On Saturday, 18 November, the city of Houston will host a gun buyback event. The event will be held at Westchase Park and Ride, 11050 Harwin Drive, Houston, from 8 a.m. to Noon. No questions will be asked of people turning in guns for gift cards. The event is funded with American Rescue Plan money, part of the 1.6 trillion dollar Biden Administration spending, which is driving inflation.
- $50 will be offered for guns that do not work
- $100 for working rifles or shotguns
- $150 for working handguns
- $200 for semi-automatic rifles
- No “Ghost Guns” or pellet guns will be accepted.
Houston has already had several of these gun turn-in events, labeled with the Orwellian term “buyback.” As Houston did not own these firearms previously, they cannot buy them back.
In a previous Houston event, on July 30, 2022, an activist turned in a box full of 3D-printed crude, single-shot pistols and walked away with a significant chunk of change. The upcoming event on November 18 will not pay for “ghost guns.”
The Biden administration claims “ghost guns” are excessively dangerous. In a brief to the Supreme Court, the Biden administration makes this claim:
Ghost guns can be made from kits and parts that are available online to anyone with a credit card and that allow anyone with basic tools and rudimentary skills (or access to Internet video tutorials) to assemble a fully functional firearm in as little as twenty minutes. Some manufacturers of those kits and parts assert that they are not “firearms” regulated by federal law, and thus can be sold without serial numbers, transfer records, or background checks. Those features of ghost guns make them uniquely attractive to criminals and others who are legally prohibited from buying firearms.
The problem with accepting “ghost guns” at the gun turn-in scheduled for Houston is that “ghost guns” quickly transfer gift cards from the event to people who are willing to spend a few dollars on making “ghost guns.” Accepting “ghost guns” undercuts the propaganda value of the event. Not accepting “ghost guns” undercuts “ghost gun” propaganda.
In previous Houston gun turn-in events, many private buyers have found some excellent deals for good guns.
When the event only offers $100 for working rifles or shotguns, a nice old double barrel might be picked up for $120. Maybe someone will have Grandpa’s old Browning Auto-5 for $150. A purchase of $175 might bag a Smith & Wesson model 10 in good condition. At the recent gun turn-in at Dallas, one participant procured a minty Colt, pre-ban SP-1, a desirable collector item worth $2,000 to $3,000 for $400.
Even well-funded events, such as in Houston, usually run out of gift cards before the event ends. Private buyers often make very good deals after the gift cards run out. Private purchase of firearms is legal in most states, as it is in Texas.
The right to purchase firearms without government permission is a basic part of the Second Amendment.
The Heller decision mentioned regulation of the commercial sale of firearms might be accepted under the Second Amendment. This implies private sales of firearms should not be regulated. The private sale of firearms acts as a check against creating a firearms registry. The only serious purpose of a firearms registry is to facilitate the confiscation of private arms, whether wholesale or piecemeal.
Academic studies have found gun turn-in events do not reduce homicides or suicides. They may do some harm with a slight uptick in gun crimes following these events.
Lines for these events start early. Those who come first are the most likely to obtain gift cards before they run out. This offers an opportunity to private purchasers to talk to people in line to see what they have.
There are certain to be private purchasers at the Houston turn-in event. This correspondent expects to publish a report after the event has ended.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
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