Special statement from GunBroker.com regarding the Zimmerman listing

[Miles Archer]

http://www.gunbroker.com/User/Announce.aspx

Late last night, George Zimmerman created a listing on our web site for the gun from the Trayvon Martin case four years ago. Mr. Zimmerman alerted news organizations that began reporting on the listing first thing this morning.

Listings on the GunBroker.com web site are user-generated, exactly like social media posts. Mr. Zimmerman never contacted anyone at GunBroker.com prior to or after the listing was created and no one at GunBroker.com has any relationship with Zimmerman. Our site rules state that we reserve the right to reject listings at our sole discretion, and have done so with the Zimmerman listing.

We want no part in the listing on our web site or in any of the publicity it is receiving.

GunBroker.com prides itself in being a safe and legal way to buy and sell firearms online in full compliance with all Federal, State, and local laws. GunBroker.com proudly supports the Second Amendment rights of the American public.

[gejohnston]

1. I still say

he needs therapy and whatever tests can be done to detect and treat physical damage to the brain. I seriously don't think it has the historical significance that he thinks it does.
It isn't the M-1 owned by JFK, or even the .25 Colt owned by Jerry Garcia.
Meanwhile, a pistol once part of Sammy Davis Jr.'s collection landed up in a LAPD "buy back".

[Straw Man]

5. Celebrity guns.

It isn't the M-1 owned by JFK, or even the .25 Colt owned by Jerry Garcia.

I'd love to have Jerry Garcia's .25 Colt. JFK's M1 Garand sold for $149,500 last year.

I have a small collection of historic firearms, mostly from the WWII and Cold War eras, but I never really succumbed to the lure of "celebrity" guns: too rich for my blood. The one that does pique my interest is Nelson Mandela's Makarov pistol, which has yet to be found.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/16/nelson-mandela-pistol-dispute-money

I have no interest in a Kel-Tec pistol owned by George Zimmerman. None whatsoever.

[jmg257]

2. New auction link...great fun with fake bidders!

https://www.unitedgungroup.com/auction/detail/auction/9/slug/george-zimmerman-s-gun-used-2-26-12

[Straw Man]

3. Here's the thing.

I've never heard of "United Gun Group," and I spend a fair amount of time looking on the Internet for deals on collectible guns. Every auction site I've used requires the user to register a credit card and check a box acknowledging that bids are legally binding contracts. Either somebody's pulling our collective chains, or some poor joker is going to be on the hook for a lot of money when and if this thing ever closes.

[gejohnston]

4. $64 million for Zimmerman's Kel Tec?

Sammy Davis Jr.'s 1911 maybe.
http://time.com/4327614/sammy-davis-jr-pistol/

the bidders are probably trolls.

https://www.unitedgungroup.com/

[CompanyFirstSergeant]

8. "Davis’ vintage, .45-caliber pistol was from 1911"

Was his particular handgun from 1911?

Or was it a Model 1911?

Don't you love writers who know nothing about what they write about?

[gejohnston]

12. the LA Times photo shows

him holding the latter.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sammy-davis-jr-pistol-gun-buyback-20160511-story.html

Either way, if LAPD were to put it up for auction, I would bid on it before I would even think about the Kel Tek mentioned in the OP, or any Kel Tek for that matter.

[melm00se]

11. The domain name is

less than 6 months old and the registrant is:

Todd Underwood
Performance Firearms Limited
Blue Springs, Missouri


the address listed in the registration is a single family dwelling

one article contains the following statement:

But United Gun Group put out a statement Thursday night, saying the gun will not be sold on its site.

"As an organization, we stand by the rule of law and, while no laws have been broken, we do not feel like it is in the best interest of the organization to continue to host this sale on our platform," it said.

"Our mission is to esteem the 2nd amendment and provide a safe and secure platform for firearms enthusiasts and law-abiding citizens; our association with Mr. Zimmerman does not help us achieve that objective."

Source

[Miles Archer]

9. Reuters just ran this...

Bids soar for gun used to kill Trayvon Martin, with some likely bogus

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-guns-zimmerman-idUSKCN0Y41UK

Bidding in an online auction for the pistol George Zimmerman used in the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin topped $65 million on Friday, though the amount appeared to be inflated by fake buyers with names such as "Racist McShootFace."

Zimmerman drew wide criticism on Thursday after announcing the sale of the gun, a Kel-Tec PF9 9mm, which the former neighborhood watch volunteer described in the auction listing as "an American Firearm Icon" that he used to defend his life and "end the brutal attack" from Martin four years ago.

On Friday morning, bidders in the auction on the United Gun Group's website included "shaniqua bonifa" and "Tamir Rice," the same name as the 12-year-old black boy shot dead by a white police officer in Cleveland in 2014.

USA Today reported that the bid by "Racist McShootFace" was later deleted.

[jmg257]

10. Thanks! Here's the bid history..looks like lots of new members, but some are legit people.

Not sure why they (ANYone) would bid $290K though???

Craig Bryant $65,039,000.00 May 13, 2016 3:19 PM CDT
Brez Morrell $485,000.00 May 13, 2016 8:41 AM CDT
Tamir Rice $430,000.00 May 13, 2016 8:34 AM CDT
Tamir Rice $415,000.00 May 13, 2016 8:32 AM CDT
Ali Safaoui $290,000.00 May 13, 2016 8:25 AM CDT
Jonathan Pollock $280,000.00 May 13, 2016 8:24 AM CDT
Russ Cranford $270,300.00 May 13, 2016 8:22 AM CDT
Russ Cranford $265,300.00 May 13, 2016 8:22 AM CDT
Russ Cranford $260,300.00 May 13, 2016 8:22 AM CDT
Russ Cranford $255,300.00 May 13, 2016 8:21 AM CDT
Russ Cranford $250,300.00 May 13, 2016 8:21 AM CDT
Russ Cranford $245,200.00 May 13, 2016 8:20 AM CDT
Russ Cranford $245,100.00 May 13, 2016 8:19 AM CDT
Johnathan Blanks $240,000.00 May 13, 2016 8:18 AM CDT
joe doe $230,000.00 May 13, 2016 8:14 AM CDT
joe doe $227,222.00 May 13, 2016 8:14 AM CDT
shaniqua bonifa $205,085.00 May 13, 2016 8:09 AM CDT
shaniqua bonifa $195,085.00 May 13, 2016 8:07 AM CDT
shaniqua bonifa $190,085.00 May 13, 2016 8:06 AM CDT
shaniqua bonifa $169,021.00 May 13, 2016 8:02 AM CDT

[CompanyFirstSergeant]

13. It looks like Russ

Bid against his own bid 5 times.

[gejohnston]

14. the same guy that collects Clerkes and RGs.

or someone clicked on the wrong gun. Could also be someone who mistook him for George O. Zimmerman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_O._Zimmerman

[CompanyFirstSergeant]

6. It jumped from...

486 thousand...

to 65 million. ...

in one bid....

I doubt he gets what he paid for it, which for a Kel-Tec is too much, no matter what the price.

Edit: dropped from the 2nd site, 65 million bid declared bogus.

[CompanyFirstSergeant]

7. It's a piece of crap.

The gun, not ZImmerman.

Well he's a piece of crap too, but...

Oh, just watch the movie....


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