“The weapons to be destroyed will never be used again to commit a crime, or to threaten, intimidate or harm an innocent victim.” – Statement from the LA County Sheriff’s Department in 3,400 Guns To Be Melted Down And Turned Into Construction Materials Monday [via CBS Los Angeles]

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44 COMMENTS

  1. The robbers and rapists on the other hand will be returned to circulation.

    • The LA County Sheriff’s Department says, “The weapons to be destroyed will never be used again to commit a crime, or to threaten, intimidate or harm an innocent victim.”

      Most of us would say, “The weapons to be destroyed will never be used again to prevent a crime, or to threaten, intimidate or harm a potential criminal.”

    • How else do you suggest we make room for all those incredibly dangerous non-violent drug offenders with mandatory minimum sentences?
      Or do you think we should lock up the serial rapists until they’re no longer a threat (one way or another) and release the kid who sold pot at the local college?

      Oh wait…we should!

  3. How on earth are they getting away with spending that kind of money on “turning them into construction materials”?

    Finishes have to be removed so you’re only working with bare metal. Testing or research has to be done to evaluate the metallurgical content of every piece, because you can’t just throw a conglomeration of steels together and expect to be left with a usable product.

    This whole thing is a very expensive, and utterly meaningless, bit of feel good theatre.

    It absolutely boggles the mind to try and understand how these morons think.

    • You’re assuming they actually are going to turn them into construction materials.

      If I were cynical, I’d suggest that they’ll just be sold as scrap steel to a refiner who will toss them into the big melt and tweak as necessary … a common way of doing it.

      • Into a furnace crucible with other scrap steels and make a steel suitable for rebar or whatnot…

        Wood-plastic grips will burn down to carbon.

    • I work for a steel company with an electric furnace melt shop. We also melt confiscated weapons regularly. You would be surprised what can converted directly into high grade steel, Any finishes, plastic grips etc, would be instantly vaporized only adding an insignificant amount of carbon. There isn’t enough variation in the composition of these guns to make a significant difference anyway, especially considering the volume of additional scrap that would comprise a scrap charge. The carbon content is blown down to next to nothing using an oxygen lance anyway and alloy additions are calculated based on an initial analysis after tapping and made by additions at a ladle metallurgy station. The only thing that gives us fits are gas cylinders and anything that might contain water as we don’t like eruptions in the furnace.

      • My understanding of metallurgy is rather limited of course, but wouldn’t a lot of that junk material float to the top as slag?

        • Yes, but that is the purpose of the slag. To interact with the melt chemically to remove unwanted elements like phosphorus, sulfur, alumina, and silica oxides and to prevent further oxidation and control temperature.

          Zinc boils at 1665F. Electric furnaces are tapped around 3000F. There might be trace amounts but that most of that zinc is going to be vaporized into the furnace dust. I looked into this particular furnace, it has a capacity to melt 110 ton heats. If we generously estimate an average weight of 3 lbs. per gun, we are looking at about 5 tons of guns in a 110 ton heat. Any variability in composition from these guns is going to heavily diluted. And it is going into rebar, which has a wide range of acceptable analysis. It’s what we used to divert off analysis heats to when we had a bar mill to roll it.

  4. I sincerely regret that my busted air rifle is still in my garage. I’d happily turn it in and donate the proceeds to the NRA.

    As to those other firearms, it’s truly sad to see them destroyed. There are many that I could clean and use, and which could be used for teaching tools for the next generation of responsible shooters.

  5. Not only are there different steels used. A lot of those cheap Jennings type pistols may use zinc frames and possibly slides. Not to menton the aluminum alloy frames. The only people naive enough to believe these will be melted into construction materials are the ones that also believe the gun grabber propaganda.

    • That zinc will end up in the furnace dust. The aluminum means they will just use less silicon or aluminum as a deoxidizer.

  6. The real question should be how do we counter this kind of ad ? Because it seems that the liberal media loves to print this kind of trash. If there is no opposing opinion then the average Joe or Jane tends to believe this stuff after a while. I know someone who has an old, cheap semi-auto handgun that would love to turn it in at one of these events and get some cash for it. That gun does not cycle correctly and has no slide lock. Last time at the range, trying to shoot it, the RO said it was unsafe and to get it off the range. Trying to clear a misfire without a slide lock is dangerous.

    • We don’t counter them. They are the best gun buybacks are the biggest way for grabbers to waste money. Also they allow us to sell broken guns for money to buy new ones. We should encourage them.

  7. Annual gun melts are good for business. Don’t want quality cheap guns out there. This forces people to buy newly manufactured guns which keep gun maufacturers in business. Although I do get a little depressed about melting down antiques and some good guns like makarovs and 1911s, this tactic of theirs doesn’t hurt the industry at all. All it hurts are the tax payers funding buybacks. Every time moronic inner-city freedom hating progressive statists host a gun buyback, gun manufacturers break a smile and carry on production.

  8. Were any used in shootings? if so, there goes the chain of custody. Why not resell them at auction and use the money for civic improvement?

  9. Re some of the discussion above, article states the scrap will be turned into rebar. Second look at that Mak makes me sad, I sure wish I had mine back. But I also wish I had one of those Wanads that are starting to come in now…

    • Well, edit function is hiding again–wanted to add, is that a Clerke .22 revolver at bottom left? Never saw one in real life, only in an old gun catalogue. I’m guessing they are junk, but rare junk, and that one appears in good shape, kinda sad about that one too.

  10. Hey guys and gals: gun turn-in events are a fantastic opportunity! Go there and buy the good working firearms before the people turn them in. Set up with a simple sign 50 feet before the driveway. If the official event offers $50 gift cards for a “working” firearm, offer people $60 cash for a good working firearm.

    Think about it. The people turning in firearms get cash instead of a credit/gift card and they get a larger payment. And the people who purchase the firearms get fantastic deals on working firearms. If you like to purchase firearms, wouldn’t you love the opportunity to purchase a nice working revolver, semi-auto pistol, rifle, or shotgun for $60?

    There really is almost no down side to this. Even if you purchase a firearm that turns out to be junk, YOU can turn it in at the next event and get a $50 gift card! In other words the most you can lose is $10 (assuming you paid $60 cash).

  11. What a load of nonsense.

    Many of those guns are cast pot metal, with high zinc contents. They’re going to melt that lot down into slag, and dispose of it.

  12. I’m sure loads of criminals turned over the evidence for destruction, no questions asked. And received some money from the local tax payers, as well.

  13. Again, article states these are guns that were “confiscated”, not “bought back”. How accurate that is, and how they might have come to be “confiscated”, may be open to question, tho.

  15. “The weapons to be destroyed will never be used again to commit a crime, or to threaten, intimidate or harm an innocent victim.”

    Making the assumption that all the weapons there have been used for criminal activity, and that there is no lawful purpose for owning a firearm.

  17. They never reveal who and or why people truly throw away. There is no data recorded therefore any suggestions by the Dept. is pure 100% conjecture. AKA BS.

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