As Seven Days reported Wednesday, the department has in recent months been selling hundreds of seized and abandoned firearms to make room in police evidence rooms. Among the remaining weapons are two World War II-era 8mm Mauser K98 bolt-action rifles featuring the Nazi Reichsadler emblem — an eagle clutching a swastika. One of the two guns was up for bid when Seven Days‘ story went to press.
Though an April 2018 law mandated the sale of all the seized and abandoned firearms, the governor found that he had the discretion to choose when to sell them, according to Scott spokesperson Rebecca Kelley. “With that determination, the governor directed BGS to hold both weapons as we determine next steps,” she said. “As any additional sales go forward, those two will not be included.”
According to the buildings and general services website, the pending sale of the first gun has been “postponed.”
“The governor doesn’t want the state promoting this kind of symbolism,” Kelley said.
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Destroy them with fire.
Of course they have the right to dispose of them!
I think Phil just wanted to make sure Max Misch didn’t get ahold of it.
Yea, let’s not let the state make some money without it being from taxes and let them go to someone’s collection or anything. I find it hard to fathom that this is somehow supporting the symbol that’s been on collectors items for almost 100 years. I’d think if the case was that you want nothing to do with it, to let it go to a private collection or museum where it’s not your problem and someone might enjoy it. You can’t erase history by ignoring it.
The state should be destroying all these firearms.not just the Nazi ones. We don’t need more guns in circulation. And I can’t wait to see the number of haters who will dislike this comment.
Politicians used to attempt to view things using logic; now they attempt to anticipate any illogical offense someone *might* claim and act to avoid offending them. It’s cowardly. But expected.
It is history not propaganda.
If it couldnt be sold to a private collector, it should have gone to a museum
So Vermont is having a hissy fit because WW2 German rifles have a WW2 German insignia? The horror! Sell the rifles. There were millions made. They are real. They are part of history. Deny history and you are a moron. Sorry, getting sick of this PC crap
erasing history so a few people will not be offended,, great idea,, remove statues, call out those from past generations as racists because of any Politically Correct issue,,, lean so far left the right becomes left,,
The K98 Mauser is and will always be an iconic infantry rifle .
Well designed and built.
The weak are scared of their own ignorance. We fought oppression and won. Something some people seem to forget.
Phil Scott will go down as a bad piece of History
What a disgrace he has been to the state of Vermont
My father was in the 10th mountain division in WW II. The first military operation for the 87th division of the 10th was to kick out the Japanese who had captured the American island Kiska. When they landed on the Island they didn’t know that the Japanese knew that the allied forces were coming and had evacuated the island. Many were killed by booby traps and friendly fire before they found out the Japanese were gone. He was very fond of the japanese items that he brought home. His favorite was a diffused Japanese hand grenade. I have the items now. To him, and to me now, these things are priceless momentos. Today Japan and West Germany are not about Hirohito and Hitler. Like the grenade, these rifles are prized pieces of history.
Remembering and preserving History helps us from repeating it – something people who want to see all guns or even just this particular one destroyed should keep in mind. An example is the leader of the Synagogue in PA using the one year anniversary to demand gun control. This very gun could have been used to round up his relatives, Id imagine quite a few in hindsight would have rather died fighting armed against evil men than getting on that train…..
Boy the fear-mongering of the hysterical hens in the anti-gun chicken coop has really taken ahold. The governor himself is affraid of an inanimate piece of historical significance.
It was likely brought back by a WWII vet as a souvenir. It’s a rather valuable piece of history that should not be destroyed. If he doesn’t want it sold donate it to a museum.
If you don’t want to SELL them then DONATE them to a military MUSEUM, like the one the State ALREADY has….. https://vt.public.ng.mil/Museum/Displays/Weapons/
My father was in Europe in WWII and wounded badly. He brought home some war souvenirs as a lot of people did.
My issue is the same as the with Ashe and others wanting to purge the word slavery from the VT Constitution because it is an uncomfortable topic. Too often now people do not want to have a conversation about these uncomfortable subjects when in fact the more conversation the better off our children would be to think for themselves instead of falling for all the internet propaganda. The Nazi rifles in a museum would be a good idea.
Keepin’ it classy!
The fact that the K98 is in Vermont instead of Germany is a testament to the well-deserved victory of the Allies over Naziism. If you see a war trophy as promoting Nazi symbolism, you’ve missed the point.
For those who simply want to destroy everything with a swastika on it, trying looking up at the ceiling the next time you are in Contois auditorium at Burlington City Hall. Swastikas in every corner. Because it has a long history as a decorative element. And symbols only have the power we grant them, so calm down.
Have some of these people forgotten that rifles were used to protect this country and our Allies countries??. Let’s see get rid of all guns, don’t need more guns in circulation. Must be so hard to be afraid of an inanimate object….. Wonder if this person loses sleep over it??
Just like the ones who want all Burlington Police be unarmed.. Talk about mindless liberals. Guess it takes all kinds who live in a fantasy world …
All sort of people on here claiming “the Nazi menance is gone” and “We Won!”. Have you seen our President or the RepubliKKKans in the House and Senate? We have a Nazi/Klansmen freak running around Burlington putting up posters and threatening LGBTQ folks and other Minorities. The War isn’t over people. Hitler is in the White House and Congress! We won some battles in WWII but WW III is here and we have a Country Divided on top of that. Do any of you want to find these two guns in the possession of the next Mass Shooter or murderer? Clearly we don’t need these guns. Smash them up and melt the metal into peace signs! That will show the current Nazi’s we piss on their symbols.
They should be donated to the collection of similar items at the Holocaust Museum in Montreal. Everyone who hasn’t been to the museum should visit. We must never forget.
This is an 8mm Mauser. There are thousands of them all over this country being used for deer hunting.You can buy ammo for them in many sporting goods stores in Vermont. It seems to me to be revenge that the firearm of the third reich is used for hunting deer in the USA. In the 50’s and 60’s most towns including my home town, had an army surplus store, many of them sold these guns. My uncle brought one back from Europe as a gift for my WWI veteran grandfather. My grandfather made a mahogany stock for it as he was dying. My father, a WWII vet, hunted with that rifle until he died in 2012.