Can I buy guns at a city gun buyback

wftree · July 9, 2009, 11:44 AM

OK this may be stupid but

Can I stand outside a gun buy back location and buy guns???

I am sure this would be illegal for handguns but what about rifles and shotguns????

Brian Pfleuger · July 9, 2009, 11:49 AM

I don't see why it would be illegal, assuming all other aspects of the transaction are legal, such as you're not in a city that requires long guns to be registered or whatever.

I would assume that the buy back authorities would not be impressed with the idea, however.

ninjatoth · July 9, 2009, 11:51 AM

I don't know any facts of that,but from my take on it,they buy them solely to destroy them,so my educated guess would tell me no.

Evan Thomas · July 9, 2009, 11:56 AM

Quote:

I would assume that the buy back authorities would not be impressed with the idea, however.

A safe assumption, I think... I'd check my local loitering laws first.

And from what I've heard about the kinds of guns that get turned at these events -- why would you want to do this??

Brian Pfleuger · July 9, 2009, 11:57 AM

Quote:

they buy them solely to destroy them,so my educated guess would tell me no.

Point being that they haven't bought them yet. You can buy a gun on the other side of the city on the same day, so why can't you buy a gun on the sidewalk out front on the same day?

stargazer65 · July 9, 2009, 12:14 PM

Quote:

And from what I've heard about the kinds of guns that get turned at these events -- why would you want to do this??

Yes, I've heard reports that most of the guns that are turned in are junk that is ready for the scrap heap. I imagine there probably are some exceptions, so I suppose you could get a good deal if you were really knowledgeable. Maybe you could end up lucky like the antique collector who stumbles on a tiffany lamp at a yard sale.

Quote:

I would assume that the buy back authorities would not be impressed with the idea, however.

I would agree as well. Of course, what's wrong with a little healthy competition as long as it's legal?

Evan Thomas · July 9, 2009, 12:51 PM

One of the features of these events is that they're "no-questions-asked" re: the source of the guns being turned in. But of course all the people who come to turn in guns will have paperwork for them, so you can be sure you're not buying a stolen one.

**Mike Irwin** · July 9, 2009, 01:04 PM

Can you?

Probably.

Will the police hassle you? Definitely.

csmsss · July 9, 2009, 01:06 PM

I have heard thirdhand(but cannot confirm) that at some of these buybacks, LEO's cherrypick from the turn-ins for their personal use.

ninjatoth · July 9, 2009, 03:13 PM

sorry,I didnt read your question thorough enough,I thought you meant buying from the cops.Well,yeah you could buy in front of there,but I wouldn't reccommend it because youd have to buy the case too without even taking the gun out to inspect it,or the cops would probably arrest you for branishing a firearm or something

Evan Thomas · July 9, 2009, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninjatoth

I wouldn't reccommend it because youd have to buy the case too without even taking the gun out to inspect it,or the cops would probably arrest you for branishing a firearm or something

A good point. And if you went somewhere more discreet, why, there you are in a nice private place... you've got the money... and you already know he's got one gun...

I think I'll pass.

wftree · July 9, 2009, 03:50 PM

It just drives me crazy to see any good gun go to waste.

I am not sure I would have ever tried but wonder what people thought and especially if anyone ever tried it!

Wagonman · July 9, 2009, 06:00 PM

That would be pretty cool. Maybe the GOA could arrange something and donate the guns bought to some kind of charity. I love civil disobedience. Sorta like the RKBA Equivalent of sitting at the lunch counter.

teeroux · July 9, 2009, 07:13 PM

They would likely say you didn't have proper permits or whatever to do business in the street.

Brian Pfleuger · July 9, 2009, 07:15 PM

You could just stand there holding a sign:

I'll pay you more for your rifles or shotguns than the buy back will. Call 555-1212

SwampYankee · July 9, 2009, 07:23 PM

Quote:

You could just stand there holding a sign:

I'll pay you more for your rifles or shotguns than the buy back will. Call 555-1212

Now you're thinking!

chemgirlie · July 9, 2009, 08:00 PM

On a side note I've always wanted to see somebody giving ballpark appraisals at one of those buybacks. Yeah, most are junk, but there have to be some people there who have something of decent quality and don't know that they're getting ripped off with their own tax dollars.

