Gun Owners Take Over Gun Buyback- Gun Controllers Look On Helplessly

As readers of Bullets First know, I have been an outspoken critic of gun buyback programs. The reasons for my disdain for the program is wide ranging. From the idea that it does ANYTHING to stop gun crime to the fact that some nefarious police officers use it as a way to dupe ignorant people into parting with extremely valuable firearms for a $50 food gift card of a pittance.

Though I must say, for a gun owner looking to expand their collection, a gun buyback event is a great place to find some deals.

Imagine my delight when I found out that a group of gun owners took that advice and overtook a gun buyback in Oregon.

On Jan. 17 a buyback event was held by radical anti gun control group Central Coast Ceasefire Oregon and the Newport Police Department. The payoffs being offered were gift cards to superstore Fred Meyer in return for guns, no questions asked. So called “assault” rifles would net you $175 gift card…or roughly a 90% discount of what that rifle is actually worth.

Ironically, so called “high capacity” magazines were worth $25 credits at the store. I say ironic because if you just traded that for cash to someone you can buy TWO 20 round magazines from Magpul for about $22. Its like a trade in one get two back deal.

Gun owners decided to mobilize, after talking on online forums and went to the event with 2 purposes. One, to take whatever broken, rusted, junked piece of garbage firearm that they might have and that will never be able to be fired again and get a few gift cards greater than the worth for the metal and two, to make better offers for people turning in their weapons.

One member from OpenCarry.org wrote after the event:

“I picked up five weapons including a Model 11 Remington SemiAuto 12-gauge from 1926, a Mossberg bolt-action 20-gauge from 1947-1950… AND a pre-1900, 12-gauge breech action with Damascus barrel……AND……. a couple of 22 pistols.”

That’s HISTORY right there that was supposed to go to the smelter and it was saved. Too often, extremely valuable to nigh priceless firearm relics have been destroyed by buybacks because someone ignorant to firearms was duped into thinking that getting a gift card to Pizza Hut was worth the trade.

But the head of Central Coast Ceasefire, Julie Wheeler, made no attempts to hide the fact that her organization was more than happy to dupe and sucker people into handing over a firearm worth thousands of dollars:

“Some firearms come in that are much more valuable than the awarded gift cards. The turn-in does not pretend to be a market value exchange.”

No, they don’t pretend. But I am sure they keep there mouths shut when a 5 figure firearm comes to them. At that point it is equal chances of the smelter, a cops private collection, or the gun control group hypocritically selling it to fund more gun control events.

And again, are these dog and pony shows actually making ANYONE safer? Are criminals REALLY trusting the government enough to turn in weapons with blood on them for a gift card and the belief that the crimes will never get back to them? Of course not. What you are getting are people ignorant to the worth of what they have, mostly through inheritance, being suckered into giving up a ton of cash.

You don’t have to take my word for the ineffectiveness of gun buyback prorams; A 2004 study by the National Research Council found that the “guns that are typically surrendered in gun buy-backs are those that are least likely to be used in criminal activities. In contrast, those who are either using guns to carry out crimes or as protection in the course of engaging in other illegal activities, such as drug selling, have actively acquired their guns and are unlikely to want to participate in such programs.”

My advice, next time you find out about a gun buyback program, go to it. Either turn in worthless hunks of metal that or buy some gems that people are willing to LITERALLY give away. And even if they don’t want to sell to you, at least inform them that they are being ripped off and maybe they will take it to a gun shop to sell. Hence, you defended the 2nd Amendment just by sharing a little knowledge.

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