I turn guns into garden tools. We need more options for destroying firearms

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/gun-violence-police-how-destroy-decommission-firearms-20240627.html

Gun buybacks often don't get the right guns off the street, and many police departments end up reselling weapons they confiscate. There must be a better way.

It’s easier to get a gun in America than it is to get rid of a gun.

Between 2019 and 2021, Philadelphia organized more than 34 buyback events. But despite all that effort, Philadelphia recovered just over 1,000 firearms, none of which had been used in a crime.

What can I say? I guess these gun buying events aren't the answer to anything.

[yagotme]

1. Wrong.

It’s easier to get a gun in America than it is to get rid of a gun.

You can turn in a firearm at the local police dept, and walk away. No background check, no forms to fill out, no fees. You can find a large body of water, disassemble the firearm, and toss in pieces here and there. The guns that are resold, are done so in a legal way, background checks and all. The police aren't going to sell a gun to Joe Schmo walking in off the street.

One family I met had just moved to Philadelphia, and had a family member who thought they needed an assault rifle, so he bought one and had it delivered to their house. It was literally dropped off on the porch, and they had no idea it was coming.

I have difficulty believing this one, because this was not lawful on more than one level.

The United States already has more guns than people,

Then, why isn't everybody in the US dead from gunfire? If guns are SOOOOO bad, that many guns SHOULD have resulted in tens of thousands of killing sprees, leaving no one alive. Oh, wait. I guess it's NOT the gun that kills, but the person holding it. Lock up violent assailants and murderers, for life, and see if that helps the murder rate.

A man in Philadelphia lost his wife to suicide, and called RAWtools Philly hoping that we could destroy the gun she used. I contacted the detective involved in the case, who listened intently and asked good questions. He seemed very interested in the reasonable request of this grieving widower. The detective ran it through the ranks, and eventually brought the firearm into the shop, where we destroyed it. Once he got here, the gun was gone in about five minutes.

Guess it's not really that hard to get rid of a gun, after all...

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

2. A fact infusion

"It’s easier to get a gun..."
[...find a large body of water, disassemble the firearm, and toss in pieces here and there.]

~ Simple answers while kind of obvious, equal neither a snappy soundbite nor a good photo op.
~ Don't forget that initiatives taken by We the People don't matter much since we can't be trusted. The government has to be the actor that save us by grabbing and destroying the guns. Otherwise how will we know those guns are truly gone?

"...moved to Philadelphia...thought they needed an assault rifle...bought one and had it delivered to their house. It was literally dropped off on the porch, and they had no idea it was coming."
[I have difficulty believing this one, because this was not lawful on more than one level.]

~ Philly...not the lowest for crime and I spent most of my life there.
~ "assault rifle" Well, most of the we hate guns crowd can't/won't use correct terminology.
~ "...had it delivered to their house." I suppose there's a number of mob members and gang related individuals who'd be glad do such a FAVOR.

"The United States already has more guns than people..."
[ Lock up violent assailants and murderers, for life, and see if that helps the murder rate.]

~ We do have more guns than people but not every individual owns a gun. Last I looked for numbers, we were closing in on around 700,000,000 guns held by private individuals worldwide and a bit more than half were here in the US. No, we don't have half of the world's murders. We should absolutely lock the violent offenders in prison for life. The problem is two-fold. First, it's easier to catch the soft criminals, the ones who use and sell drugs, those with stolen property, the folks embezzled... Murders, the ones who plan ahead, don't engage in a blaze of glory killing in a mall or school, I'm referring to smart ones that make an actual effort not to be caught. They use stolen cars in their drive-by shootings. They don't leave prints or DNA. They don't hire out. They do their own work.
~ Warehousing the non-violent is a money making business in many places.

If We the People can't be trusted to get rid of a gun and the government needs to be involved, how can we be trusted to turn them in or sell them in some futile gift cards for guns showboat activity?

[yagotme]

4. And some of these "disposers" don't know what they're doing.

A few years back, I remember some self-righteous "assault weapon banner" bought an AR=15, to destroy it (on video, of course). They cut the barrel in half, saying "See, I destroyed an evil assault weapon". No, you just broke federal law, and made a short-barreled single shot rifle, per the 1934 Act.

[Fla_Democrat]

3. My understanding is....

My understanding is that they can just be thrown in a grocery store's trash can.

At least that's the word on the mean streets of Delaware. I wouldn't know personally.. I'm a collector, not a disposer.