Bozo Idiot surrendered rare, valuable rifle to WPB, FL gun "buyback," now regrets it!

[peacefuljeffrey]

I am totally LMMFAO right now!!!!!!

Several weeks ago, The Palm Beach Post (right here in West Palm Beach, Florida) announced that the city police department would stage a one-day gun buyback, giving amnesty to criminals essentially (no questions asked on weapon turn-ins). $75 for rifles; $100 for handguns; $200 for "assault weapons"

THIS abject moron turned in a rare Japanese WWII-era rifle and got seventy-five smackers for it, and finds out that a good-condition specimen could be worth five grand!

Just a little moral lesson in the ramifications of being so stupid as to take part in a gun-surrender-destruction program. I'll bet this loser thought he was doing some sort of civic duty, performing a good act, whatever...

The paper touted the "success" of the program because only a couple hours in, it "sold out" of the Target gift cards that had been alotted for it. (Of course, the PD would not say ahead of time how much money had been set aside for the program. It could have been a pitifully small amount, but since it had not been divulged, they could then say, "Oooh, look, the program was so successful in rounding up guns, it ran out of money!"

They reported that they collected about 500 guns -- mostly from elderly people, as always. They claimed in a followup article that there were 5 "automated weapons" ("automatED"? Gotta GET me one of THOSE! Is it a Cyberdyne?!) Now, consider this: the "automated" (automatic?) weapons were almost certainly turned in by someone who possessed them illegally. (WHO ON EARTH would turn in a legally owned Class III weapon, after all?!) The police did not get identification on any of the people who turned in weapons. So FIVE FELONS walked away with no charges, even though they could have been charged with illegally possessing those guns, yes?

Anyway, here's the link to the whole sad story


-Jeffrey

 

[nico]

It's amazing that the morons who put these things on think that someone who has an illegal class III gun isn't committing at least a few other significant crimes

 

[peacefuljeffrey]

Exactly. And the idiot public thinks, "Oh, what a swell thing they're doing, spending my tax money to collect and destroy guns that were owned by little old ladies and elderly war veterans," and never stops to realize that some of these guns were used by, and turned in by, either criminals, or those who know them. Gun crime investigations can be hampered by this.

-Jeffrey

 

[jeff-10]

Damn I bought a Yugo M48 that is a total lemon, it won't shoot anything and was wondering how I can dispose of it. If only I had known I could have got $75. :/

 

[Ivy Mike]

I always thought it would be kinda funny to buy a few broken down, beat up rifles, turn them in at NLVPD's annual turn-in at Wal Mart and collect a few gift cards.

Those gift cards would be marched right up to the sporting goods section and in place of the beat mil-surp bolt actions, a nice Ruger Mini-14/30

Plenty of semi-auto goodness to go around.


Last year, I tried buying a S&W revolver from people that were turning things in. I had only talked to a few when an angry looking officer told me I couldn't do that.

When I asked why, he told me that I would be arrested.
Rather than press the issue, I decided not to tangle with mis-informed Barney Fife and returned to work.

 

[dfaugh]

Hey, Clean

That's not such a bad idea....maybe we should stage our own buy-back program!

 

[Spot77]

If these bogus programs were the WORST thing the gov did to try to disarm Americans, I could certainly live with it.

However, we continue to be politically bulled by the likes of a few certain Senators......

 

[hillbilly]

An even better idea is this.

Take cash with you to the buy-back site.

Hang around the line.

If you see something really nice, offer the doofus with it $25 more than what the buy-back program is giving.

hillbilly

 

[TimH]

An even better idea is this.

Take cash with you to the buy-back site.

Hang around the line.

If you see something really nice, offer the doofus with it $25 more than what the buy-back program is giving.QUOTE]

I've often thought this. I wonder if it would be legal. They have a gun buy back once in a while near Albany.

