mint WWII japanese rifle including bayonet handed over at 'gun buyback' program......

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youngunz4life

New member
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/12/...ogram-turns-up-world-war-ii-rifle/?hpt=us_bn7

Maybe this is a biased place to ask, but am I being cynical to think this is just laziness, lack of intelligence, a disrespect to history, fill in the blanks to hand over a piece of history like this at a 'gun buyback' program?

I mean I understand the point of the program, but is anyone safer now that this firearm is making rounds & people are wondering what to do w/it and/or who is gonna be lucky enough to keep it/end up with it?

Maybe it is just me, but I can't for the life of me know why someone would just hand this over. Even an older person with not much family that doesn't need money would probably understand the value of the weapon. Maybe he/she figured someone else can find a proper owner, but there were plenty of other avenues that could've been taken....
 
Obviously don't know for sure with the limited info from the article, but more than likely a WWII vet passed and his family was unsure what to do with it.

Last I heard a quoted number, we are losing 1,000-1,500 WWII vets a day. As that's happening, a lot of their war mementos are winding up in the trash, estate sales, or what I prefer to see, being handed down to the next generation. Biggest problem is a lot of the next 2 generations don't have the appreciation for the historical significance of these mementos.
 
Even an older person with not much family that doesn't need money would probably understand the value of the weapon.
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You underestimate some peoples total lack of knowledge about guns. I had a friend who had to clear out a house after a death in the family. She found a gun, and took it to the police to get rid of it. I ask her what kind it was, and she said it was small. I was eventually able to get enough of a description to figure out it was a revolver. But she had no idea of even the difference between a revolver and a pistol, just "small" and "big", which was her terminology for handgun and long gun.

To me this points out two things. First, there may be situations where someone who knows nothing about guns has to handle one with no way of knowing how to tell if it's loaded, much less be able to make it safe. And second, I'll bet there are legislators voting on gun laws that do not know any more than she does about guns.
 
Well, judging by the picture, it's not mint.

Not even close.
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There's that.

Still, though, it's not really one of those "won't someone think of the children, we must get these dangerous weapons off the streets" type of guns that, as far as I knew, the buyback programs were intended for.

But, I think we already know what the road to hell is paved with.
 
Years ago I did work for an older widow in our town.

When her husband died her son got the guns, but missed one. He later died, too.

She knew I liked guns, so she told me to take an "old shotgun" that had belonged to her husband and have fun with it.

Since her son and husband were dead she didn't figure it had any value except to someone like me who liked guns.

The only problem with that theory is that it was a Winchester Model 21 in a custom case with beautiful wood.

Probably worth thousands back in the 1980s, and she had no clue until I told her what it was worth, and I put her in touch with a Winchester collector I knew who gave her a good price.
 
Gun buybacks make me mad.

The program has taken more than 2,000 guns off the streets since it began in 2002.
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In other words, 2000 guns were handed over by mostly law abiding, honest citizens, making them less able to defend themselves against criminals who would never participate in a program like this.

I know...preaching to the choir. Just makes me mad.
 
I'm glad they could rescue it,,,

Because the terms of transfer for gun buy-backs I knew about,,,
Specifically stated the gun would be destroyed.

There were no provisions for rescuing a valuable firearm.

The reason for this clause in the contract,,,
Was to prevent a gun dealer from setting up a buyback,,,
Or preventing a dealer from skimming the cream before the destruction.

The contract was to ensure the guns would be destroyed.

When I lived in So-Cal the PD my wife worked for,,,
Often supplied security at gun buy-backs that gave you concert tickets for a gun.

One of the officers told me of a black-powder era Colt SAA,,,
That was traded for two Reba McEntire tickets,,,
Still in it's original wooden box.

The gun was destroyed because of the clause guaranteeing the guns could not be resold or redistributed in any manner.

So, the buy-backs we've experienced recently must not have had that clause in the contract.

Aarond

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Hello younggunz4life,,,

Maybe this is a biased place to ask, but am I being cynical to think this is just laziness, lack of intelligence, a disrespect to history, fill in the blanks to hand over a piece of history like this at a 'gun buyback' program?
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How much do you know about old books?

It's essentially the same,,,
Your old recluse uncle passes away,,,
You are helping his wife clear out his den.

