The Gordon County Board of Commissioners will host its first online gun auction in February following a recent amendment by the Georgia General Assembly charging the board with disposal of stockpiled firearms obtained by the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office.

The auction will only allow bids from holders of a Federal Firearm License (FFL) and who are identified as gun collectors, dealers, importers or manufacturers.

More than 500 guns are up for sale at the auction, turned over by the Gordon County Sheriff’s office, and will be sold in groups, called lots.

Midway Machinery and Auction, LLC, owned by Don Cutchins, out of Midway, Fla. has been contracted to conduct the auction. Cutchins is the same auctioneer who conducts the county surplus sale each year at the Cherokee Fairgrounds.

Cutchins’ company suggested an online auction would reach more regional gun dealers, importers, etc, according to County Administrator Randy Dowling.

The auction is expected to bring in $15,000 to be paid to the Gordon County General Fund, of which five percent will pay for the auction company’s services.

For several weeks, the auction will be open to those eligible for the purchase of guns, and the auction company will determine eligibility, while conducting all necessary checks of licenses and eligibility as set forth by the new law.

Additionally, the county will be required to hold these public auctions of firearms every six months.

Gordon County currently houses more than 500 guns in a secured warehouse, awaiting auction, according to Chief Deputy Sheriff Robert Paris. The guns have been stockpiled dating back to the 1970’s, with Sheriff Baker’s administration.

Paris added that most of the guns up for auction were illegally possessed, such as being in the hands of a convicted felon or seized during a drug investigation.

Currently, the Sheriff’s office does perform their own gun disposal using a special saw to cut the guns up. Guns that are disposed of are ones that cannot be auctioned. Outlined in the new law, guns without serial numbers, short barreled shotguns, and fully automatic weapons may not be auctioned.

The Gordon County Board of Commissioners approved the method of sale via online auction at the last meeting with the recently replaced members Judy Bailey, Alvin Long and George “Duck” Townsend, Friday, Dec. 28, 2012.

The Gordon County Government website holds the list of all 518 guns up for auction and more information on the bidding process may be attained at www.gordoncounty.org.

Dowling strongly emphasized the auction will be open for bids only from holders of a Federal Firearm License, such as gun collectors, dealers, manufacturers and importers.