Oakland buy-back program: Oops!

[KBCraig]

At a February 9th "gun buy-back", police in Oakland, California, offered $250 for firearms (no ID, no questions). First in line: two dealers with 60 cheap handguns. The police blew through $170,000 and had to offer IOUs.

They've modified the program to limit it to five guns per person. Five at a time, presumably, since it's "no ID, no questions asked."

I wish they'd offer something like that around here. I figure I could quickly lay my hands on several dozen Brycos, Jennings, RGs, etc., for under $100 apiece. That's a pretty fair profit margin!

Editorial and blog entry.

[Hyunchback]

I can see turning in "gunsmith special" abused, neglected and otherwise trashed guns but I wouldn't even give them a functional H&R singleshot for destruction. Plenty of rusted relics around, though with no collector value, not needed to donate parts to better examples.

Now, the real issue here is can you use the cops own rules against them in a buy back? Since using a toy gun in a situation is supposed to result in treating the toy like a real gun under law can you then turn in toy guns for real cash? Dropping off broken cap pistols for $250 sounds like a nice trade and takes NO real guns out of circulation. That's a "win-win" situation. They can claim to have destroyed "guns" and we lose no firearms from the general population.

It would have the same exact effect on gun crime as letting them take real guns. NO EFFECT AT ALL!

[Dan20703]

To take a different twist to this:
What if that happened in Texas and I went there to see what people were about to turn in to the police. If I saw a nice gun that was worth more than the $250 and offered the owner $300 for a FTF deal. Would I be in any trouble with the police?
Just a thought.

[LedJedi]

Jumpin Jimeny, I'm sitting on a goldmine if the toy guns thing goes over!

[thankGod]

LedJedi,

Do you actually keep all those in your gun safe?

[Hyunchback]

Jumpin Jimeny, I'm sitting on a goldmine if the toy guns thing goes over!

Careful. That photo could get you labeled as a "Weapons Stockpiler" in the TV news and print "journalism".

"Some of these deadly weapons were even what the gun-nuts call 'repeaters'."

[Tactical_Texan_CHL]

I think you have to watch out for termites, not the ATF!

[bpet]

Yep. Too bad I'm more into "tupper ware" than "termite fare". With an inventory like that, we probably could have made some kind of deal.

[Hyunchback]

But... but... these guns won't set off metal detectors!

TERROR WEAPONS!

[seamusTX]

What if that happened in Texas and I went there to see what people were about to turn in to the police. If I saw a nice gun that was worth more than the $250 and offered the owner $300 for a FTF deal. Would I be in any trouble with the police?

It depends. If they saw you and wanted to give you a hard time, they could detain you and run your driver license and CHL to see if you were legal to buy a firearm. I don't know what they could legitimately charge you with.

This doesn't happen in places like California because it's illegal to have a face-to-face sale between private individuals.

I can see a problem with doing this: You might be buying a stolen weapon or one that had been used in a crime.

- Jim

[pistolchamp]

I took 22 junk and I mean JUNK Mosin 91s to a buy back deal in New Jersey and got $250 each for trash I bought for $15 each. I only wish I had bought all 1,500 the distributor had. The police and the city officials were irritated and wanted to get the press involved. They didn't do it when I told them what I would tell the press.... BIG $$$ for scrap iron and NO impact on crime... they just paid me and I left.

They had thought they could just tell the press I was stealing from the city and they would look good, after due consideration they were stuck and they hated it. Although 22 "potential" guns were lost forever, its no big deal as they were total junk... the big win was the money to do these buy-backs was lost forever in that city. I can only hope the word gets around.

The city even had meetings afterwards to "decide how not to let that happen again" and could not come up with an answer after some local gun owners chimed in with even more creative ideas for ways to destroy their plans.

[bdickens]

Hee, hee.

[Lodge2004]

These programs are the ultimate useless "feel good" measure. Accomplishes nothing but getting face time for politicians on the nightly news.

Of course, there is also the potential loss of treasured items turned in by some elderly widow...

When my grandfather passed away 30+ years ago, my relatives cleaned out his closets and dropped everything off at Goodwill. One of the items in his closet was the complete uniform (including belt, epaulettes, sabre) belonging to his father, a Sergeant in the 21st Virginia Cavalry (CSA). I clearly remember, as a child, sneaking into the closet to play with these items. Now I visualize a drunk homeless person having a sword fight with his friends in some back alley of Roanoke, Virginia.

[seamusTX]

If it's any consolation, the good stuff at Goodwill and other such stores is snapped up by dealers within minutes of the store opening.

- Jim

[Lodge2004]

If it's any consolation, the good stuff at Goodwill and other such stores is snapped up by dealers within minutes of the store opening.

I know, and it is consoling, but I just wish that I was one of those lucky people to spot an incredibly good deal. I imagine at gun buy backs, pawn shops, goodwill and other places where people drop off stuff that occasionally a true gem walks through the door. I got really irritated once when a friend found a WWII Japanese officer's sword in outstanding condition at a run down resale shop. It was in a bucket with a bunch of canes and umbrellas and he paid about $50 for it.