Would you recognize an obscure but rare and valuable book on his shelf?

It's not laziness, lack of intelligence, or a disrespect to history,,,
It's simple ignorance about a thing or subject,,,
And ignorance is not a fault,,,
It's simple reality.

People who are not into guns would never suspect,,,
That a 30 year old Colt revolver would be worth $2,500 or more.

My parents were antique dealers back in the late 60's thru the 70's,,,
You wouldn't believe how many things they sold cheaply,,,
That were potentially extremely valuable items.

Like the S&W Model 1, with a two digit serial number,,,
Pop paid $10.00 for the handgun at a farm auction,,,
He was ecstatic to turn it for $75.00 next week.

To him it was just this beat up pistol,,,
Heck, all it would chamber was .22 shorts,,,
How was he to know that at that time it was a $1,500.00 gun.

Today it is valued between $10,000.00 and $15,000.00

My point is that outside of a small sub-set of the US population,,,
Not that many people will see anything but an old beat up army rifle with little or no monetary value.

Aarond

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It really is a shame, like the STG-44 that was passed in the other day in Con.
Freaking makes me cry to see classic firearms like that which should be in a Museum slated for destruction. Rumor has it at a gun buy back here in Chicago a few years ago someone turned in a civil war ear revolver worth 30K, sadly it was destroyed.

I really wish PD's who hold these things would make some provision to turn over the really historical firearms to a museum.
 
Well, judging by the picture, it's not mint.
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Unless it's in minty condition, with the chrysanthemum intact, it's not really worth much at all.

An STG-44? Oh, my heart recoiled at that one. I've only ever seen one in private circulation.

Biggest problem is a lot of the next 2 generations don't have the appreciation for the historical significance of these mementos.
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The children of the WWII generation have been problematic at times. I've bought numerous guns from folks who come in dangling dad's "old army gun" in a dirty sock. They don't want that stupid, awful thing in the house. Most aren't gun people, and if it doesn't directly affect them, they don't care much for history.

(I was once told, "now that Dad's dead, I can get rid of it." The gun was his service pistol.)

The only ray of sunshine in that situation is that they usually hit the gun shops or pawn shops first, thus ensuring the gun does stay in circulation. Buybacks are usually the end of the line.
 
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I really wish PD's who hold these things would make some provision to turn over the really historical firearms to a museum.
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The article from the OP stated the Japanese rifle may find a home at a museum. One has to hope those doing these buy-backs have some gun history knowledge; and separate those with historical military value to be placed in a museum setting, not a furnace.
 
It's not even a buyBACK. That term implies that the government had some power over it to begin with. How do you "buy back" something you never had title over in the first place?
 
If it wasn't registered as a machine gun prior to the 1986 ban it would be illegal for her to sell it. Here's hoping her father registered it. Otherwise, it's worth nothing. Not even sure a museum can legally take possession of it.
 
They informed her of its worth as it was the gun the ruskies copied the ak 47 off of.
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Yep. The STG-44 would have made the course of warfare a bit different if it had been introduced earlier. After the war, Schmeisser was either captured or defected to the Soviets (depending on who's to be believed), and production ceased. Two years later, Kalashnikov came out with a very similar rifle in the AK-47. While there appears to be no proof that Schmeisser was behind the AK-47, the parallels and similarities are hard to miss.

Very few were brought into the United States, and I'm betting fewer were registered. I've only seen one in real life (and got to shoot it!), and the owner paid $36,000 for it.

However, if it wasn't registered in 1986, it's worthless. Worse, it's dangerous from a legal standpoint. That really chafes me, but it's beside the point. Theoretically, the only option is to turn it over to the BATFE and let them decide what to do.

Even if they do decide to send it to a museum, one can bet the internals will be gutted and it will be rendered nonfunctional.
 
"How much do you know about old books?"

Bad example since if I donate them to a local charity they don't destroy them as these buybacks do.

Most things turned in are worthless junk and it's a joke all in all.

I have wondered how many pieces of evidence were turned in since it's no questions asked at them. Nice if the police destroy your murder weapon for you.

Few years back, one of the guys who work with my brother said he was going to take 5 pistols his FIL left him to a buy back and get $50ea. Sight unseen my brother offered him $100 each. He came out very well on that deal!
 
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