Antonio Giner, a neighbor of the Murcian town of Lorca, took the car on Monday and stood in the Moralzarzal bullring (12,700 inhabitants) to see if he could get hold of a shotgun in the last weapons auction that the Civil Guard.
Giner, at 62, knew very well what he was looking for, a parallel shotgun from three Spanish-made brands, for which he would have to pay about 1,000 euros.
The rest did not interest him.
In great detail, he looked at only a few specimens and dismissed the rest.
Like him, dozens and dozens of people approached the bullring on Monday, which was literally taken over by civil guards, because it hosts the largest arms auction in recent years, with 5,316 (1,562 pistols and revolvers along with 3,754 shotguns, carbines, rifles and crossbows). And the last one, because a reform in the Arms Regulations of November 2020 prohibits from next January 1 that they are held.
The specimens that go up for auction come from hunters or athletes who practice Olympic shooting. None have been involved in a crime, since those are destroyed directly after the mandatory court order. When the owner of the weapon dies, is no longer interested in the weapon, buys another or loses the license, they are deposited with the Civil Guard Intervention. If they have not been recovered within six months, they go up for auction. The owner sets the minimum price and from there it can go up a lot.
The earliest this Monday were collectors and gunsmiths, in search of specimens at an affordable cost and that from January it will be much more difficult to obtain. There was also no lack of police and military hunting for pistols or revolvers at a good price. One of the ones that attracted the most attention was a Glock 19, manufactured in Austria and one of the most accurate on the market, whose starting price is only 25 euros. Its cost of new on the market exceeds 600. "It is bleeding," said a young man while checking the slide and the condition of the barrel. In the same row of handguns there were quite a few historical ones, like the Luger used by the Nazi army in World War II or a Smith & Wesson revolver similar to that of Dirty Harry.Historical weapons from Spanish companies of already very rare calibers such as the short 9 and long 9 also stood out.
Three million euros
The auction will be open in the morning until next Friday. Before entering, it is necessary to go through a metal detector and show the face without a mask so that it is recorded by a security camera. The entire enclosure has extreme surveillance and an outstanding alarm and sensor system. Visitors can pick up the long guns, open them to view the barrels, and even shoulder them to simulate a shot. The noise of the sliders and locks yesterday was incessant. On the contrary, the short ones are caught with a security steel cable and cannot be removed from it to avoid theft. Each weapon is labeled with the batch number, its starting price, the manufacturer, the caliber, and if there are any faults. The biggest barbarity of the auction is among the long guns.The owner of a rifle of the Santa Bárbara brand, of Spanish manufacture and caliber 7 mm RM, has valued it at three million euros, when its real price is about 1,000 euros. "When they put that price, it is because the owner does not want anyone to have it and prefers to destroy it," explain sources from the Civil Guard.
Those interested in getting a gun have to submit a bid, for at least one euro more than the starting price. After registering in the so-called Third Party Registry of the Public Treasury, they must deposit 25% of their offer, as explained by the captain of the Madrid Weapons Intervention, José Manuel López Luque. Next Monday, the bids of the 5,316 lots will be opened and they will be assigned to those that have offered the greatest quantity. That amount will be paid to the owner of the weapon. The rest will be returned the amount deposited. “Experience tells us that 80% of the weapons will remain without bidding, so they will go directly to the foundry. They will be used to make beams ”, explains the captain.
Experienced hobbyists know the details to look for to make a good purchase. This is the case of Julián Alonso, a 71-year-old resident of Corral de Almaguer (Toledo), who went to the auction yesterday in search of a 30-06 caliber semiautomatic rifle. "As it is an ammunition that is manufactured in Spain and in Europe, I guarantee that there are no supply problems, as is already the case in other calibers," says this experienced hunter. He was looking at the outward appearance of the weapon, whether it had bumps, the rust marks and the chrome plating and the barrel output. "If they are worn, it means that it has been widely used and does not matter," explained Alonso. Another detail is the metallic noise of the shotguns closing. “I have seen two rifles that I liked from the Browning brand and they cost 800 euros.I will raise about 100 or 200 euros and if I take them, fine. I love them more than anything because in my years I have gone to hunting bigger [wild boar and deer, among other species] and I have left the smaller one [partridge or rabbit]. I'm ready to sit down and not walk so much, "he commented with a certain smile.
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