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| A sparse take at the City of Opa-locka Gun Turn In Event, January, 2014. |
There will be a gun turn in event in early June, 2014 in Opa-locka, Florida. While these events are commonly labeled with the propaganda term "buyback" the guns were never owned by the people attempting to buy them.
The location for the event has not been announced. At the last turn-in event on 25 January, only eleven guns were turned in, as shown in the picture above. This is a semi-annual event, and the numbers were much higher in 2012, with 58 turned in in June, and over 100 turned in at the December 22nd event, shortly after the Sandy Hook tragedy.
I have not seen the incentives offered at the event, but they appear to be between $50 and $100, as a total of $800 was handed out for 11 firearms. Perhaps they rounded off the numbers and handed out $75 each. That would be $825 total.
These events offer Second Amendment activists the potential for picking up some firearms at reasonable prices. The gift cards offered for firearms generally undervalue a significant number of the firearms turned in. In this case, there appears to be a nice Smith & Wesson model 10, a Ruger semi-auto pistol, a sporterised Mauser rifle, and a M91 Carcano Cavalry Carbine that appears to be in original military configuration.
This event is labeled as a "no questions asked" event. The possibility of stolen firearms seems a little higher than usual. At most events, stolen guns are less than 1 percent of the total. In the December, 2012 event, six stolen guns were recovered out of over 100 turned in.
Across the country, communities, police departments and churches are sponsoring gun turn-ins to get "guns off the street". At many of these events, private buyers are showing up, offering cash for the more valuable guns. These private additions to the public turn-in are effective, no doubt, in getting more guns off the street, because they add to the resources that are available to those who want to get rid of guns for something of value, be it a grocery card or a number of twenty dollar bills.
You can help make the turn-in in your area more effective by standing on the curb with your "Cash for Guns" sign, or at a folding table, willing to offer more than the gift card for firearms that are more valuable. It would be best if numerous private parties were available, as more good guns could then be transferred into responsible hands.
This action serves many useful purposes. It stretches the turn-in budget so that more guns can be taken off the street. It helps keep fearful widows from being defrauded of most of the market value of the gun they are turning in. It prevents valuable assets from being destroyed by bureaucratic inflexibility. It is a win-win-win situation.
It also dispels the pernicious message that guns are bad and should be destroyed.
Private sales are legal in Florida. Open carry of firearms is generally not legal, but it appears that brief displays of a firearm are accepted, if the display is not in a threatening manner.
Link to article with numerous examples of private sales at gun turn in events
Link to most recent article about private buyers at Detroit event
Link to Phoenix Article: pictures of private buyers
First hand accounts of this turn-in would be appreciated, as would any pictures. Updates will be posted as information becomes available.
©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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