Another huge gun collection seized in California

[TurkeysGhost]

Is it picture distortion, or is that actually a really big single-shot hand gun in the foreground?

Looks to be a Thompson Center Encore, which is chambered in .308 winchester (traditionally a rifle cartridge). Looks like Thompson Center makes both a single shot rifle and pistol version using the same design. Its the same gun, just with our without a shoulder stock.

That thing must kick like a mule when fired. These are bought for pistol hunting or simply for novelty factor.

https://www.tcarms.com/firearms/interchangeable-platforms/encore-pro-hunter/t-c-encore-pro-hunter-complete-centerfire-firearms

 

[William Parcher]

The Daily Mail is just awesome.

So longhair gun guy is 57-year-old Girard Damien Saenz. The house ownership is associated with Gordon Getty and Cynthia Beck. Still no clue what is going on with the gun thing.

The Bel Air mansion where federal agents found a cache of thousands of guns thought to be worth several million dollars belongs to the mistress with whom oil fortune heir Gordon Getty fathered a secret family.

According to court records, the $7 million, five-bedroom property comprising 8,200 sq-ft belongs to Getty's former mistress Cynthia Beck, whose 14-year-long secret relationship with the wealthy scion was exposed in 1999.

Getty, whose $2 billion fortune makes him one of the world's wealthiest men, conducted the illicit affair with Ms Beck behind his wife Ann's back and fathered three daughters - Alexandra, Nicolette and Kendalle - in the process.

One man was arrested at the scene, 57-year-old Girard Damien Saenz, who was taken to LA County Sheriff's Department with bail set at $50,000. He is thought to own several properties with Beck, according to sources.

The LAPD say they are still working through the enormous weapon and ammunition haul, which ranges from modern firearms to antique Civil War rifles as well as shotguns, handguns and even weapon manufacturing equipment...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...billionaire-Getty-scions-former-mistress.html

 

[BStrong]

I'm amazed at the location. Not something I would associate with Beverly Glen Boulevard. This is a neighborhood of extreme wealth. If you told me that somebody there has a huge gun collection I would expect English shotguns or antique Colts.

Instead it's a huge pile of everyday shooter stuff. Like quantity over quality, though everything appears to be new condition.

The owner evidently had resources and enjoyed collecting firearms - I see a bunch of big-bore single and double action wheelguns - and what appears to be an SfG 44, but there is a .22 caliber semi-auto sold legally in California.

As far as wealthy folks and N.F.A. weapons and devices, many folks would be shocked SHOCKED! at what those folks may collect:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/charlton-hestons-basement/

This guy was local:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Littlefield

He was also a type 10 SOT (Special Occupational Taxpayer) - a licensed manufacturer of destructive devices and the ammunition for them.

 

[Thermal]

Thanks....that's very interesting. What a strangely worded guideline. My first (inexpert) impression is that it sounds like it was specifically written to enable this particular subversion of itself.

I think it was worded to allow purchase of replacement parts through the mail without a great deal of firearm commerce red tape.

Way, way back, we used to buy black powder revolvers and switchblades through magazines. Similar deal, they were 'kits' that you effortlessly finished yourself.

 

[TurkeysGhost]

Thanks....that's very interesting. What a strangely worded guideline. My first (inexpert) impression is that it sounds like it was specifically written to enable this particular subversion of itself.

It's important to note that completing a 80% firearm into a functioning weapon is not itself a violation of federal law, so long as the person doing so doesn't sell or otherwise transfer the weapon to another person. It is lawful for person to manufacture a weapon without a license, be it from raw material or from 80% kits, so long as they do not transfer it to another person and the finished weapon is itself not illegal for other reasons (no homemade machine guns, etc).

Finishing an 80% requires more than just assembly and is defined by the ATF. AR-15 80% lowers require several machining steps. It can be done crudely (with varying success), but to be done right, milling and drilling is required. Machine jigs are available to guide these operations.

The allure of an "off the books" gun is certainly the motivation for many people doing these 80% kits, as they often aren't any cheaper than completed guns, but not all. In some more restrictive states, building your own gun is a way to legally evade certain restrictions, because often the transfer of some guns is prohibited, but not the possession. Building your own avoids the "cannot be sold in X state" gate that is sometimes written into law.

 

[Bob001]

....
He was also a type 10 SOT (Special Occupational Taxpayer) - a licensed manufacturer of destructive devices and the ammunition for them.

Does he have a firearms dealer license? That would pretty much allow him to buy and keep almost anything he wants, whether he sells stuff or not.

 

[LTC8K6]

I wonder how long before he gets them all back?

 

[theprestige]

I wonder how many firearms used in mass shootings will be traced back to this guy.

I wonder how many of his firearms will be traced back to the Fast & Furious program.

