Silicon Valley wants your guns
In most places, the buybacks are run by police departments, and with public funds — but Silicon Valley, true to form, is going its own way.
Roger Lee, a venture capitalist at Battery Partners whose investments include Groupon and Angie’s List, was moved by the Sandy Hook shootings. “We struggled with how to respond. We wanted to do something in the memory of those children and to protect our own kids,” says Lee. So he decided to spearhead a buyback program of his own. …
He emailed 15 of his friends and neighbors asking for donations, and word began to spread. In six weeks, he raised $52,000 dollars from about 100 people. …
Last Saturday, people waited for up to two hours to get in to the East Palo Alto City Hall parking lot, a mile from the Apple campus, where they were promised $100 for a handgun, $200 for a rifle or shotgun, and $300 for an assault weapon. Lee was pleased with the results: In all, the buyback reclaimed 355 firearms, including 111 handguns, 227 rifles and shotguns, and 11 assault weapons, as well as detachable magazines, half of a 44-gallon garbage can of ammunition, and one inert hand grenade.
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And if they had any sense, they would have taken those guns and sold them on Gunbroker for a pretty hefty profit.
Hell, if I had $50k lying around that’s pretty much what I’d be doing.
JohnTant on February 26, 2013 at 11:46 AM
I so wish this would happen near me. I have 3 or 4 non working, worthless rifles that I would love to get rid of for 200 a pop.
Dr. Frank Enstine on February 26, 2013 at 11:48 AM
This is awesome! Stupid White guys buying stolen guns that were purchased on the street for $30.00 and he is paying over double street value. Also, any broken or jammed guns go too.
Jamal be saying, “Good times!”
Bulletchaser on February 26, 2013 at 11:48 AM
They buy back guns from the little folk while they hide in their million dollar mansions in a gated community.
Fluke the elites. MOLON LABE.
jawkneemusic on February 26, 2013 at 11:50 AM
No doubt the vast majority of them were old rusted pieces of crap that didn’t work anyway.
ButterflyDragon on February 26, 2013 at 11:53 AM
Well, at least it was THEIR money and it was voluntary….
JFKY on February 26, 2013 at 12:00 PM
Old guns out of closets that haven’t been fired in many years.
Congratulations on being dupes.
Moesart on February 26, 2013 at 12:06 PM
Is this an example of “The Gun Show Loop Hole?”
Was a background check done each time they bought a weapon?
Was the ATF notified when they purchased more than five?
What about assualt style weapons?
Did they follow California’s mandatory five day waiting period?
.
Sounds like a DA has some investigating to do.
LincolntheHun on February 26, 2013 at 12:09 PM
How nice of BuzzFeed to tell us that its wrong to own a firearm.
Amadeus on February 26, 2013 at 12:12 PM
I would carry a hundred pounds of obsolete rifles on my back just to laugh at the leftoid imbeciles who thought they were getting rid of those icky guns.
The exact same thing happened in medieval times with bounties for books banned for asinine political and/or organized-religion reasons. At least once there was a debate from the banners whether to pay for and ban books that were so hot off the printing press the ink still wet.
MelonCollie on February 26, 2013 at 12:12 PM
Fixed.
RadClown on February 26, 2013 at 12:12 PM
Two Buzzfeed linkies in a row–that just isn’t right.
mwbri on February 26, 2013 at 12:13 PM
Colbyjack on February 26, 2013 at 12:14 PM
For an average of $520 from these wealthy elitists. They’re good at voting to spend your money. but throw their own nickels in like they’re manhole covers.
RadClown on February 26, 2013 at 12:18 PM
This is just fricking hilarious.
Another reason why I do not live in SoCal anymore.
Badger40 on February 26, 2013 at 12:22 PM
I want to go to Silicon Valley, buyback a few hundred handguns in good condition for $100 each and then go sell them at the next gun show for $500 each.
The Rogue Tomato on February 26, 2013 at 12:22 PM
Well, kudos for doing it on your own time and with your own money – unlike most others. And down twinkles for not grasping the silliness of your gesture.
Of course, down twinkles, too, to the lack of entrepeneurial spirit there. No one showed up to try and compete? Tsk, tsk, tsk.
GWB on February 26, 2013 at 12:24 PM
Great point but, they are liberal gun grabbers so the gun laws don’t apply to them. After all, they have the “correct” view of guns and thus are not a danger to others.
Dr. Frank Enstine on February 26, 2013 at 1:18 PM
This is the good kind of buyback, in that no tax dollars were spent. I wish that would happen here. I have a beater revolver that would turn a quick profit.
juliesa on February 26, 2013 at 2:04 PM
Upon reading the article I see the city threw in some money.
These things really screw over females who dump their valuable guns there for pocket change, like the woman in the article with the Glock. It’s a good thing that a desperado like her is no longer armed with that death machine.
juliesa on February 26, 2013 at 2:11 PM
$300 for an assault weapon? I’m going to go buy a back of staplers and make out like a bandit.
gwelf on February 26, 2013 at 2:17 PM
I buy junk receivers or guns when I can get them on the cheap and turn them in at the local prosecutor’s gun buys. Last time I made enough to buy a nice Italian Colt SAA clone.
novaculus on February 26, 2013 at 4:28 PM