 

[tuna]

Junkers don't work, maybe because I'm not a criminal. I've always got people giving me guns that they think I can get working again ("it only needs a bolt and a trigger, you should be able to get it to work") that the cost would be too prohibitive to work on. So I took them to the local PD when they were doing a buyback. The cop looked at them and said no way, they had to work. What was funny was that as I was trying to get them back they now demanded my permit, which I had. The cop asked why I was turning them in if I was legal, I said that if he wanted to give me 300 - 400 for a bunch of crap, I'll take it. I was told that that wasn't the idea behind the program.

 

[lysander]

Rare Arisaka to be destroyed....

Gun Owner's mistake costs both him and history buffs....

So this guy (admittedly less than astute when it comes to judging the value of his rifle) participates in a gun buy-back and now an incredibly rare rifle (and one in fairly good shape based on the pic) is going to be destroyed.

History be damned! Regardless of value, this is an EVIL instrument and shall be destroyed!! So sayeth the clerics of the badge and blue uniform!!!

I am being melodramatic...after all...the rifle's future is "still up in the air." Local PD might decide to save the rifle from destruction.

Kudos to the officer who recognized this rifle's value....shame on the West Palm Beach department for not refusing it in the first place. Looks like the end result is one 79 year old WWII vet is out a bunch of $$$ because he was careless and the local PD will not make an exception.

They are after all....just doing their jobs. Getting those Arisakas off the street will have a significant impact on crime I am sure.

 

[lysander]

Double thread...please merge or delete...my bad.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

If these bogus programs were the WORST thing the gov did to try to disarm Americans, I could certainly live with it.

Not the point. These government "buy backs" have their origin in the United Nations program to do what they call "psychological disarmament" of "small arms." They are working a scheme whereby the first stage is to create the impression in the popular consciousness that owning guns is bad, and that guns are an evil item. These programs also instill in people the idea that the only legitimate possessor of a firearm is the government/police/military. Did you notice it's called a "buy back." This implies that the guns actually belonged to the government/police, and are now returning to their rightful place. If the police never owned these guns, how could it be a "buy back?" The idea isn't to actually reduce crime by getting crooks to turn in their guns. Even the U.N. proponants of these programs admit that this is ridiculous, since the participants are invariably the most harmless people in a community, not criminals. The idea, pure and simple, is "psychological disarmament." This is just part of a plan to create a common conception that guns do not belong in private hands. It's sister program is going on at the public schools, where kids are being indoctrinated into the belief that all guns in private hands are evil. Just like the Nazis and the Communists, once they have our kids, the next generation is lost to liberty.

 

[MAUSER88]

What a crying shame!!!! I hope he get's it back or it ends up in a Muesum.

 

[meathammer]

Last year, I tried buying a S&W revolver from people that were turning things in. I had only talked to a few when an angry looking officer told me I couldn't do that.

Really? Do your state laws allow private sales? He may have been just trying to intimidate. It would be legal in WI as far as I know. They had a buy back at a Walmart outside of Milwaukee a few years ago and I thought of doing this. Funds weren't permitting at the time though.

--meathammer

 

[jfh]

the last time they did this in

The Minneapolis / suburban area was about ten years ago, I think--

They had every MN hunter and gunny in the Metro area dropping off their junk guns. I haven't heard of it since being done here....

Rumors are that they might try it again in a very limited way--e.g., the Mpls North Side neighborhood and "South Minneapolis", but only if they can shape a neighborhood program where the gov't "helpers" and do-good groups might be making some headway in the gang-banger wars here.

That shapes some problems, doesn't it: "Whaddymean, I can't get some money for my trusty sidekick here if I don't live on Fremont Ave North?"

 

[Pilgrim]

THIS abject moron turned in a rare Japanese WWII-era rifle and got seventy-five smackers for it, and finds out that a good-condition specimen could be worth five grand!

Just a little moral lesson in the ramifications of being so stupid as to take part in a gun-surrender-destruction program. I'll bet this loser thought he was doing some sort of civic duty, performing a good act, whatever...

Sadly, when I worked for the Sheriff, a few newly widowed ladies came to the office looking to dispose of their late husband's firearms. They didn't want any money. They just wanted to get rid of them.