 

[William Parcher]

I wonder how long before he gets them all back?

Then he will spend forever putting them back inside their boxes.

https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/5291280_050819-kabc-air7-lots-of-guns-vid.jpg?w=1600

There are probably some mint new guns in there which are now damaged because of handling and stacking by the ATF.

 

[Dr. Keith]

I wonder how many firearms used in mass shootings will be traced back to this guy.

I wonder how many of his firearms will be traced back to the Fast & Furious program.

I wonder how many of his firearms will be used in the next the Fast & Furious movie.

I wonder if the answer is zero to all three. No, actually I don't.

 

[Bob001]

Then he will spend forever putting them back inside their boxes.
....

Chances are he won't get the boxes -- or the related paperwork -- back. They're probably not going to book a cardboard box or warranty card into evidence.

 

[mumblethrax]

But if you take it out of the box it loses all its value! Mooooommm!

 

[Elagabalus]

The owner evidently had resources and enjoyed collecting firearms - I see a bunch of big-bore single and double action wheelguns - and what appears to be an SfG 44, but there is a .22 caliber semi-auto sold legally in California.

As far as wealthy folks and N.F.A. weapons and devices, many folks would be shocked SHOCKED! at what those folks may collect:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/charlton-hestons-basement/

This guy was local:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Littlefield

He was also a type 10 SOT (Special Occupational Taxpayer) - a licensed manufacturer of destructive devices and the ammunition for them.

What is that blue and yellow abomination?

 

[BStrong]

I wonder how long before he gets them all back?

Even if the pieces are all legal, potentially never:

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2...-after-lapd-destroys-his-700k-gun-collection/

Wayne Wright has a serious problem. About eleven years ago, the Vietnam veteran, police officer, and firefighter was the subject of a triumphant LAPD press release about a conquest it had achieved in its war on the private ownership of guns by California residents. The press release is still there on its website for all to behold . . .


Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department aggressively targets suspects involved in the illegal sale of firearms to stop the flow of guns to the streets of Los Angeles.

On September 16, 2004, the Gun Unit, Detective Support Division, working from recently developed intelligence information, conducted an undercover gun buy operation in the Porter Ranch area of Los Angeles. The suspect, Wayne Wright, engaged in an unlawful firearm transaction with an undercover Gun Unit officer. Wright was immediately arrested for the violation and during a subsequent search of his vehicle 11 additional rifles and shotguns were recovered.

Gun Unit Detectives then obtained a search warrant for Wright’s residence in the city of Simi Valley. During the service of the warrant, Gun Unit detectives recovered 376 weapons, including rifles, shotguns, handguns and assault weapons. Many of these guns are the types routinely used in crimes in Los Angeles. Also recovered at Wright ’s residence was a silencer and thousands of rounds of ammunition, including tracer rounds and armor piercing rounds, all of which in California, are felonies to possess.

During 2003, the gun unit seized 348 firearms. Year-to-date in 2004, the Gun Unit has seized 411 firearms. The seizure in this case of 388 total firearms nearly equals that for the first 8 months of 2004 and exceeds the total seizure for 2003.

The suspect, Wayne Wright, is not a licensed gun dealer and the Los Angeles Police Department believes that Wright is actively engaged in unlawful gun trafficking.

ETA - an order from the 9th Circuit:

https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/memoranda/2017/12/20/16-55239.pdf

 

[TurkeysGhost]

What is that blue and yellow abomination?

Looks like a Ruger 10-22 rifle with a very tacky laminate stock.

There's no accounting for taste.

 

[LTC8K6]

Yeah, Cali could well simply destroy his property even if they have no legal case against him.

 

[Elagabalus]

Looks like a Ruger 10-22 rifle with a very tacky laminate stock.

There's no accounting for taste.

OK, what's the chartreuse and red abomination right next to it?

 

[Pope130]

OK, what's the chartreuse and red abomination right next to it?

If I see the one you are talking about, that's an AR-15 of some species. The bizarre colors are a fashion thing. I've even seen pink ARs with Barbie or Hello Kitty on them. There really is no accounting for taste.

 

[William Parcher]

Saenz is an architectural and landscape contractor. He seems to be in business partnership with Beck. The ATF says that he has a valid Federal Firearms License. But the anonymous tip caller said that he is doing things outside of what the license allows. No further details on that yet.

https://heavy.com/news/2019/05/girard-damien-saenz

 

[Tolls]

If I see the one you are talking about, that's an AR-15 of some species. The bizarre colors are a fashion thing. I've even seen pink ARs with Barbie or Hello Kitty on them. There really is no accounting for taste.

It's the lack of taste that makes me smile.
Between those and that absurd hand gun I mentioned earlier they do seem to be a "ooh, look at that weird one, me want!" kind of collector, and I can appreciate that in a strange way...