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Wait Until You Hear the Clever Way Private Gun Buyers Invaded a Gun Buyback Program in Seattle

Jan. 28, 2013 2:21pm Jason Howerton

Private Buyers Spoil Seattle Gun Buyback Event by Offerring Cash for Firearms

Seattle Police officers log guns exchanged for gift cards under Interstate 5 in Seattle during a CIty of Seattle gun buy back program on Saturday, January 26, 2013. The city has collected donations totaling nearly $120,000 to pay for a series of gun buyback events. Participants have been asked to unload and secure their weapons in the trunk of their vehicle or in a locked container. Credit: AP

The Seattle Police Department held its first gun buyback event since the 1990s this weekend, offering people gift cards for their firearms. However, dozens of private buyers showed up in an effort to acquire the guns using the so-called gun show loophole, which allows guns to be sold without a background check.

Hundreds of people showed up Saturday morning to give their rifles and shotguns as well as semi-automatic rifles to police in exchange for gift cards worth $100 and $200 respectively, KING 5 reports. The police planned to destroy the guns and use them as rebar in local construction projects.

Meanwhile, a number of private buyers set up a makeshift gun show-style event and offered cold hard cash for guns and even lured customers with donuts.

“I pay cash, I don’t give Amazon gift cards,” one dealer told a gun seller.

“It’s a historical firearm, I would hate to see it get destroyed. I’ll give you $100 cash for it,” another buyer offered a gun owner.

Many held up signs that let gun owners know they would pay cash for unwanted firearms.

“I’d rather see it turned back into the gun community used to promote shooting sports,” one man told KING 5.

(KING 5)

Private buyer Mason Vranish reportedly purchased a rocket launcher from of a man who had come to exchange it for a gift card, but officers confiscated the weapon on the suspicion that it had been stolen from the U.S. military.

“Their reason was even though it was single time use item it is still military property concern that a soldier had stolen it from the base or whatever and it wasn’t theirs to own… so it somehow ended up in the civilian market illegally,” Vranish told KING 5.

(KING 5)

Seattle Police Sgt. Paul Gracy carries guns collected from people in a City of Seattle drive-thru gun exchange program under Interstate 5 in Seattle on Saturday, January 26, 2013. The city has collected donations totaling nearly $120,000 to pay for a series of gun buyback events. Participants have been asked to unload and secure their weapons in the trunk of their vehicle or in a locked container. Credit: AP

Seattle Police Chief John Diaz said he would “prefer” gun owners not sell their guns to private buyers at the gun buyback event.

“Some are looking at this as a money making operation,” he told KPLU-TV. “But I think that is very few of the people. Most people are here in the spirit of wanting to do something because of some of the tragedies that we’ve seen in our country and in our own city.”

The buyback program is funded by donations from Amazon of $30,000, the Seattle Police Foundation of $25,000 and local businesses of more than $118,000. In the first two hours of the event, police say they gave our $35,000 in gift cards for 160 guns.

In a separate gun buyback event, Mercer County officials say more than 2,500 weapons were turned in for cash during a two-day gun buyback program in Trenton, N.J.

The Trenton gun buyback surpassed one in Camden in December that netted more than 1,100 weapons.

Mercer County residents received $25 to $250 for each firearm depending on type, condition and legality.

About $100,000 was budgeted but because of the huge turnout, the amount spent is expected to be well over double that. Some participants were given vouchers after money ran out Saturday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

(H/T: Raw Story)

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (335)

Jim
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 12:07am
How do you ‘buy back’ something that never belonged to you?

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JustMeHere_01
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:59pm
I hope you people are aware that Google has already admitted that they capture your every search and provide it to the Government. Yes our illustrious Government already knows everything you or I do and record every search on any topic that you or I do.

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XPat
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:57pm
TOMCAT11767
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 6:39pm
“JT
When I meet a human being that was not an embryo, then I will believe that abortion is not murder.”
One of best comments to date. Mind if I use it?

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Chancellor
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:54pm
I talked about this over a month ago. I’ve done this myself and scored some very good deals.

I scored one gun that paid for my trip to the event gas and food. People will take cash over Gift cards everytime.

And to those that frown on this Track one of those guns the police “destroy” . Many are cleaned up and resold!

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- JustMeHere_01
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 12:02am
  @Chancellor
  Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:54pm
  I talked about this over a month ago. I’ve done this myself and scored some very good deals.
  
  I scored one gun that paid for my trip to the event gas and food. People will take cash over Gift cards everytime.
  
  And to those that frown on this Track one of those guns the police “destroy” . Many are cleaned up and resold!
  ——————————–
  I don’t believe you.
  
  Report this comment
- Chancellor
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 12:11am
  Tough I still do it just like them. But your just a wuss from OathKeepers right?
  
  Report this comment
- JustMeHere_01
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 12:18am
  @Chancellor
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 12:11am
  Tough I still do it just like them. But your just a wuss from OathKeepers right?
  ————————————
  Can you tell me what the Oath Keepers are about?
  
  Report this comment
JustMeHere_01
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:53pm
If I am not mistaken, “Send-the-Meters” loves the Muslim Brother Hood and has no problem with our Government sending F-16′s to them so that they can attack Israel.

If I am not mistaken “Send-the-Meters” likes and supports anything that is Anti-American.

