Sniping the gun buyback

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19-3Ben

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Ok guys, so we have a gun buyback program going on tomorrow in Hartford. I'm only 15 minutes from the location so I'm thinking I might try going and buying some guns off of people that plan to turn them in. The buyback is offering supermarket gift cards of $200 for "assault weapons," $100 for handguns, and $25 for rifles/shotguns.

I plan to be dressed respectfully and very nicely, not have any garish or challenging signs, no bullhorn, etc... I won't do anything at all to make myself look like a bad guy, a threat, or trouble maker. for the police. I will have trigger locks on hand so that I can lock up any gun purchased per CT state law, and will have plenty of forms printed out that need to be submitted per CT law.

So, is there anything else you think I should be warned about? As far as interaction with police, interaction with potential sellers, judging who would be legit to buy from, etc...? Anyone ever done this before? I'd sure love some tips from veterans of such shenanigans!
 
Only been to one. They were giving $50 for guns. I sold them an old RG 22 caliber revolver that had a cylinder that wouldn't stay in place without duct tape. That was probably the best gun turned in that day. A local church donated the money to purchase the guns and got a barrel of scrap metal at the end of the day. I didn't see a working gun turned in. Probably a waste of time.
 
Interesting. If it's a waste of time, so be it. But if some little old lady is turning in her deceased husband's old Wingmaster or something, I'd love a crack at it before it goes to a crusher.

If I can save a classic gun from destruction, get a great deal, and give someone two or three times the "buyback" value... I really see no downside. I've got to give it a shot.
 
How are you planning on approaching people? Are you going with a group?
Like you said, look nice and be polite. I'd like to see video but I'm not sure what kind of tone that will set.
Perhaps make a sign as well?
 
Gotta be 20 years ago now...


There was a gun buy back in Hartford. $200 for "assault weapons". At that time you could buy all the brand-new Chinese SKS's you wanted for $99.99. Sure enough an entrepreneur bought a whole lot of these SKS's and quickly doubled his investment by turning in these still-cosmolined rifles. The buy-back program was quickly shut down and they had to give him vouchers because they ran out of cash.

The media reported the buy-back program a "great success"
 
I hope you follow through. So often I see where guys say they are going to do it and back out. Dog got sick, couldn't find my shoes, house door was stuck, etc. Good luck and get pictures!
 
Friend & I caught gun buybacks in Omaha early 90s.
He snagged a "rebranded" Winchester pump 20ga.
I got a 870 field model with just a bit of rust for $120, a S&W transition model 15 and a couple of boxes of ammo for $70. Very good haul.

Local pd & organizers took note of the heretical activities in the parking lot and the next buyback the sellers were required to keep the guns in the trunk. They'd drive through a line and pop the trunk and then the organizers/police took the weapon out, gave the seller his money.

The organizer later moved their offices out of Omaha, ended the operation. Darn! It was great while it lasted.

"..all good things must end..."
 
I hope you follow through. So often I see where guys say they are going to do it and back out. Dog got sick, couldn't find my shoes, house door was stuck, etc. Good luck and get pictures!
Click to expand...

I hope I follow through as well. I have nothing else to get in the way tomorrow. But I do have a law license on the line, and a family who depends on my income, so I'm not going to risk an arrest, or anything that could compromise my license.
I make no excuses for it. If I feel like the vibe is that the police are going to make trouble for me, I'm outta there. Is it my own lack of testicular fortitude? perhaps. But I see it as avoiding taking stupid chances that risk the financial security of my family. Especially being here in CT where gun owners are looked at with the utmost scrutiny, and with the assumption that we are already doing something wrong, just for being a gun owner.


I do hope I can do this. I don't expect I'll buy much. My prediction is that either 1) the police have it set up in such a way that one cannot snipe the buyback or 2)I buy one old shotgun or something and then get while the gettin's good.
 
I know a couple of guys who live in Sandy Hook, so I know about the general sentiments in Ct. I'll leave it at that.
Again, good luck to you.
 
Might pay to keep some empty rifle and pistol cases on hand for transport back to your vehicle and return to home.

I guess you can still do private transfers in CT without a background check? Or are you going to have to come to an agreement, then get yourselves off to an FFL?
 
Thanks 230RN- you're absolutely right. I plan not only to bring a few cases, but also an oily rag. It's raining out today and if people are holding the gun unprotected in the rain, i want to at least be able to wipe it down externally before casing it up in the trunk.

In CT we have an unusual system. The don't need to go through an FFL for private sale, but we need to call into the state police firearms unit with the buyer's gun permit number, the make model and serial number of the gun, and the seller's permit number (if applicable). We then get an authorization number for the sale if it checks out.
 
Given your description of the complications and my belief that your actions would not be looked on favorably, why risk having conflict with authorities? I would not. There are plenty of other ways to find good guns even though I sympathize with the sentiment that good guns are being destroyed. I'll also add my opinion that such programs accomplish nothing.
 