When I could, I suggested they go see a gun shop owner friend of mine who I knew to be very fair when dealing with people who didn't know what their firearms were worth.

Pilgrim

 

[peacefuljeffrey]

I always thought it would be kinda funny to buy a few broken down, beat up rifles, turn them in at NLVPD's annual turn-in at Wal Mart and collect a few gift cards.

Those gift cards would be marched right up to the sporting goods section and in place of the beat mil-surp bolt actions, a nice Ruger Mini-14/30

Plenty of semi-auto goodness to go around.


Last year, I tried buying a S&W revolver from people that were turning things in. I had only talked to a few when an angry looking officer told me I couldn't do that.

When I asked why, he told me that I would be arrested.
Rather than press the issue, I decided not to tangle with mis-informed Barney Fife and returned to work.

That cop's actions are atrocious. He should have been fired, or charged with harassment.

On what grounds would they arrest you? Attempted solicitation of a legal purchase?

The cop was trying to protect the "turf" of the "buyback" program. This is what drug dealers do -- they threaten or harm others who intrude on their turf, even when they do not have (obviously) a legitimate claim to that turf.

You were engaged in actions protected by both the First and Second Amendments. That cop would have been in quite a spot if he had arrested you. "Disobeying a lawful order by a police officer?" How is a "disperse" order legal when nothing you were doing constituted unlawful behavior, or disrupting the peace? Disrupting the purpose of the gun buyback is NOT tantamount to disturbing the PEACE. There is really nothing that the cop could have arrested you for that would hold up in court (at least nothing I can think of).

Now, there is a potential problem if you were to get someone willing to sell you a gun: how do you know you would not be buying from a prohibited felon? Is it a crime to be a legal purchaser, who purchases a firearm from someone who does not legally possess it? I'm not sure. (That's why I buy NIB from FFLs exclusively.)

But then again, if they arrested you for buying from a guy who turned out to be a felon-in-possession, you could also argue that the COPS were going to take the gun off his hands, just like you were, AND LET HIM GO! How is what you were going to do any worse?

-Jeffrey

 

[ceetee]

Man, I wish I could find the original Sun Sentinel story announcing this thing.

In it, one of the main organizers of the event was quoted as saying, "If you have a gun in the house, if someone else has a gun in the house... even if you just know someone with a gun: For God's sake, get it, and bring it in... " (I'm paraphrasing.)

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's office was actually advocating Grand Theft, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony...

 

[GLOCK19XDSC]

They gave it back: http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=147225

 

[R.H. Lee]

He's not a 'bozo idiot', he's a 79 year old WWII veteran, you putz. It's HIS property and HE can do anydamnthing he wants with it.

 

[iapetus]

I remember, some years ago, seeing/hearing a news report about some preacher in the US who was organising his own private gun buy-back, so he could get guns "of the street". (I think he was going to destroy them or something - it was definitely an "anti" program).

Anyway, the BBC (or whoever it was) inverviewed one man who was turning in a handgun:

"I'm going to use the money to buy an assaut rifle".

 

[beerslurpy]

Unless your state has a law agaisnt private sales or you are a prohibited person, there is nothing to prevent you from standing in front of the gun buyback booth and bidding against the cops.

I wish they had gun buyback programs around here. I would love to pick up cheap guns and cause problems for the police doing it.

 

[MICHAEL T]

The Police have returned his rifle and he even got to keep the the gift card. Seems the police didn't like the big spotlight shinning on them and decided returning was the right thing to do.

 

[CajunBass]

He's not a 'bozo idiot', he's a 79 year old WWII veteran, you putz. It's HIS property and HE can do anydamnthing he wants with it.

Thank you Riley. It's one thing to make fun of the idea behind the buy back program, but it's another to make fun of a WWII vet, who as far as he knew had an old rifle he didn't want anymore. I read elsewhere that he used the target card to get a gift for his daughter. Maybe $75.00 is chump change to some of you people, but it's not to everybody.