Gun buy-back takes "weird" turn in Austin: $100 in food?

[SteveM]

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/done-with-gun-trade-it-in-724149.html

While some police and politicians promote cash payments in their gun "buy-backs," the Austin (TX) Police Department will pay out a $100 card-for-food for any firearm brought to the police. The exception is $200 for an "assault rifle." (They still have a thing for those guns; could have sworn there were only a few hundred thousand of 'em in civilian hands, worth a lot more than $200 spent at an H.E.B.) Chief Acevedo claims the effort is too lessen gun violence, and to allow folks "too old" to operate a gun a way to get rid of them. But a police officer, in the state from which Acevedo hails, has a different take:

"Oakland police officer Jeff Thomason said that officials there held a successful gun buy-back program a few years ago but that it was very expensive. He said many people came from outside the city and sold older guns they had in storage, defeating the purpose of getting guns off the street."

Do tell. You may recall the minor eruption caused when APD, ATF, etc., put the squeeze on a landlord for a Texas gun show, suggesting the property owner require of ALL gun vendors they perform a NICS test, lest the site be deamed a "nuisance." Currently, Acevedo, the police and the City are under fire for a "cover up" in the shooting death by police of a local teen: an investigation of the incident was heavily redacted -- until leaked by the media.

Maybe this is a redaction distraction.

[Callisto32]

1. How about this:

Buy AR lower receivers for around 100 bucks and turn them in for 200 in food!

How do I get the word to our friends in Austin?

[SteveM]

3. I'm sure the word will get out. I have a busted .22 H&R target pistol...hmm. nt

[GreenStormCloud]

2. $50 in Kroger gift card for gun about a year ago in Dallas.

That was the deal that was being offered. I dropped in toward the end to see for myself the guns they collected. Lots of junk guns that wouldn't get $50 in a pawn shop. Very few quality guns.

[gorfle]

4. Of course not.

Lots of junk guns that wouldn't get $50 in a pawn shop. Very few quality guns.

Of course not.

Civilian AK-47 variants are currently selling in excess of $400.

Who in their right mind would sell one for half-price, in food no less?

[old mark]

5. A local gun shop used to sell very old and unfunctional guns for around $30

just for the "buyback" programs. You could buy 3 for around $100 or so, make a nice profit for a small investment. A lot of these guns went down to Philly where they "got guns off the street" pretty regurlarly...most of which were either bought or stolen just for that purpose. Politics as usual.

I saw some of what were called "illegal guns" traded in in a Florida city recently - there were several old hunting rifles and low end handguns and one SKS on the table. How these guns came to be "illegal" I don't understand-before 1968, you could have bought all but the SKS at any Sears store.

I guess they were illegal because the TV guy said so...

mark

[Katya Mullethov]

6. Update they ran outta OPM in the first two hours

I have to assume it was other peoples money , hence the inexplicable cap on how much the could burn through promoting whatever grocery chain was sponsoring this .

BUT !! They are now graciously offering to take them for free .

If you Snoozed ...you losed .