As for the potential loitering charges I suppose you could put the "call 555-xxxx for a fair market value sale of your firearms" on your car and park it right next to the buyback; Then you wouldn't be loitering.

divemedic · July 9, 2009, 09:31 PM

At the last buy back in Orlando, there was a guy who turned in a pair of M1As. I bet those never saw the furnace.

Kreyzhorse · July 10, 2009, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Can you?

Probably.

Will the police hassle you? Definitely.

+1,000. If you attempt it, let us know how it goes.

tmd11111 · July 10, 2009, 07:00 AM

Quote:

I'll pay you more for your rifles or shotguns than the buy back will. Call 555-1212

Dude, quit giving everyone my phone number..

Don P · July 10, 2009, 03:05 PM

Quote:

You could just stand there holding a sign:

I'll pay you more for your rifles or shotguns than the buy back will. Call 555-1212

Quote:

Now you're thinking!

And when the coppers show up and start running serial #'s all the stolen ones will leave with them leaving you holding the perverbial dirty end of the stick!

Brian Pfleuger · July 10, 2009, 03:08 PM

Quote:

And when the coppers show up and start running serial #'s all the stolen ones will leave with them leaving you holding the perverbial dirty end of the stick!

There is no requirement when buying long guns to verify their source. It's all back to that "reasonable person" sort of thing. If you have no reasonable reason to doubt the source then you may buy the gun. Requiring valid ID from anyone from whom you make a purchase would go a long way to protecting you.

shaunpain · July 11, 2009, 06:02 AM

Here in Chicago where gun buybacks are anonymous, a joke, and worth a $50 pre-paid Mastercard, they melt those suckers down.

Amusingly enough, an artist made the front page here for requisitioning the paper weights and making some sort of sculpture out of it. A single tear streamed down my face.

FWIW, I am fairly positive most of the turn-ins here are dirty and personally I don't think I'd take the chance. The post about the M1s hurt to read. Why the hell would you DO THAT?!?!?

Uncle Buck · July 11, 2009, 08:57 AM

I would love to hear the results of a competitive buy-back. Maybe a gun club could make a better offer on the same day and compete with the police.

My biggest concern would be the stolen firearms. I think the first stolen firearm you purchased would open a can of worms and you would not be buying anymore. When I ran an auto repair business (Cars, not guns) I would get more offers to trade the work for this gun or that gun. I picked up quite a few nice guns doing that. I also had the police chief check the guns to see if they had been stolen. Quite a few were. The town had a policy that they would go after the guy who sold, or traded me, the gun that turned out to be stolen. The police chief told them they would have to pay me for the work I had done, or they would be charged for that also. (Theft of services or something like that.) It was a pretty nice arrangement and he, the chief, would get to purchase what I did not want or need.

armsmaster270 · July 11, 2009, 12:20 PM

Wait until you see the gun you like approach the person and tell him to meet you at a gun shop for the transfer. then you are both in a safe invironment if the gun is not hot.

July 9, 2009, 11:44 AM	#1
wftree Member Join Date: December 24, 2007 Posts: 32	Can I buy guns at a city gun buyback OK this may be stupid but Can I stand outside a gun buy back location and buy guns??? I am sure this would be illegal for handguns but what about rifles and shotguns????

July 9, 2009, 11:49 AM	#2
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	I don't see why it would be illegal, assuming all other aspects of the transaction are legal, such as you're not in a city that requires long guns to be registered or whatever. I would assume that the buy back authorities would not be impressed with the idea, however. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

July 9, 2009, 12:51 PM	#7
Evan Thomas Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2008 Location: Upper midwest Posts: 5,631	One of the features of these events is that they're "no-questions-asked" re: the source of the guns being turned in. But of course all the people who come to turn in guns will have paperwork for them, so you can be sure you're not buying a stolen one. __________________ Never let anything mechanical know you're in a hurry.

July 9, 2009, 01:04 PM	#8
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,380	Can you? Probably. Will the police hassle you? Definitely. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

July 9, 2009, 07:15 PM	#15
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	You could just stand there holding a sign: I'll pay you more for your rifles or shotguns than the buy back will. Call 555-1212 __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

July 9, 2009, 11:51 AM	#3
ninjatoth Junior member Join Date: March 21, 2009 Location: sanford,mi Posts: 590	I don't know any facts of that,but from my take on it,they buy them solely to destroy them,so my educated guess would tell me no.

