Utahns dropped off the unwanted firearms at the Christ United Methodist Church, where professionals took the firearms apart.
“Even the most skilled gunsmith couldn’t make this a serviceable weapon. This gun will never hurt anyone, because now it’s just a chunk of metal,” said one of the volunteers.
The center will ship the pieces to a Colorado organization called RAWtools that will turn the guns into spades or mattocks you can purchase online.
“It’s a great alternative to selling them for people who just don’t want their guns to possibly be out on the street,” said Julie Peck-Dabling, a member of the Christ United Methodist Church.
“It’s a way to make sure that we are forging peace in society and we see that this is a means of preventing gun violence,” said Terri Gilfillian, board chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah.
— Emily Tencer in Unwanted Guns Are Taking on a New Purpose: Gardening