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Houston Bans 'Ghost Guns' From Buyback Events After Man Found Opportunity To Print Money



Houston city officials banned 3D-printed firearms at future gun buyback events after one man recognized an opportunity to exploit the system and print money.

The anonymous man told local news Fox 26 that he made 62 3D-printed guns and handed them over in Houston's first gun buyback event last weekend. He said the city offered him $50 per gun, cutting him a check for $3,100.

The man said the cost of production per gun was $3, netting a profit of $47 per weapon. He said, "the goal was not personal profit, but to send [Houston leaders] a message about spending $1 million tax dollars on something that has no evidence of any effect on crime..."

He added another goal: to make the city "pay fair prices [at gun buyback events], use private donations rather than tax dollars, and don't destroy historic guns."

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was not enthusiastic about the man using the gun buyback program to print money. He said the next gun buyback event "will exclude 3D-printed guns ... this is a program designed for people who want to voluntarily relinquish their guns."

"You'll always have people who will try and take advantage of the programs," said Turner. "I was there when that person brought in those guns. The reason we went ahead and did that was we had not said we weren't going to."

Even though the anonymous man made a fool of Houston city officials, Turner said Saturday's gun buyback was a success, removing 840 firearms from the streets.

What's strange is that Houston's ban on ghost guns from future buyback events comes as the federal and state governments have waged war against homemade firearms. Just look at the story count for "ghost guns" exploded after the Biden administration took office in 2021.


Pro-gun accounts had fun with the news:

Wait, so what’s the point? I was told these were the most dangerous of guns that only criminals used

— Ash (@NamesGotTaken) August 2, 2022
It seems they are afraid of ghosts.

— Broodwars (@broodwars64) August 2, 2022
LOL

LMAO https://t.co/H3vdLa2bku

— Firearms Policy Coalition (@gunpolicy) August 2, 2022
3D printers just exposed the absurdity of gun buy backs.

When there's a gun buy-back nearby, your 3D printer become a money printer.

Or no, just keep your guns

— Gaidheal Alascanach (@Gaidheal_Alaska) August 3, 2022
Fine. I will just keep all of my homemade, printed, untraceable guns. You get what you pay for.

— Pablo Dax (@FilipinoCod) August 2, 2022
Alright, now time for the pipe guns.

— Dan (@Dan16569690) August 2, 2022
Very conflicting message from Houston leaders who have said ghost guns are dangerous but don't want to collect them at buyback events...

• $50 for nonfunctioning guns
  
• $100 for rifles & shotguns
  
• $150 for handguns
  
• $200 for automatic rifles

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Originally posted by 71 TRUCK:
I have seen where people will line the street going into the buy back programs offering to buy guns.

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In some cases the people turning the guns in will get more for them. I am sure most of the guns people are turning in are junk, but sometimes they are not and could be worth more then the buy back are paying for them.

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The ONLY downside I see is a possible press release from the city saying, "We removed these dangerous untraceable Ghost guns from our streets, making them safer for our children."

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Originally posted by radioman:
{ thought nobody could sell/transfer homemade firearms without getting a S/N and going through a bunch of paperwork.

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So can the city legally buy them?

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Turner said Saturday's gun buyback was a success, removing 840 firearms from the streets.