July 9, 2009, 01:06 PM	#9
csmsss Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Orange, TX Posts: 3,078	I have heard thirdhand(but cannot confirm) that at some of these buybacks, LEO's cherrypick from the turn-ins for their personal use.

July 9, 2009, 03:13 PM	#10
ninjatoth Junior member Join Date: March 21, 2009 Location: sanford,mi Posts: 590	sorry,I didnt read your question thorough enough,I thought you meant buying from the cops.Well,yeah you could buy in front of there,but I wouldn't reccommend it because youd have to buy the case too without even taking the gun out to inspect it,or the cops would probably arrest you for branishing a firearm or something

July 9, 2009, 03:50 PM	#12
wftree Member Join Date: December 24, 2007 Posts: 32	It just drives me crazy to see any good gun go to waste. I am not sure I would have ever tried but wonder what people thought and especially if anyone ever tried it!

July 9, 2009, 06:00 PM	#13
Wagonman Senior Member Join Date: September 11, 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,014	That would be pretty cool. Maybe the GOA could arrange something and donate the guns bought to some kind of charity. I love civil disobedience. Sorta like the RKBA Equivalent of sitting at the lunch counter.

July 9, 2009, 07:13 PM	#14
teeroux Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2006 Posts: 1,512	They would likely say you didn't have proper permits or whatever to do business in the street.

July 9, 2009, 08:00 PM	#17
chemgirlie Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2009 Location: WI Posts: 331	On a side note I've always wanted to see somebody giving ballpark appraisals at one of those buybacks. Yeah, most are junk, but there have to be some people there who have something of decent quality and don't know that they're getting ripped off with their own tax dollars. As for the potential loitering charges I suppose you could put the "call 555-xxxx for a fair market value sale of your firearms" on your car and park it right next to the buyback; Then you wouldn't be loitering.

July 9, 2009, 09:31 PM	#18
divemedic Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2006 Posts: 1,310	At the last buy back in Orlando, there was a guy who turned in a pair of M1As. I bet those never saw the furnace. __________________ Caveat Emperor

July 11, 2009, 06:02 AM	#23
shaunpain Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2008 Location: Chicago Posts: 854	Here in Chicago where gun buybacks are anonymous, a joke, and worth a $50 pre-paid Mastercard, they melt those suckers down. Amusingly enough, an artist made the front page here for requisitioning the paper weights and making some sort of sculpture out of it. A single tear streamed down my face. FWIW, I am fairly positive most of the turn-ins here are dirty and personally I don't think I'd take the chance. The post about the M1s hurt to read. Why the hell would you DO THAT?!?!?

July 11, 2009, 08:57 AM	#24
Uncle Buck Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: West Central Missouri Posts: 2,592	I would love to hear the results of a competitive buy-back. Maybe a gun club could make a better offer on the same day and compete with the police. My biggest concern would be the stolen firearms. I think the first stolen firearm you purchased would open a can of worms and you would not be buying anymore. When I ran an auto repair business (Cars, not guns) I would get more offers to trade the work for this gun or that gun. I picked up quite a few nice guns doing that. I also had the police chief check the guns to see if they had been stolen. Quite a few were. The town had a policy that they would go after the guy who sold, or traded me, the gun that turned out to be stolen. The police chief told them they would have to pay me for the work I had done, or they would be charged for that also. (Theft of services or something like that.) It was a pretty nice arrangement and he, the chief, would get to purchase what I did not want or need.

July 11, 2009, 12:20 PM	#25
armsmaster270 Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2008 Location: California Posts: 1,951	Wait until you see the gun you like approach the person and tell him to meet you at a gun shop for the transfer. then you are both in a safe invironment if the gun is not hot. __________________ http://www.armsmaster.net-a.googlepages.com http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/f...aster270/Guns/ Retired LE, M.P., Sr. M.P. Investigator F.B.I. Trained Rangemaster/Firearms Instructor & Armorer, Presently Forensic Document Examiner for D.H.S.