Indiana state senator Jim Tomes has introduced a bill in the legislature that prevents further waste in gun turn-in events, so called “buy backs”. The guns were never owned by the people purchasing them, so “buy back” is a loaded misnomer. The effort seems to be part of a trend in gun-friendly states. Kentucky appears to have been the first state to pass such reform legislation back in 1998. The Indiana bill seems loosely based on a similar Arizona reform passed last year. North Carolina is the latest in a number of states that have passed the money-saving measure . . .
From TheStateHouseFile.com:
“I don’t see why anyone would object to this because it benefits everyone involved,” Tomes said.
Currently, guns that are obtained by law enforcement officials are destroyed and used as scrap metal. If Senate Bill 229 becomes law, local officials could only destroy guns that have a serial number that is indecipherable. Those guns can then be taken back to labs for investigation and used as scrap metal.
Guns that are determined as being defective can only be sold to FFL members.
The guns that are still usable will be auctioned off and the money, minus the taxes, will be given back to the department that resold the guns. The departments can use the money to buy ammunition, vests, weapons or otherwise enhance public safety.
This bill is an improvement over the Arizona reform in that firearms that aren’t working can be salvaged for parts by being sold to FFL holders. Often the parts from older firearms are worth more after being pieced out than the firearm is worth as a unit. Some companies specialize in brokering deals for firearms between police departments and large gun dealers. Some states conduct auctions of guns collected, as do some individual departments.
The Indiana Senate Judiciary committee passed the bill by 6-2. The North Carolina bill passed by large margins: 98 to 16 in the House, and 48 to 1 in the Senate. It was signed into law by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory.
©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Gun Watch
I wish Kentucky did allow gun buy backs. I’ve got some really decrepit guns I would just love to get $50 to $100 for.
We need a hero. Wouldn’t it be great if some shooter walked into a school/mall/theater/etc. with murderous intent only to be capped by a 73 year old grandmother of 8 who happened to have a snub-nosed revolver in her handbag? It would do more for the 2A movement than any election victory or pro-gun study. We had Jeanie Assam (spelling?) but she’d been trained in law enforcement. What I mean is some civilian who would otherwise be a potential victim saving the day with one shot. The Libs would absolutely self destruct!!
And Pierced Moron in three, two,…….
All this discussion about how best to handle “buy back” guns overlooks the absolute idiocy of the idea in the first place. In addition to what we all know – that these programs do nothing to improve safety – I’m finding it hard to believe that paying $50 – $100 for guns that are mostly junk raises any money for anyone! What exactly is the point of these efforts anyway? Answer: they are feel-good programs for do-gooder politicians!
here we are at 9:30 pm and the HCPD tweets no ID of shooter, “techs working to ensure there is no danger from ammunition on shooter’s body.”
OMG, he must have had an arsenal. Or, 4 shells and they are disassembling the shells with the slowest robot ever. Usually the HCPD does a great job, but I have a feeling that due to federal budget cuts some Federales are in there milking the clock and demanding approval for every itty bitty thing.
Just an observation from my hometown newspaper The Seattle Times.
3 people dead in a shooting in Maryland, 56 comments thus far on the Times website.
32 people dead in a nursing home fire in Canada = 2 comments.
Nothing sexy or self-serving, though, saying that we need to do more about fire safety, “for the children” or, sadly true, the elderly and infirm. No Shannon Watts saying that we need to have “commons sense fire safety legislation,” no Piers Morgan talking about “pyromaniac fire-nuts,” no Joe “Double Nozzle” Biden saying that you don’t need a sprinkler system – two fire extinguishers is plenty. Just spray them toward the noise of the fire on the other side of the bedroom door…