No photos (as far as I know), but this was surreal. The buy-back was at four churches and one police station. We started at the police station. I met a friend there who'd brought three junk guns that were barely worth $50 a piece and he got three $100 grocery store gift cards for them. Some of the other gun rights locals showed up and we all just sort of milled around talking with the cops there. The Phoenix mayor showed up and came out to chat with us, seeming not to understand or care why we were there. Someone took a photo of all of us, so it might make the papers. We saw no one else bringing in guns, so we left to go to one of the churches. I left my bike at the police station and rode in my buddy's car. First church had nothing going on, but some middle aged white guy with three beaters that probably weren't worth $50 each. Amazingly, the church folks said they were already out of gift cards. So we headed over to another church. And this was where it was at.
The cops there knew what we were doing and, at first, left us alone. First guy we saw get out of his car with a plastic baggy, we approached. He didn't speak a word of English. He handed over the baggy for us to look at. As soon as my buddy saw "Ruger" on the grip, he whipped out his own gift card and made the swap. The other guy just got back in his car and left, probably thinking we were part of the buy-back. Ha ha. My buddy got a very sweet Ruger .22/45, though its mag. release button was loose in the bag. Still, a nice score. The cops were watching us now. We were both carrying concealed, but printing pretty obviously. We saw another guy get out of his car with a plastic baggy. I yelled out, "Whatcha got there?" He said, "It's just a Makarov." I almost broke into a sprint. Walking briskly, I said "Is is East German?" He said, "No, Russian." I was reaching for my wallet when three very serious looking Phoenix PD were upon us and said, "You guys need to roll now." One cop even had the nerve to say we were taking advantage of people. I said, "But you guys are out of gift cards and we're not AND we have cash." Cop said the church folks wanted us gone, which was the threshold for a trespass cite if we argued anymore. So we left.
Figuring those cops had radioed the other locations to tell them to watch out for us, we decided to head back the police station and get my bike and go home.
But wait! There's more.
Seems the cops at the police station really didn't care about what we were doing. Some lady with her little girl got out of her car with an S&W hardcase. We swarmed her. After fiddling with the lock we got it open and it was some old CZ beater. Another guy handed her a C note for it and she went on her way. I think the cops were still out of gift cards, so we spared her some disappointment too. Cops, meanwhile, were pulling up in their squad cars with piles of handguns in plastic evidence bags and long guns with bolts open. What a sight. Then another guy pulled up in a truck with a cardboard box under his arm. We swarmed him too. We looked like paparazzi stalking a celebrity. He had a decent condition Bersa .380, which my buddy took in exchange for another one of his gift cards.
By then the media were showing up and wanted to interview us. Cops didn't care at all. Because of where I work, I chose not to be on camera, but I spoke with two of the reporters and the guys that did speak on camera were standing next to my bike. So my bike might be on the news tonight. Anyway, it was about 100 deg. with no shade by then and I was getting lightheaded after 30 min. of this. So I headed home with only the gun I was wearing when I got there. Still, it was pretty exciting and also interesting to see how cool the cops were with us outbidding them and buying guns under their noses. What a country!
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