A gun control group in New Mexico recently announced yet another gun “buyback” event. This time, though, there’s a twist: no 3D-printed guns are allowed. We’ve seen this before, but this time the group managed to paint themselves into a corner when they refused to respond to some very simple questions about the policy

The biggest one: Why not buy 3D-printed “ghost guns” from the public? The main reason they won’t answer that question is obvious. There’s simply no good argument for that policy.

If they were to agree to take them, they’d get ripped off by people who print dozens of simple guns specifically for the sale (like this one). They’d effectively be admitting that gun “buybacks” are worthless.

The “no questions asked” events are really only good opportunities for a criminals to dump a crime gun, or for Joe Citizen to get rid of an old, broken-ass firearm that has no value, and was never likely to be used in a crime. Plenty of people who’ve looked at “buybacks” closely have concluded they do nothing to stop the cycle of criminal violence.

But if the politicians who plan and promote these things refuse to take 3D-printed guns people bring to these events, they’re admitting that 3D-printed guns aren’t really the public health and safety menace (GHOST GUNS!) they claim they are.

There are lots of good 3D-printed gun designs these days. Despite a few examples, few people are going to waste their time and money building them to sell at a “buyback.” There’s also the fact that they’ve been repeatedly found in Europe, but don’t get used often in crimes, so the argument that gun availability drives crime isn’t supported by the evidence.

Utah Salt Lake gun buyback buy back
A Salt Lake City Policeman examines a gun during a buyback on Saturday, June 11, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

The security theater grifters who put on “buybacks” never bother to defend them as being effective, taking the Fifth whenever they’re challenged by the public. But, unlike a court of actual law, we’re totally free to use their silence as evidence against them.

Gun buybacks make for good media stand-up opportunities and sound bites for the local news. That’s the real motivation behind the politicians who promote these things. As for getting guns off the street that would otherwise be used in crimes, it’s all just more performative security theater that does virtually nothing to reduce actual gun crimes.

The reason none of these people respond when asked about 3D guns or the effectiveness of their dog and pony shows is that there’s almost no evidence they work, so there’s no way to win their argument. As the RAND Corporation reports, “While the ultimate goal of most buyback programs is to reduce firearm violence and crime, few studies have demonstrated that these programs have such effects.”

And then there’s this . . .

Gun buyback programs, as commonly implemented in the United States, are small, feasible interventions, but they are unlikely to measurably reduce firearm violence, even if they do prevent some incidents. Research on buyback effectiveness is limited, but the findings to date are not promising. Furthermore, the intended impacts are implausible because too few firearms are turned in to gun buybacks, at least as currently implemented. Given these limitations, policymakers and community groups should consider whether the scarce resources allocated to gun buybacks—even if these resources are minimal—might be better spent on more-promising violence prevention efforts.

That kind of analysis doesn’t play well on the evening news and doesn’t look good in a campaign commercial. As long as there are cameras and reporters with microphones to interview attention-whoring politicians, there will be “buybacks,” no matter how useless they are.

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51 COMMENTS

  1. We should start a movement where thousands of gun owners show up and stand in line to show off the guns that they are not going to sell at a buy back. Each person should present the guns and go through the entire process and then decline the buy back offer.

  2. They’re good political PR for idiots and idiots make up most of the electorate so the circus will go on.

  3. There are firearms produced by major manufacturers that end up in the attic or in a safe somewhere that are broken and have no real practical way of getting repaired. Items that the manufacturer simply wont do anything with (under warranty or otherwise) and a gunsmith has no way to get parts for. Guns that cannot be used for anything more than a paper weight and don’t even have any sentimental value with barely as much of a conversation piece.

    Something of this nature would be the only legitimate thing to even consider taking to a gun buyback. But with the political theater that these things are, even that would be too good for this use.

    • Send them to Gun Parts Inc. and they will part them out so someone else can locate parte necessary to repair their firearm.

  4. These “gun buyback” programs are a farce. They get lots of unusable firearms but few decent ones.

  6. More or less, all of their positions involve lying, even if it’s lying by omission or out of context. They understand that no one would support them if they were honest. Do you want to be on the side of lies or truth?

  7. As I previously said before, the “gun community” hates 21st century gun technology. And at the same time, so do the gun grabbers.

    Now somebody go demand that the local press or the national press follow-up on this obvious, “Inconvenient problem”

    • I would think this would make an outstanding national advertising campaign. It would destroy the “gun by back” myth and, it would destroy the “ghost gun” myth.

      This should be made a talking point anytime in the country. A “gun buyback” is talked about. And they can show videos of 3D printed guns actually working.

  8. Doggone it, I was considering a 3D printer just for this use. As a retiree, I could use the “buyback” revenue stream to purchase a couple of new (to me) classic firearms.

    Darn Progressive Marxists always trying to rain on my parade.

  9. Out of curiosity I attended the only local “gun buyback” that occurred in a local city. One thing I observed was one gentleman walking down the waiting line, asking to see what the individuals wanted to “turn in”, which he would inspect. I did see him talking at length to a couple of the people about their property and on a couple of occasions hand over money for the firearm, all handguns, and pocket the firearm.
    The police should have been monitoring the line so these illegal transfers would not have been so easily accomplished. I do not know what the next use of these handguns would be.

