GREENFIELD – Despite heavy rain, the second Valley Gun Buy Back hosted at the Greenfield and Northampton police departments was nearly as successful as the first, taking 273 guns out of circulation compared to 300 at the first event.
The Greenfield Police Department accepted 115 guns and the Northampton Police Department accepted the remaining 158. Both Gun Buy Backs were held between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday.
For Steve Reneris, 69, of Greenfield, the Gun Buy Back couldn’t have come at a better time.
“It was kind of ironic because my wife and I were cleaning out the basement,” Reneris said, adding that he found two pistols in the process.
Everyone who donated a working gun received a $50 VISA gift card for each gun. By noon, the gift cards were already nearly gone. However, Reneris gave up his guns for free “just to get rid of them.”
“Life is too precious, and it’s shorter than you think,” he said.
A similar sentiment was felt by Bob Thompson, 56, of Shelburne Falls, who brought a British army rifle to the Gun Buy Back.
“It’s good not to have something lying around the house that’s as dangerous as a firearm,” Thompson said.
Thompson inherited the rifle from his father, and had held onto it as a way of remembering him. By Saturday, however, he felt that it was time to give it up, in part for safety reasons.
Other participants in the Gun Buy Back, like Bruce Lamothe, 72, of Heath, simply wanted to part with their unused weapons.
“I’ve got more than I can use,” Lamothe said. So, when he heard about the Gun Buy Back while watching the news, he thought “You know what, I’ve got three that have been sitting there for years.’”
Once collected, all the guns are logged into evidence and checked to make sure they are not stolen. Stolen guns are returned to their rightful owners.
More than a dozen guns, including Thompson’s British army rifle, will then be sent to the National Armory in Springfield, where they will be carefully examined by a gun specialist to make sure they aren’t antiques. Antique guns become part of the National Armory’s special collections.
Finally, all remaining guns will be sent to wTe Corporation, a recycling plant in Greenfield, where they will be ground up and recycled.