For everyone suggesting a government gun buying program, I have a question

[RB TexLa]

Do you propose this to be no questions asked program?

As in, no one will ask me how I acquired the guns I would sell to the government? And no limits on how many I can acquire and sell to them?

[JaneyVee]

1. Thats how it works in NYC. No questions asked.

And NYC hosts the buyback programs in churches. Even BB guns an air rifles get you $20 while guns get you $200.

[Arctic Dave]

2. Can you think of a reason why they should?

If the goal is to get unwanted firearms out of circulation why would they care.

[Rex]

3. Why do I see dollar signs in your eyes!?!

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. Not at the rates they are paying

[RB TexLa]

17. You have to consider the cost of acquiring the guns

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. Which is why I say pay at least blue book

Stolen/inherited firearms have a zero cost. If you want more of them to make a serious dent in the 300M+ that are out there, raise the prices being paid

One FFL I know is already advertising to have people sell guns to him.

[NightWatcher]

4. working guns of higher quality fetch more through personal sales

The overwhelming majority of weapons turned in during gun buy backs are old, in ill repair, or are sold by people unfamiliar with guns who are just trying to get rid of "gramp's old gun" or some other "safe disposal" of a firearm from the household (this is a great reason from a safety standpoint, but not so much for crime prevention. These programs rarely take guns off the streets that are used in crimes.

[Hoyt]

6. Yeah, but at a minimum such programs can start changing perception of guns in our society.

Better melted than used as intended, type campaign.

Maybe we ought to throw paint on people buying guns (like they did with animal furs), or confine gun toters to back alleys like cigarettes.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

21. Not a chance...

That you support assaulting the innocent as PETA did should not surprise us. However, I am surprised you did not advocate a can of beans instead of paint.

[RB TexLa]

7. But most lower what they pay you if they know the gun is stolen

[Honeycombe8]

8. But they do make the public safer, which is the ultimate goal.

No one is saying that someone is going to mass kill using any of those guns.

Also, I have a high quality pistol that I would sell at such a program....if I wanted to get rid of it or needed the money. That's because I don't have the time, and don't think it's safe, to start meeting strangers to haggle over buying my gun.

I tend to this, whatever I'm selling. I donate to charity, sell it at a garage sale, give it to a friend. I'd like to sell things for more $, but I just don't have the time...and like I say, I won't have strangers coming to my house. Too dangerous.

So I expect others do the same.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. I think there needs to be strict limits on gun buy backs.

I mean, if only government can buy too many guns . . . . or some shit like that.

What are you trying to stir up?

[Honeycombe8]

9. No questions asked. Otherwise, some people would be scared off, even if they didn't have anything

to hide.

[Robb]

10. There were a lot of good ideas in my big ol' thread...

...and I'm putting them together still but:

- No questions asked.

- No limit in the first phase of the program (I'll explain that). However:

- Each time you bring a weapon to the program, you add 90 days to a period of time during which you cannot purchase another firearm. This would put a dent in the so-called "gun flippers" but still allow the determined collector to, as one suggested, sell off three cheap pistols and get one really nice one.

- Two phases to the program: first phase would buyback all weapons at 1.5 times "blue book," up to $500. Second phase would utilize the unspent portion of the first phase to buyback weapons at 1.5 times "blue book" up to $1,000. The second phase would have a limit of five weapons.

- A bunch of other stuff, as I said, I've not yet gotten to.

[ZX86]

12. I like your ideas.....

However I think given American culture gun buy back programs should lean heavily on the carrot and shy away from the stick. I think they should be voluntary and have as few restrictions as possible. The public perception should be a safety program that rewards good citizenship and responsible firearm handling. Not a program that punishes gun owners.

[Robb]

13. Entirely voluntary, I agree.

[Travis_0004]

14. Fair enough

I have a pistol that is broken, if there ever is a gun buyback by me, I would turn it in for 1.5 times bluebook.

The only problem with your idea, is a lot of people at a gun buyback may not want to give their personal info. They would be worried that it would be used against them, so it might hinder the amount of people that would participate in the program.

Also, the 90 day rule wouldn't really bother me. If I'm going to sell 2 pistols and buy one nice one, I'll just buy the new pistol the day before I sell the other 2.

[Robb]

15. Ideally, the database would be administered by a gun-rights advocacy group.

They could easily be audited by a third party.

On the other, the beauty of "sell two pistols, buy one" is that there's one less pistol at the end of the day.

[ZX86]

11. No strong feelings one way or the other.

I lean towards "no questions asked" but I don't think that equal for "no forensics performed" if it's suspected of being involved in a crime.

[Nye Bevan]

18. Yes. No questions asked during the buyback period.

But anyone caught with a gun *after* the buyback period goes to prison.

[1KansasDem]

20. WHAT !!!!