Sturmgewer 44 turned in at gun buy back....not to destroyed

[coolluke01]

I had a post along these lines, but I decided it should be a new post.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I've never participated in a gun buy back, so I am curious.

Where does the money come from that buys the gift cards the police exchange for the guns?
I assume it comes from their operating budget, our tax dollars. Seems to be a shame that our tax dollars go to serve the destruction of some very fine firearms.

And on that note, what guarantee do we have that these guns are being destroyed, and not going home with various officers at the end of the day?

At least there are some places where the local PD sells the guns to gun stores, who I turn sell them to the people.

 

[Zeke/PA]

USAF vet,
In fact the good stuff goes home with those connected.
In a recent "buyback" I heard of a guy taking two Lugers home.
The "buybacks" are a " feel good" bunch of Bullcrap and NOBODY wins except those "in charge"!

 

[mister_murphy]

In fact the good stuff goes home with those connected.

Just curious if you have examples to support this? I hear this alot but Ive never found it to be true.

USAF_Vet,

Where does the money come from that buys the gift cards the police exchange for the guns?

The money would generally come from a charity, or be raised through private donations specifically for the buy back.

And on that note, what guarantee do we have that these guns are being destroyed, and not going home with various officers at the end of the day?

Records availability will vary from one state or agency to another, but with a buy back the records should be easy to obtain, either through a simple formal request, and going up through the legal channels through FOIA, and the various state/local laws that require open records.

Here is a link to help with various states...
http://www.nfoic.org/state-foi-resources

edit to add:

While people will have varying levels of dislike for the "buy back" programs, why not work together, and try offer alternitives, and help support them? Such things as working with various law enforcement to offer public firearm safety programs, etc?

If nothing else, why not volunteer to be an observer, and watch to ensure the "buy back" program is done per the local law, and the policy of the "buy back"?

 

[CZguy]

If nothing else, why not volunteer to be an observer, and watch to ensure the "buy back" program is done per the local law, and the policy of the "buy back"?

I'd love to be an observer, especially if I got a chance to buy something special.

 

[AK103K]

Id love to stand out side, with $100 bills, and get to make the first offer on anything coming in.

 

[22250Rem]

Back in the mid-nineties I worked in a chemical waste incinerator for a couple years. About twice a year we would do what was called a "gun burn" for the local police dept. They packed 'em into fiber drums and we set them on the conveyor to the incinerator. Didn't get to see them before they went in but when they came out they were either melted down to a little glob; like all the Ravens and other stuff made of that pot metal or whatever it was. Or the higher quality stuff came out so bad it was absolutely unusable. I've seen what was left of SKS's and shotguns and lots of handguns that were turned in at buybacks or confiscated or wound up with the cops for whatever reason. I used to chat with the cops at the gun burns and found out that gun buybacks generally pick up all the absolute junk that is unshootable because any gun that works is worth a lot more on the street than any buyback will give you. Rarely does anything nice and/or valuable show up when it's only gonna fetch 50 or 75 bucks. If anything nice and/or valuable ever showed up it's funny how they never seemed to make it to the incinerator.

 

[Armybrat]

My Dad brought one of these Belgian made BARs back from France in 1945 (but without the barrel grip handle):



My Grandpa, an auto mechanic & blacksmith, soldered a 1/4" brass plug in the barrel chamber to plug it up. He said it could easily be tapped out with a metal rod.
The local FBI agent examined it and gave Dad a government form declaring it to be a DEWAT curio/relic.

It was kept in the family until 6 or 7 years ago when we donated it to the Texas National Guard Military Museum at Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas.

Back in the 1950s, I & my buddies used to drag the thing around the neighborhood when we played "Army". Nobody cared or batted and eye. lol

My brother still has that FBI "DEWAT" form someplace in his files.

 

[AK103K]

That gun, while a DEWAT, also had to be registered by '68 to be legal. If it was, it would be worth pretty close to what a gun that wasnt DEWAT'ed is worth today, and can actually be legally reactivated, sold and transferred between individuals.

 

[Armybrat]

Well, I guess it was illegal for about 35 years.

Eric Holder can go dig up my Dad and rap him on his knuckles with a ruler.

 

[Swing]

Minor tangent, by it may be of interest, this document discusses World War II War Trophy firearm records.

 

[AK103K]

Well, I guess it was illegal for about 35 years.

If your brother has the DEWAT forms, it very well could have been registered, and you turned over something (Im assuming for nothing) in that $20-30000 range that you could have reactivated and shot.

 

[Armybrat]

It was donated for no compensation, with no regrets.

 

[MDW GUNS]

At least the officers did the right thing in a not so gun friendly state!

 

[Crash_Test_Dhimmi]

Another reason to set up a folding table and signs down the block from the buy back, and when you see a 20K$ weapon walking down the street, offer her a little more than the gift cards she is expecting from the buy back

 

[Armybrat]

Crash - some guys did that here in Austin, Texas a year or so ago when APD had a buyback.