Officers stunned when woman drops off $40,000 WWII German rifle to be destroyed in police buy-back scheme

Gun brought to the U.S. by American soldier and passed to his daughter

It was developed in 1944, holds a 30-round magazine and can shoot 500 rounds per minute

A World War II assault rifle that belonged to an SS officer was handed in to a gun buy-back organised by police in Connecticut.

The rare find, which is worth up to $40,000, would have been sent home by an American soldier who had taken it from a prisoner of war or a German he had killed.

Officer Lewis Crabtree, of the Hartford Police Dept, said: 'The chance to see a piece of history - this - is absolutely unbelievable.'

Piece of history: The storm rifle is thought to be a Sturmgewehr 44, made in 1944 and issued to SS troops

Remarkable discovery: The gun was brought to the U.S. by an American soldier, who would have taken it from a German he had killed or taken prisoner

The gun was developed in 1944, holds a 30-round magazine and can shoot 500 rounds per minute.



It was handed in to the police by a woman on the first weekend of December, when they also collected 55 pistols, 91 revolvers, 13 rifles and two derringers.

The buy-back scheme is designed to reduce the number of guns in circulation, and entails police officers purchasing any gun, no questions asked.

As soon as they saw this weapon, officers realised it was something out of the ordinary, and agreed to allow the woman to sell it.



'Usually, this rifle would be issued to SS troops ,' Officer Crabtree told NBCnews . ' This is a gun that should actually be in a museum rather than in a shredder.

'I give her credit for bringing it to us.'

His colleague John Cavanna, a gun historian, added: ' In excellent condition, this gun is rated at $30,000 to $40,000.

' You could kill a soldier back then, and if the captain of your fighting unit signed off on it, you could send that gun home to your family or kid brother or cousin.

' [The seller's] father, who was a World War II army man, had brought this gun home from the European theater.'

Every modern assault rifle produced today is based on this design, Officer Cavanna added.

