SC: Gun Turn In Collects 364 firearms, 1/3 paid for with IOUs

Gun Watch ^ | 18 March, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

On Saturday, 15 March, a gun turn in event was held in Winston Salem, South Carolina.   220 handguns and 144 rifles and shotguns were reported as being turned in, along with unnumbered airguns and BB guns.  I have not found a report that indicates if there were private buyers competing with the event organizers to buy the offered firearms and air guns, though their had been some discussion of this on at least one South Carolina gun forum before the event.

Several of the activists used the event to dispose of faulty firerams that were worth less on the free market than the incentive offered:

A friend took a couple of junk guns up for me. I got $175 for a couple of inoperable junkers that needed to be thrown away anyhow (between several friends we got $1800 of their money). I will be on the lookout for more junk to take to the next one. While I obviously disagree with their notion of using tax payer dollars to "take guns off the streets", I feel that taking as much of their money as possible is the best method to subvert the spirit of the initiative. Any money I get from them will be funneled directly into more guns and ammo! My hope is that any anti-gun organizations or individuals who make private donations to this cause will now have fewer funds to donate elsewhere.

Another member implied that there may have been private buyers, but did not offer details, with this cryptic response:  "Some deals to be had there!"

 The physical setup of this turn in event made private offers to buy difficult.  It was held at a fairground, and private buyers were not allowed in at the gate, which was hundreds of yards from the collection point.   This article has several pictures of the set up and the firearms turned in.


Another event will be held at the First Waughtown Baptist Church, 838 Moravia St., on Saturday, 12 April.

The event will be open from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. They often open a little early and run out of money early.  People started showing up for the 15 March event 90 minutes early. The best time to make deals is when people show up after they have run out of rewards to give out, or when people have to wait in line.  People who have a number of inexpensive guns to turn in, should arrive early to make sure that the organizers do not run out of money before they can turn in what they wish to dispose of. People who turn in guns will be required to give their names.

Private sales are legal in South Carolina, as they are in most states.

 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.

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

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

The next turn in event does not have as much real estate to bring cars into to segregate them from potential private buyers.

[Secret Agent Man]

you see now the gun grabbers are putting a very large distance between where they collect the guns, and the people who’d want to buy/save them.

[marktwain]

They ran out of money at this event, and decided to issue IOUs for the remainder.

[Rider on the Rain]

The last time I checked, Winston Salem was in North Carolina.

[Secret Agent Man]

yeah like i’d take one of their iou’s.

try paying property taxes with your personal iou.

[Pan_Yan]

While I obviously disagree with their notion of using tax payer dollars to "take guns off the streets", I feel that taking as much of their money as possible is the best method to subvert the spirit of the initiative.

Fairly hypocritical statement.

[marktwain]

It is NORTH CAROLINA not South Carolina.

North Carolina requires a permit to purchase a pistol from the Sheriff. It is good for five years.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I wish they would have a gun buy back near here! I have a couple of truly junk wore out shotguns I would like to get rid of. I would be afraid to fire a cartridge in them! I have welded the firing pin hole up on several of them.

[rjsimmon]

The last time I checked, Winston Salem was in North Carolina.

Yep. What else did this genius get wrong?

[Jeff Chandler]

I wonder if they buy BB guns?

[SunshinesStormySummerSon]

As a South Carolinian, I was unaware that North Carolina sheriffs were in the business of selling pistols - I assume only to residents of their own state. I know, I know - but sometimes we all need a little levity.

[rjsimmon]

It is NORTH CAROLINA not South Carolina.

The article specifically states North Carolina. How did South get into the mix?

[SunshinesStormySummerSon]

Let’s see...there’s “SC” in the title and “Winston-Salem, South Carolina” in the first sentence. Yep, that might explain it.

[Rodamala]

“1/3 paid for with IOUs”

more like “2/3 paid for out on the street, with cash, by legal buyers, outside the buyback location”

[Recompennation]

to dispose of faulty ‘firerams’?
Reduces the danger of bad guns hurting someone. But also is s waste of a perfectly good throwdown. What a quandary.

[mountn man]

I wonder if they buy BB guns?

"220 handguns and 144 rifles and shotguns were reported as being turned in, along with unnumbered airguns and BB guns."

Its amazing what you can find out
...If you actually read.

[marktwain]

Draft posted on Freerepublic. No edits allowed once posted.

[Jeff Chandler]

I should have said, I wonder if they pay the same for BB guns. Could be profitable. Stop off at Walmart on the way to the gun buy.

[marktwain]

There was no payment made for BB or air guns.

[OldPossum]

From your post 9: "What else did this genius get wrong?"

This: ...their had been some discussion...

So many people have problems with "there," "their" and "they're." They sound the same, so therein lies the problem. Well, that plus a bit of a deficiency in spelling.