Sunday, August 16, 2009

Observations on August 15 gun buyback in Dallas

I dropped by Dallas City Hall for a while yesterday to see how their recent gun buyback was going. Those who surrendered a gun to the Dallas Police Department received a $50 grocery card in return. The DPD claims they received 175 guns from the Saturday buyback.

Most of the guns I saw, however, looked like they've seen better days. I saw a lot of old hunting rifles and shotguns with worn-off finishes and scuffed wooden stocks. I also saw a couple of pistols that looked like they still worked, but barely. I talked with another observer who told me he saw a lot of cheap .25-caliber "Saturday night special" pistols being turned in. He did inform me that he saw a TEC-9 being surrendered. I used to own one for a very brief period in the 90s, but never fired it - the sights don't adjust, the gun is prone to jamming, and unless your model has a ventilated barrel shroud (as mine did), a firm two-handed grip is almost impossible.

The two of us did see this one 12-gauge pump shotgun being turned in that still had a great finish and lovely woodwork. Had the owner tried to sell it at a pawn shop, I reckon he could have made a little more than $50 from the sale. It was a shame to realize this shotgun, instead of being put to good use during hunting season, now has a date with the smelter. My companion told me he'd love to install an optics rail and a laser on that particular shotgun. Me, I think I'd leave it exactly as it is. Some firearms are simply elegant in their simplicity.

This was the second gun buyback in Dallas this year. A similar event in February netted another 147 guns.

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