"Guns to Gardens" gun buyback event
I had an old rocket launcher tube I'd originally had shipped from Poland via boat, for a really cool project. Back in high school I made a shoulder launched recoilless gun (black powder) from a length of PVC pipe that was kinda fun, but white plastic tube doesn't look very cool... this was STEEL painted olive drab, with sights, pistol grip, trigger, shoulder stock, and backblast cage... it looked awesome.
However, due to the constant fire bans in the mountains, I knew I'd never be able to safely shoot it off, so I never got around to installing the switches and wires, and it just sat in my closet, untouched, for years.
Last year I posted on here if anyone had any interest, dropped the price to $40 and still nothing. Then I listed it on craigslist thinking some hipster might want to turn it into a lamp or a vase for plastic flowers. Zero interest there either.
Was cleaning out my closets the other day, remembered I had it, then saw there was a gun buyback going on this week, so decided to see if they'd gib me a $50 grocery gift card for it. I knew if I threw it in a dumpster, within hours some hobo would be walking down Colfax with it, and SWAT would roll the Bearcats with a helicopter circling overhead as they blocked traffic for a quarter mile radius, and we just can't have that. People would be inconvenienced.
So I roll down there with this stupid thing in my trunk and was shocked by how many people were there. I got there before the event started and there were already a dozen cars lined up and about 50 volunteers in yellow vests... but they were all untrained and none seemed to know what they were doing, they couldn't even direct traffic properly. Another thing that surprised me was that there wasn't a single cop, nor a camera crew.
The very nice old lady told me everything was anonymous so no cameras were allowed, and the cops were not there because "some people don't want to go to an event if police are there." Then she handed me a form to fill out.
Form asked a series of survey questions:
Are you a veteran?
Why are you turning in the gun?
How do you store the gun?
Do you have gun training?
Do you have a CCW?
How did you acquire the gun?
Do you own other guns?
There were two men in orange vests who were removing the guns from trunks, inspecting them, then dryfiring them into something that looked like an oversized thermos, on the asphalt, while surronded by volunteers.
One car turned in a battered old 22 bolt action, another turned in a 36 caliber flintlock squirrel rifle, the third car, however, turned in three modern firearms: a Remington 700 with high end bipod and scope, what looked like a brand new PSA AR15, and a Ruger Blackhawk revolver. Then it was my turn.
He looked in my trunk and went pale.
"Is that a grenade launcher?"
"Rocket launcher."
"Is it unloaded and the parts that make it fire have been removed?"
"Yep." He stared at it for awhile.
"I don't think we're even legally allowed to touch something like that!" So I went full hillbilly on him.
"Ah, no! Am I gonna get in trouble? This was mah paw's and I ain't got no use for it! All I want is a grocery gift card because muh family ain't got no foods!" He stared at it awhile longer.
"I can do that."
A few guys came over to look at it, then directed me to park in another area where they had canopies and tables set up... with 8 brand new Dewalt circular saws, and they cut it to pieces, gave me a gift card, and sent me on my way.
Observations follow:
Demographically, the volunteers appeared to be 100% caucasian. Half were high school kids, the other half were mostly past retirement age, about 70% female.
Everyone seemed VERY NICE. Smiling, cheerful, polite... but not very smart. Most were just standing around doing nothing. Some seemed totally unobservant wandering into the path of moving cars, only a handful seemed to know what they were doing.
This event was VERY well funded... vests, tables, canopies, signage, fliers, table saws, and a box filled with thousands of dollars worth of gift cards.
The nice old lady with the clipboard told me "Guns to Gardens" has chapters in all 50 states and does these events every month. That's a LOT of money right there!
Anyway, here's what $50 worth of groceries looks like in Denver.
Colorado AR-15 Shooters Club Discussion Forums
Welcome to the Colorado AR-15 Shooters Club Discussion Forums.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by flogger