Ok I'm back. Resto Guy- I didn't weenie out. I made a go of it.
I played it as straight as I could. I wore a white dress shirt, khakis, and blue blazer. Clean shave, etc... I looked respectable.
Upon arrival i actually approached the officers who were acting as ushers, and told them of my intentions. I asked if they had any problems with it. They radioed to their supervisor who informed them that so long as I was on the sidewalk in front of the property but not on the property itself, they were totally fine with it. So, Sniper, I agree 100% with you, and did what would likely be considered above and beyond to ensure I wasn't going to have a problem.

For reasons that don't warrant getting into, i was not buying handguns today. Only long guns. I waited for 2 hours in the 40 degree rain until a guy showed up with an armful of long guns. I told him what I was doing and he agreed to sell to me. He had an old Glenfield bolt .22, a Savage bolt .410, a Spanish 12ga double, and most interesting of them all, an old Ithaca model 37 20ga. lightweight model.
All had rust, but fixable with only light pitting. He was only going to get $100 in gift cards for the supermarket for all four from the buyback, i offered him $200 cash and he was thrilled.
Then the state police denied the sale because they thought I had to fill out a form that I don't.
So after all that, I did not get my guns....

But hey, I made every effort.
I'm really sorry I didn't get that damned Ithaca. That was a nice shotgun, even rusty.
 
Ben,

Sorry it didn't work out for you. But for anyone else that might have the opportunity to "snipe" a buyback, I can recommend trying. About 3 years ago, Austin tried one of these. And being Texas, FTF buys were pretty easy. The police were offering $100 grocery cards. We ( there were about 20 or so on the sidewalk trying to intercept sellers ) were offering $110 cash. Competition to get to the sellers as they drove up was present. But it remained friendly. I was able to score a NEW Mossberg 500.

Tuckerdog1
 
I would not buy turned in firearms at a no questions asked 'buy backs' but as a public service I'd offer free appraisals. Get a current BLUE BOOK and show folks how their government agents are stealing from them. If it turns just one fine firearm around and to a local gun store the time spent would be worth it to me.
 
P5 Guy said:
I would not buy turned in firearms at a no questions asked 'buy backs' but as a public service I'd offer free appraisals. Get a current BLUE BOOK and show folks how their government agents are stealing from them. If it turns just one fine firearm around and to a local gun store the time spent would be worth it to me.
Click to expand...
That is a good idea.^

Op at least ya tried. How many showed up in those hours you stood in the cold and wet.....lots of folks or a scattered handful?
 
Here the citizens are periodically encouraged to turn them in for nothing at all. Several papers have had pictures of the most recent stuff. Here I can see several Very pistols, one that looks like it has had a zipgun barrel grated onto it, several of the ever-popular Walther PP's (what a nice souvenir they made), a .38 Enfield, a S&W .455 Mk.11 Hand Ejector, a New Service, a P38, a Browning 1910, a small pocket Webley revolver, a pepperbox, a blunderbuss and a pair of duellers.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...istol-handed-in-to-police-in-gun-amnesty.html
 
Mk VII said:
Here the citizens are periodically encouraged to turn them in for nothing at all.
Click to expand...

They've been trying to do that here, too. Back in the old days I used to encourage people to turn in their unused guns because they went to government auction and sold. Now the majority of them will be melted so I've changed my policy too: just hang on to them, store them safely in a place where they're not likely to be found and we never had this conversation. If they insist, I take their phone number and an "unknown" fellow enthusiast might pick them up the same day.

Funny thing is how much personal attitude towards unlicensed firearms can change in a little over a decade, as a result of utterly ignorant, draconian legislation...
 
There are plenty of people out there who wish they could have a reasonable market for their guns. The buy back isn't it. I've never been to a buy back and won't waste my time but I used to help people out at work. It became known through word of mouth that I was a buyer on occasion. I had several people approach me about selling firearms and I always tried to steer them to buyers, try to find a buyer for them, or buy them myself. I never made any huge profits but I bought a few collectable guns.

The laws have changed in this state to require a BC on every transfer with 9% tax to the state so I don't buy anything anymore. It was fun while it lasted.
 
The buy back isn't it.
Click to expand...

I really beg to differ. Had it not been for the stupid mixup at the DPS (Department of Public Safety where we call in the BG check), I would have gotten a screaming deal on a lightly pitted but perfectly functional and easily cleaned Ithaca 37 20ga.

As I was leaving, i saw a family heading in there with what looked like a new condition Russian SKS, that they were going to trade in for a $25 gift card. That one nearly broke my heart.

I didn't see the pistols people brought, as they were all in bags, but i'd bet it was similar.
Lots of older guys who were obviously vets (wearing those dark blue hats with the gold writing that says ____ War Veteran, or has the name of the ship where they served). I can only imagine how many WW2 and Korean war bring backs got melted up. For all we know, some nice Lugers, may a Walter or Mauser here and there.

It kills me. It's like how i am with pound puppies/rescue dogs. I want to save them all. Seeing them put down is just miserable!
 
The only reason I didn't go buy everything I could afford is that the seller gets a copy of the form we fill out that has my address on it.
I don't want people who I don't know, to have a form at home with the name and address of a local guy with guns in his house, and the cash to just show up at a gun buyback and buy guns.

Seems like a tactically bad move to me.
 
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