ST. LOUIS (AP) - A Missouri firm specializes in destroying guns seized by hundreds of police department and selling some of the parts.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (https://bit.ly/2svEFFZ ) that Gunbusters uses a machine that resembles a paper shredder on steroids to convert most of the guns to scrap metal. It provides the service to police free and makes its money from the valuable components of the firearms.
The company was founded by former St. Louis police lieutenant Raymond Reynolds, who came up with the idea after seeing how many guns his department had to destroy. Gunbusters uses a detailed process for documenting the destruction of the guns in case there are ever questions raised.
The destruction process keeps weapons from piling up in police evidence rooms and eliminates the possibility they could be displaced. When they are destroyed, a video inside the pulverizing machine records it and the serial number is recorded.
Florissant Police Chief Tim Lowery said his department has brought about 50 guns a year to Gunbusters. Hundreds of police departments, including the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have used the company’s services.
“We get a sense of satisfaction in knowing the gun was destroyed, and down the road, if it ever came up, we can prove the gun was destroyed and not have any concern about theft of those that didn’t make it into an incinerator,” Lowery said.
Two of the area’s largest police departments, St. Louis and St. Louis County police, still prefer to dispose of seized weapons in smelters.
“Our department complies with court orders that say to destroy the weapon. We get to witness the smelter completely destroy each weapon that we bring,” St. Louis County Sgt. Shawn McGuire said.
___
Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, https://www.stltoday.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.