    • Illegal? Where? That’s absolutely perfectly legal in Texas, and probably any other state that doesn’t criminalize private firearm sales.

      Criminals don’t buy guns, they steal them. You should be a lot more worried about Soros prosecutors and zero-bail policies than you should about free citizens engaging in legal private commerce

    • And how could you possibly know that the sales were “illegal”? If you truly have those kind of extrasensory powers so as to be able to determine a stranger’s legal status through merely glancing at them I can think of a bunch of better uses for those powers than kibbutzing at a “buyback” mummer show…oh, you don’t really have ESP and your attendance at this supposed event is as likely as my participation in a moon landing…

    • …” I don’t know what the next use of these handguns would be. ”
      You also don’t know what the last use was. Perhaps for NICS to be actually “instant” you could take out your smartphone and check it against a hotlist app while the seller is checking you out. But we all know that’s not the intent of NICS.

    • Well Brad there’s nothing illegal about it. It’s legal to buy a gun. You’ve no idea how your neighbor will use their car nor how they will use their prescriptions nor how they might use another neighbors wife so…..

    • I do not know what the next use of these handguns would be.

      Nunya Bidniss, that’s what the next use of that handgun might be.
      If you are so all-fired clairvoyant, why don’t you start walking the local streets and identfying those armed folks walking about who are plotting some evil event with their firearm or other suitable tool? You should be capable of knowing that gu over there in the light brown jacket is fixing to jump the corner store next block over…. right?

      Get yer knickers sraightened back out and quit bellyaching about something of which you know naught.

  10. I have a couple of 38 S&W revolvers inherited from a grandfather that might end up at a buy back as the ammunition is almost impossible to get, but these have a story to tell. He had spent time as a trolley operator in San Antonio saving his money and then moved back to his little home town in West Virginia and opened a business hauling people and freight back and forth to the big city. Part of this freight was the US Mail and he was REQUIRED to buy and carry one of these as a result. BTW I was happy to find the comment editor that has been added!

    • Wouldn’t you get more money for them (as well as passing them forward to a new appreciative owner) by selling to a gun shop or on a gun site? If they’re unusual, they’re worth more than the $50 gift card that you might get at a buyback.

    • Ammo for those .38 S&W revolvers isn’t as hard to find as you think. Try ammoseek[dot]com; I see many sellers there.

    • Plenty of good folks would LOVE to have such a fine example. Finding or making the ammunition is ot a strng deterrent as you think it to be.

  11. Just like with facts. You can’t use logic either on a Liberal or Progressive democrat. They are controlled by emotions. Something their Masters have understood since the 60s. An emotional society is much easier to manipulate, than an educated society. Emotionally driven people lack a critical thinking skill. Because such thinking, can be the enemy of their happiness.

    • notice in the briefing the cop had to shoot the mass stabber to stop him. of course though, as usual, the cops did not arrive until after the mass stabber had already injurered/killed.

      now translate that to up to 3 million times annually an armed law abiding person is forced to defend others or them selves from a violent attacker in that imminent moment. anti-gun would have rather those defenders not be able to stop the attacker and would rather the defender and others are injurered or killed.

      get a gun, be armed, learn to use it, and stay prepared… anti-gun wants you dead and not be able to defend your self or others when a violent attacker shows up and the cops are not going to be there in that imminent moment and its up to you. tell anti-gun to get stuffed.

  13. “There are lots of good 3D-printed gun designs these days.”

    Anybody know what out there is worth printing? Is there a file that actually makes a useful, practical firearm?

    Not talking about individual components like P80-style frames where you still need to add a full “real” slide or whatever. Or some single-shot like the Liberator.

    I’m just asking “are we there yet”? Is there a usable design out there that can be 3D printed (not CNC) where you only need to add a metal barrel, firing pin, and some springs?

    • There’s actually a ton of designs out there. But no one is really messing around with fully printed weapons. But there’s a number of hybrid designs using a printed body with parts from conventional firearms. But there also designs that use printed parts and hand tooled metal components for when you can’t just get standard gun parts. Look up the ‘FGC-9’. That thing works well enough that they’re showing up in the hands of rebel forces in Myanmar

  15. Not to mention the obvious hypocrisy by the ATF and states like NY considering them firearms for enforcement and banning purposes, but not a firearm at a buy back (including printed frames/receivers, sears, etc.) Can’t have it both ways.

  16. “Utah Salt Lake gun buyback buy back
    A Salt Lake City Policeman examines a gun during a buyback on Saturday, June 11, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)”

    Is that cop shopping for a new gat????

  18. Buy Back.
    I’ve never had a city official sell me a gunm.
    What’s up with this Buy Back shit?
    Smacks of Giving Privileges to me.

  20. Gun buy backs are nothing but a farce most of the guns that people bring in are broken or mostly junk. The gun grabbers will try about anything and buy back sounds good but who pays for all this the taxpayer and the big thing is it does not work. Just another feel good look good farce.

  21. LOL, Gun buy back? They never own or sold them so the name is fake as Biden won the election fair and square.
    WWG1WGA

  22. “oh these aren’t guns? Then I’ll just give them to random people on the street until I run out”.

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