S&W 4566, it's the one they had right before the new Melonite finished 4566's. On the left side of the slide from front to back it has the S&W Logo,and then West Virginia State Police & the WVSP Emblem. On the front part of the right side of the slide it has West Virginia State Police & right under that it says, "85 Years of dedicated service 1919-2004. They got these in 2004, and retired them around 2011 I think. I already have one of the new WVSP Melonite finished S&W 4566's lined up. so when they change out again I'll have 2 of them. I also have a West Virginia State Police S&W M&P AR-15 that has West Virginia State Police markings along with their patch logo, and it's brand new in the case.

My buddy actually had one of the West Virginia State Police 40cal S&W Pistols they had right before they went with the 4566 that I have. It had little WVSP Badge's in the Grips, and had the West Virginia State Police on the slide as well. But he sold it without telling me :eek:, and if I knew he wanted to sell it I'd have bought it for sure, Then I'd have the last 2 WVSP Pistols, and when I get my Melonite I'd have the last 3. I'm not sure what Model the WVSP 40Cal was, but I do know it was a S&W 40Cal...


The .40 cal was a 4006 with adjustable tritium night sights. Mine is a fantastic example. The DA trigger is great and the SA trigger breaks like a 1911 trigger.

Wish I could have hung on to my 85th anniversary 4566 when I left the department. It was superb pistol as well.

 
I believe departmental purchases may sign a contract that they cannot sell the guns which were purchased through this contract. I know glock can sell you bottom dollar without taxes.

I would want to see the contract. Otherwise, it might be just someone telling you about some unwritten policy that the person or an elected boss politician wishes were binding.

Further, I would want to know how you are bound to follow a contract you did not sign.

Finally, I would want it explained to me how a completed gift to a retiring deputy somehow reverts back to department or county property if the deputy, its lawful owner, sells it or trades it legally to someone else. And, what if the deputy gifts it to his son? Or dies, leaving it to his widow? Are these people now suddenly in the possession of stolen property or contraband subject to confiscation?

I mean, do these thugs have even a rudimentary knowledge of basic concepts of law that any person would know?

It seems to me that if the deputy signed something agreeing not to sell it, the "SO" has remedies against the retired deputy perhaps, but certainly not against a bona fide purchaser who had no knowledge of a purported agreement that the bona fide purchaser did not sign. Or an unknowing dealer who took it in on trade.

And, that bit about how the thug came and said you will take back one gun, and sell the guy a new model selected by the SO - that is really rich!

I suspect what is really going on here is that someone let the guns go, and when it was discovered by the politicians that county marked guns were on the streets, and thinking of possible bad press for the politician, people were told to get the gun or guns back or heads will roll.

In the end, the buyer with the week-long NICS background check got a good deal - a brand new gun instead of used one marked with the logo of the county reeve and his band of merries. Good show for him.

Of course, I may come across as cynical or suspicious, but the whole scene stinks, if you will pardon the movie quote, "like a whore house at low tide."
 
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I saw the whole deal unravel in front of my eyes. The buyer was happy in that he got a new gun for the price of a used one, & the store was happy because we turned 1 sale into 2 sales. That's all that matters. But we will no longer buy Palm Beach County PD marked guns from anybody, unless the county sells them to us, & I'm sure as part of the sale, the crest would have to be removed. GARY
 
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Any guns we get from PD's that have identifying crests, must be removed. GARY

Is removal of the crests something your store has decided to do? I have not found any law in any state that prohibits "marked" guns. There may be some depts. that give the officers their duty gun, and may have a "contract" that prohibits the LEO from selling it for a period of time, but eventually old age will get us all. I had a few Palm Beach guns that were very nice, they were purchased from a wholesaler not an individual. I would be very interested if you know of any "laws", not just SO statements. They may prefer that deputies did not sell them, but if it was illegal for someone to have a PBSO marked gun, it seems highly unlikely that they would have given it back to the purchaser. They also could not compel the purchaser to sell/give back legal items. As for doing business in "their" "county", they would have a lawsuit for harassment. Many depts, have "policies" that are not based on laws, but just, incorrect info repeated over and over. Be Safe,
 
While I'm sure there was no law compelling us to retrieve the gun, management decided to play nice & do what they asked. By doing so, maybe the next time they want to get rid of a few hundred pieces, they will sell them to us. Nothing wrong with that. GARY
 
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Well, it's been awhile since I visted this thread, but I made a new acquisition today, and thought I'd share. Here is a West Virginia State Police issue Smith and Wesson 686 no dash. I think that it was the last revolver that was issued by the department before switching to the S&W semiautos.

 
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Very nice find!

I do believe you mean 686 though, as the 696 was a 5 shot .44 Special.
 
Here is a Police revolver that has definitely been carried! I know, because I carried it. It was my first issue revolver, back in 1975, when I was first sworn in. It is a model 66 no dash. I traded the issue stocks to a guy with a model 10 and put his on my gun. I always carried it with an aluminum finish Tyler T grip, which I have but have mislaid somewhere. This is the revolver that I wore when I was working in uniform, below.



Below is the model 66 no dash 2 1/2" model 66 no dash that I was issued for plainclothes assignments. Both these guns were new in the box when issued. I'm the only one who ever carried either one of them. This one was also carried with a Tyler T grip. I still have the original boxes as well!! When our Department went to Glocks, we were allowed to buy our issue guns for whatever Glock was willing to give us on trade. I think that I paid about $375 total for both of these. But they are priceless to me.



When I retired, they presented me with my Glock 23. But probably no one wants to see a picture of it. Not very photogenic, although a very fine handgun.
 
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I've been collecting police-marked guns for years, I'm fortunate to be close to a major police supplier that gets in a LOT of trade-ins. I've never verified it, but since the vast majority are Smiths I'm thinking that extra rollmarks were a factory option on police contracts.

It's a dying practice unfortunately.

I have guns that were personally marked with officer's names and agency badge, but that's getting rarer. Nowadays they are not marked at all or have a control number of some sort. For example, my latest purchase is a 4043 from the TABC, the dust cover has the number "14537" rollmarked in it. (why they just do not use the original serial# is beyond me) No mention of agency name though.

My prize is a 4506 marked with a badge, officer #, and "Tulsa PD". I tell friends they went with the 4506 just to have the room on the slide. For that matter, other agencies used to mark guns as well. I have a Mdl 66 marked "Austin Parks and Recreation Dept" on a metal plate glued inside the the grip. (dog catcher I guess)

Don't pass up the long guns too, I have an 870 riot gun marked in no less than 5 places with "Brazoria County Sheriff's Dept #33".

It gets addicting.
Austin Park Police.
 
Kentucky State Police Model 1076

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SW_1076_2.jpg
 
Over 4 years since the last post just to throw it out i have an extra s&w 681 with the ohio state highway patrol logo on the side plate would trade towards for a 3 or 4 inch 625 if any one is interested thanks
 
I have a few of them.

The only one that I have not been able to nail down. Insofar as what agency that it was issued to. It is a S&W model 67 no dash 4". It is stamped CCSCPD.

I am guessing that it was issued to some outfit in South Carolina maybe. Anybody have a make on this? It is actually my current carry piece.
 

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