St. Louis PD to auction off $1 million worth of Tommy guns to buy new weapons (VIDEO)

In a case of recycling old for new, the St. Louis Metro Police Department wants to auction off 30 vintage Thompson submachine guns, worth an estimated $1 million, to buy new sidearms.

The guns are the remnants of up to 75 acquired by the department to equip special units fighting organized crimes and bootlegging operations during the Prohibition era.

The proceeds realized from the sale of these guns, which have largely been in storage since the 1960s, would allow the agency to purchase new sidearms, for which funding was recently cut.

“It’d be nice for nostalgia to have those in the police department forever,” said Jeff Roorda, with the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association. “But the more pressing need now is that officers have firepower that matches the firepower in the hands of the bad guys.”

The guns include 29 that are held at the city’s armory, as well as one that has been housed at the crime lab for ballistics testing. Total value of these guns is a moving target, with the collection varying widely from a pair of early 1921 Colt-made guns, each appraised at $31,000, to a World War II-era Auto-Ordinance/Savage M1 from 1942, valued at a bargain of $14,000.

Read full story here

Source: Guns.com

TF&G Staff

Recent Posts

Is it Time for an Electric Outboard?

We hear more and more about electric boats, but would an electric outboard make sense…

2 days ago

INDIANOLA FISHING MARINA ANNOUNCES 1st ANNUAL MANUFACTURERS IN WATER BOAT SHOW

Indianola Fishing Marina is proud to present the inaugural Manufacturers In-Water Boat Show, by Coastal…

2 days ago

Two New Cloned Black-Footed Clones Born

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its genetic research partners announce the birth of…

2 days ago

Designer Cats Are Roaming TX Woodlands

People are reporting seeing wild-looking cats throughout America that don't match with native wildlife. Chester…

2 days ago

Here’s How To Catch Specks & Reds In Segrass Beds

Seagrass beds are crucial ecosystems along coastal areas, especially from the Middle Coast down to…

2 days ago

Will Forward-Facing Sonar Help Produce New State Record Bass?

In the world of angling, breaking a record is the ultimate achievement. It's the pursuit…

2 days ago