Houston: Couple finds fully-automatic M16s in military surplus storage cases bought online

[O4L]

Out of 108 cases it just so happens that the one they gave a friend was full of rifles?

C'mon man!

 

[dennishoddy]

I think it was a legit mistake. The military has auctions all the time, some are boxes unopened having been in warehouses for years with the paperwork lost.
When stationed at Ft Monmouth NJ in the early 70's they had multiple warehouses with unopened crates, some from the WWII era they sold unopened at auction. Military folks had first and final bid.
Buddy and I bid on two wood crates and won that went for $100 each which was most of a months pay for us, but we sold a lot of plasma to get extra money.
Each crate had a Harly Davidson 45 courier motorcycle in them still in cosmoline.
The tires were rotted away. A guy offered us 3X what we paid for them which was a fortune for us and we took it.
Those machines would be worth a small fortune currently if we had the money to keep them at that time.
I've bid on military issue items over the years. It's online now. The best thing I bought was a trailer from 1970 that was stored at Tinker AFB. 1 1/4 ton on road capability and they put two new tires on it along with a new spare. I bought it for $175 a few years ago.
Duece and a halves were going for a couple thousand dollars with under 2000 miles on them. 5 tons for about double that.
Point is that the couple that got those M-16's got them by oversite or a mistake in the paperwork.
They did the right thing to report them as if they had shot them or attempted to sell them, their time in jail along with lawyer fee's would have negated any fun factor of owning them.

 

[AKguy1985]

Kind of reminds me of the guy in the UK that restores tanks. He found a bunch of gold bars in the fuel tank of one. He calls the police!!!!!!

https://www.thedrive.com/news/9179/man-buys-iraqi-tank-finds-2-4-million-in-gold-hidden-inside

 

[hunter966]

The reporter said the government carefully tracks all of its weapons?? Pretty sure they don’t.

 

[HFS]

Hmmm, I wonder if the point of origin for that shipment might have been somewhere deep in Afghanistan. All of those were accounted for. Right?

I wonder if the "wrong" bidder didn't win that auction.
It might have been some cartel dudes were supposed to win that auction of EMPTY boxes as part of Fast & Furious Part II.

 

[HFS]

Out of 108 cases it just so happens that the one they gave a friend was full of rifles?

C'mon man!

Just step out on the back porch, flip the safety switch as far as it will go, point the gun in the air and pull the trigger to scare off them burglars.

 

[Louro]

Probably remnants from the Fast and furious operation from the Obama administration.

 

[joegrizzy]

like many posters, you almost wonder if either this was a mistake in the wrong person winning the bid, or even just a straight up sting to see if in fact they DIDN'T report them. might have been a timely raid coming either way, good thing they notified imo.

good way for a media story too. "couple caught buying secret government fully automatic weapons of war from mom and pop online store all without license, credit card designations, etc etc etc"

just another form of potential terrorist entrapment. just think, just like this, you get these crates, sell them to customers or give them out as gifts to family/friends, etc. now you've created a terrorist cell if you didn't report. could be a VERY profitable sting.

i don't trust ANYTHING anymore that stinks. and this smells a little funny to me. i know i tend to chalk things up to malice instead of incompetence, but more often than not.....

 

[mr ed]

"We are good citizens" the wife said, adding she's now reluctant to buy military surplus equipment and fearful to run afoul of the law.

The whole purpose of the article!!!

 

[Bocephus123]

I think it was a legit mistake. The military has auctions all the time, some are boxes unopened having been in warehouses for years with the paperwork lost.
When stationed at Ft Monmouth NJ in the early 70's they had multiple warehouses with unopened crates, some from the WWII era they sold unopened at auction. Military folks had first and final bid.
Buddy and I bid on two wood crates and won that went for $100 each which was most of a months pay for us, but we sold a lot of plasma to get extra money.
Each crate had a Harly Davidson 45 courier motorcycle in them still in cosmoline.
The tires were rotted away. A guy offered us 3X what we paid for them which was a fortune for us and we took it.
Those machines would be worth a small fortune currently if we had the money to keep them at that time.
I've bid on military issue items over the years. It's online now. The best thing I bought was a trailer from 1970 that was stored at Tinker AFB. 1 1/4 ton on road capability and they put two new tires on it along with a new spare. I bought it for $175 a few years ago.
Duece and a halves were going for a couple thousand dollars with under 2000 miles on them. 5 tons for about double that.
Point is that the couple that got those M-16's got them by oversite or a mistake in the paperwork.
They did the right thing to report them as if they had shot them or attempted to sell them, their time in jail along with lawyer fee's would have negated any fun factor of owning them.

something to remember there god that would be awesome