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JustMeHere_01
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:47pm
I would really like to know who this “Send-The-Meters” is. He proudly proclaims to be this highly intelligent individual person. I really am impressed with his intellect and would like to know more about this person. I only wish I was as informed as this individual is. I can’t imagine how it must feel to know more than anyone else does.

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TADTAD
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:33pm
Hey US Government; go eff yourself. “Your” Constitution is MY Guarantee which I OWN.

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bdavies13
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:19pm
Sadly, many elderly folks are duped into selling expensive collectibles …..sometimes WWII vintage guns ….. sometimes older vintage. Aside from them getting pennies on the dollar ….. the true collectibles are bought by policemen (for the donation cost) and added to THEIR collections. A bit self-serving I’d say.

Oh, and before you say that can’t happen or that never happens ….. I KNOW that it does ….. I’ve seen it, and I know cops that do it.

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RK
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:18pm
I suspect many people showing up are getting rid of inherited guns. Some smelly, dirty hippie in Seattle inherits Uncle Larry’s or Granddad’s rifle and has no clue what to do with it. Further they are nervous even having it in the house. Scared it might jump up and shoot someone, or they might start hearing voices and have no control over themselves. So they load up the guns in the Prius and head downtown, to the event ready-made for the weak-minded and the perpetually scared. Shame too, because it is probable that Granddad really liked his rifle, and took care of it. Only to see to go to that sissy-ass bum of a grandson, to be dumped in a trashcan and turned into a gift card to buy some more tie-died t-shirts or new sandals. At least they could show some respect and buy some deodorant from Amazon.

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eric55
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 11:07pm
proves the point that its a waste of money i didnt see one bad person turning in the guns its all law abiding citizens doing spring cleaning have no fear the criminals did not turn in their guns. but as long as the liberals feel good thats the main thing

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judge_not
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:34pm
Now that is a cheap gun show!

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reeney
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:18pm
so when are we going to stop using amazon???they have put out of business several shops I know of. and other websites cannot compete to sell thier books with amazon. I love to save money but we must remember we also are not for a monopoly of any industry. Now they are supporting buy back programs to disarm the people of Seattle. Enough we cannot always choose convience or money over freedom….

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TeslanEdison
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:17pm
Isn’t it great how the government can fake up a “Charity” gun buy back, sure they put the badge of some corporations on this, but somewhere you’ll find the thumb print of the Federal government and in specific the Obama administration. This gun buy back is a test for a Federally mandated one like that passed in Australia, the response they get is a test. It’s Pavlovian conditioning and we are unfortunately the dogs being trained that the police collecting guns even in a “buy back” is business as usual in America. Similar conditioning is happening in the major cities as they expose wider populations to Police state actions, such as black helicopters with no lights flying around while police scatter people on the ground. So dissidents and figures of interest will be collected or executed whole sale, and it will be just another day in your major city. There is no good reason for military and police to drill in the public square in this day and age, if you want to show force somewhere pick a somewhat abandon city like Detroit.

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enderwiggen
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 10:03pm
How stupid do you have to be? Your government is buying your guns from you with your money, take a hint. Perhaps we have gotten so weak minded that we believe the government that is buying up our protection is going to protect us, when they’ve proven time and again they can’t. What makes it worse is that the police are collecting up their firearms knowing they can’t protect them. How pathetic.

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OBAMALOG
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:43pm
why do cops always have those ridiculous mustaches?

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beps
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:41pm
Somehow, it reminds me of the piles of “stuff” collected @Nazi concentration camps.

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txannie
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:40pm
I have no more guns. They all seemed to just evaporate or got stolen or something the day after the last gun “disaster”. Go ahead and look, maybe you can find them, but I doubt it.

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strats
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:24pm
I don’t have any money.
The government says I’m crippled
As long as I have my guns….

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rcguy
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:10pm
This was “not” a gun free zone. Surprisingly no one was shot. Go figure?

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rcguy
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:05pm
Looks like a Summit of different fire arms and no one got SHOT!

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iguana
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:04pm
Yeah, and I’m so sure the cops are destroying collectible guns when they get them. Believe me, they collect too.

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Small World
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 9:00pm
Gotta love it!

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oldguy49
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 8:50pm
to the people that turn in their guns or want to get rid of legal guns …………when the shtf and there is no power,no water and the food shelves at the store are empty and a bunch of people are comming to your house for whatever you have………sorry i ain’t helping……………

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Fiznart
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 8:48pm
“JTEAGLE – Posted on January 28, 2013 at 6:09pm
Here we go with that argument. Abortion is not murder. We’ll have to agree to disagree on that one. Besides planned parenthood does much more than abortion.”
Abortion = stopping a child in the womb from life = killing a child or murder of a child yet to be born. You can call a tail of a dog a leg but no matter what it is called it is still a tail. You can say abortion is not murder but no matter what it is still called it is still the killing or murder of a child. Planned parenthood would not be in business if abortion was illegal. It’s time to call a spade a spade! And in keeping with the article – Guns are for protection of people from tyranny and assault. Buy back programs – useless.

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Skrewedretiree
Posted on January 28, 2013 at 8:45pm
I wish my town would offer a gun buyback program. I have some clunkers I got for 50 bucks years ago that I would eagerly sell for 100 to 200 bucks of sucker money. The average paid by the Seattle participants, police and all the Liberal donators was $218.75 per gun ($35,000 dollars, 160 guns).
I would use the gift card for whatever and go to the gun shop and buy what I could based on the money saved on my monthly over-taxed budget from the gift cards.

Low Information donors, to be sure…..

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