Lawmaker Outsmarts Buyback, Saves Rare Colt From Destruction

Gun buyback programs have long been promoted as a moral effort to reduce violence, with organizers framing the destruction of firearms as a public good. But a recent event in West Virginia took an unexpected turn when a state lawmaker showed up with a competing offer—one that exposed just how flawed these programs can be when real market value enters the picture.

At Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church, organizers held a “Guns to Gardens” event on May 2, inviting residents to surrender firearms in exchange for gift cards. The goal, as presented, was simple: turn in unwanted guns to be destroyed and repurposed into garden tools. But what unfolded instead became a live demonstration of how quickly the narrative changes when gun owners are given an alternative.

According to the church’s plan, participants would receive gift cards ranging from $50 for a handgun to $200 for a modern semi-automatic firearm. On paper, it sounded straightforward. In practice, critics say it was far below what many of the surrendered firearms were actually worth on the open market.