On Saturday, May 31, 2025, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office held a “Gun Safety Event” at the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station. The goal? To collect unwanted firearms from the public in exchange for gift cards – $100 for handguns, rifles, and shotguns, and $200 for so-called assault weapons. The sheriff’s department was joined by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Carlsbad Police, and several university police departments, according to an official news release.
No Questions, No IDs – Just Gift Cards
The event was intentionally anonymous. Anyone with a working firearm could drive in, pop their trunk, and hand over their gun without being asked for identification or explanation. As the sheriff’s flyer explained, “No questions asked.” Officers would simply inspect the weapon for functionality and offer the corresponding gift card in exchange. All collected firearms are slated for destruction.
Gun Owners Radio Calls Out the “Safety” Label
But not everyone bought the idea that this was about “safety.” On their podcast Gun Owners Radio, hosts Michael Schwartz and Dakota Adelphia dissected the event. “They’re not teaching you how to safely handle your firearm,” Schwartz said. “They’re literally just taking it from you and destroying it.” Adelphia added that if it were really about safety, attendees would be leaving with training, not walking away unarmed and possibly less prepared.
Buyback… or Just Buy?
One term both hosts pushed back on was “buyback.” As Schwartz explained, “They’re not buying it back – they didn’t own it in the first place.” Instead, this is just a government-sponsored gun drop-off, funded by taxpayer money, with gift cards acting as incentives. Schwartz noted that while these events are pitched as crime-prevention tools, the reality is often far less dramatic.
Rusty Rifles and Revolvers From the Attic
The weapons turned in at the event weren’t exactly fresh off the streets. According to Gun Owners Radio, most of the firearms looked like old hunting rifles, break-action shotguns, and revolvers that may have belonged to someone’s grandparent. Schwartz joked that many of these guns likely came from widows cleaning out the closet after their spouse passed away. “They don’t know what to do with the thing, so they drop it off at the buyback,” he said.
No Glocks, No Gang Guns
The implication from law enforcement and media headlines might suggest that dangerous weapons are being taken off the streets. But the podcast hosts saw a different reality. “I didn’t see any Glocks. I didn’t see anything that a gang member would be caught carrying,” Schwartz said after reviewing available photos of the 144 guns turned in. Instead, he said the table mostly showed “farm-style” rifles and beat-up revolvers that likely haven’t fired a shot in years.
Gaming the System With Homemade “Guns”
One side effect of vague buyback criteria is that some people get creative. Adelphia referenced stories where people assembled barely-functional “guns” from Home Depot parts or even 3D-printed non-working replicas – just enough to meet the technical requirements and earn the gift card. “There was a guy who printed a bunch of fake guns and turned them in for hundreds in gift cards,” Adelphia said. “What does that say about the program’s oversight?”
A Costly PR Move or a Public Safety Win?
Critics argue that gun buybacks are more about optics than real impact. “This is bad PR for gun owners,” Schwartz said. “It paints a picture that the mere existence of a firearm is dangerous, regardless of who owns it or how it’s used.” According to Gun Owners Radio, the county, rather than the sheriff’s department, pushes these events, often while other budget priorities like road repair get left behind.
144 Guns Collected vs. 700 CCW Permits a Month
While 144 guns were turned in at this San Marcos event, Schwartz pointed out that hundreds of San Diego County residents are applying for concealed carry permits every month. “The real shift is happening quietly,” he said. “People are arming themselves legally and responsibly, not turning in grandpa’s rusted deer rifle for a gift card.” That contrast, they argued, tells a very different story from the one shown in press releases.
A Feel-Good Solution Without Teeth
From the outside, a gun buyback sounds like a noble cause. Get rid of dangerous weapons, reduce crime, offer people a safe and easy way to dispose of something they don’t understand. But when you look closer, the results raise questions. Are violent criminals really showing up to give up their heat for a Target card? Or is this just a well-meaning but ineffective gesture aimed at calming public fears?
Where Education Would Do More Good
There’s also something sad about the people who give up their firearms out of fear or confusion. As Schwartz and Adelphia noted, some of the folks turning in guns probably just didn’t know they had other options. With basic education, they could have learned to safely use the firearm, store it, or even pass it down to a responsible family member. But instead, they walked away with a gift card, having handed over something that might have been valuable or even historically significant.
A Program That Looks Good But Does Little
In the end, California’s gun buyback events, like the one in San Marcos, are better understood as symbolic gestures than as real crime-fighting tools. According to both the Sheriff’s Office and Gun Owners Radio, the program collected dozens of old and outdated guns, many of which probably weren’t posing any danger to begin with. The intention might be good, but the effectiveness remains questionable. As the county continues funding these events, some are left wondering if the focus should shift from collection to education.
Raised in a small Arizona town, Kevin grew up surrounded by rugged desert landscapes and a family of hunters. His background in competitive shooting and firearms training has made him an authority on self-defense and gun safety. A certified firearms instructor, Kevin teaches others how to properly handle and maintain their weapons, whether for hunting, home defense, or survival situations. His writing focuses on responsible gun ownership, marksmanship, and the role of firearms in personal preparedness.