www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,255058,00.html

Cash-Strapped Michigan Sheriff's Department Auctioning Machine Gun
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Associated Press

LAPEER, Mich. —  For sale: Collector quality, fully automatic M-16 in excellent condition. Never fired outside shooting range.

Buyer must have machine gun permit and have no criminal record. And deep pockets.

Strapped for cash, the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department is selling the original Colt rifle on its Web site to purchase new guns and other equipment for its 82 deputies. The office hasn't received a budget increase in six years, and Undersheriff Robert Rapson said the gun might fetch as much as $1,700 by the time bidding closes May 1.

"We are a small county and we need to take advantage of this," Rapson told the Detroit Free Press for a story published Tuesday. "We've had to cut to the bone for a long time."

The department purchased the weapon, which is capable of firing 700 rounds per minute, for $500 in the 1970s for use in emergencies such as hostage situations. Last fall, the department sold off its arsenal of five AR-15 automatic rifles.

A 1986 federal law banned the sale of new automatic weapons but allowed those already in circulation to be sold.

"The fact that a law enforcement agency is selling a dangerous weapon is appalling," said Shikha Hamilton, president of the Michigan chapter of the Million Mom March, a gun control group.

$1700?

Must be a post sample.

The Sheriff's Department hopes to get $1,700 for the M16 (purchased for $500 in the 1970's, so it's not a post-sample)!  I'd give them twice that.

Shikha Hamilton, president of the Michigan chapter of the Million Mom March, is appalled "that a law enforcement agency is selling a dangerous weapon."

Wow, 5 AR15's makes an arsenal!

$1700  forgot a 0?

Quoted: $1700? Must be a post sample.

No it says it's transferable.

Yeah, it's a typo.  I have seen other links to this report that said $17,000

I always wondered about the 86 law. It prevents transfers except to or BY a government agency. So theoretically a Post Sample could legally be transfered BY an agency to an individual...

Quoted: I always wondered about the 86 law. It prevents transfers except to or BY a government agency. So theoretically a Post Sample could legally be transfered BY an agency to an individual...

Huh, what?

That is a pre-86 MG.

It also depends how exactly the .gov registered it.

Quoted: I always wondered about the 86 law. It prevents transfers except to or BY a government agency. So theoretically a Post Sample could legally be transfered BY an agency to an individual...

NO... no it couldn't.

I think you are referring to the '89 import ban on "assuault rifles," not machineguns.  A machinegun is either transferable or not.... noithing can make a non-transferable mg transferable.  In this case, the mg is already transferable... it is just currently posessed by a police ddept.

I know of at least one dept around my neck of the woods who did the same thing a few years back. The dealt with a class3 dealer and didn't advertise so it was not widely known. I think this was largely due to the fact that MG's are not legal for individuals here in the first place. It worked out well for them and put a few more precious transferables back into circulation.

Quoted: Quoted: I always wondered about the 86 law. It prevents transfers except to or BY a government agency. So theoretically a Post Sample could legally be transfered BY an agency to an individual... NO... no it couldn't. I think you are referring to the '89 import ban on "assuault rifles," not machineguns.  A machinegun is either transferable or not.... noithing can make a non-transferable mg transferable.  In this case, the mg is already transferable... it is just currently posessed by a police ddept.

'89 ban - importation of "non-sporting" firearms
'94 ban - "assault weapons" ban.  Before this, the term "assault weapon" did not officially exist

Assault rifle is a legit term that has been around since WWII.  The term applies to select-fire rifles/carbines, such as M-16, AK-47.

Quoted: Quoted: I always wondered about the 86 law. It prevents transfers except to or BY a government agency. So theoretically a Post Sample could legally be transfered BY an agency to an individual... NO... no it couldn't. I think you are referring to the '89 import ban on "assuault rifles," not machineguns.  A machinegun is either transferable or not.... noithing can make a non-transferable mg transferable.  In this case, the mg is already transferable... it is just currently posessed by a police ddept.

I didn't find it on ATF's site with a quick look, but the law as written says post-samples are only transferable By or To a government agency. I'm sure they meant "to" only, but a transfer BY an agency is also legal, theoretically. I don't have it in front of me though.


And yeah, I know this one is transferable. As I said, I was wondering idly about the law and whether an agency could transfer out.

Laper is mostly a rural conservative county.  This only surprises me cause the bordering counties are very "blue"...