AR-15.jpg

In this photo illustration a Rock River Arms AR-15 rifle is seen on December 18, 2012 in Miami, Florida. A Lake Oswego pastor would not be charged after he was accused of illegally transferring an AR-15 he won in a raffle.

(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The pastor who spent $3,000 to win an AR-15 in a girls' softball league raffle has made good on his promise to destroy the gun. Now, Rev. Jeremy Lucas plans to turn the weapon's remains into garden tools.

"I wanted to win it so I could destroy it or turn it into something else and take it out of commission, Lucas told KGW Friday.

Lucas teamed up with Colorado's Raw Tools to take the rifle apart. The organization put up a forge at Christ Church Episcopal to smelt its remains over two hours.

Back in August, there were concerns that Lucas ran afoul of Oregon law when he gave the rifle to a fellow parishioner for safekeeping after the raffle. That incensed Second Amendment advocates, who said Lucas should be charged to show the hypocrisy of a law requiring background checks before gun transfers.

He was eventually found to be in the clear.

When Lucas mounted his campaign to win the AR-15, he cited mass shootings in which similar weapons were used. The reverend defended his purchase of the weapon in a lengthy Facebook post shortly after winning it.

"If anyone thinks I'm sorry about spending $3000 to take an AR-15 off the streets and out of our society, think again," he wrote on Facebook.

You can watch the KGW report about the rifle's destruction below:

--Eder Campuzano

503.221.4344

@edercampuzano

ecampuzano@oregonian.com