Have you ever given a firearm to an Ontario gun amnesty program?
Gun amnesty programs in Ontario are presented as one of the most effective and efficient ways of getting old guns off the street. They’re designed to minimize the number of guns that are circulating, theoretically preventing criminals from getting their hands on weapons.
While we at GTA Guns personally support the overall goals of Ontario gun amnesty programs, including community safety and preventing firearms from falling into the hands of criminals, we do feel there is a much better way to get rid of your guns. And this way, you end up with money in your pocket!
The Pros & Cons of Gun Amnesty Programs in Ontario
To put things in perspective, let’s take a look at the pros of gun amnesty programs. First, with gun amnesty programs, you can get rid of a lot of firearms very quickly. You just have to transport them to the amnesty site safely, and the police will take them off your hands, no problem. And… that’s about it for the pros.
Cons? You get NOTHING for your guns. In fact, no one will get anything out of this exchange. Guns that are submitted to amnesty programs are destroyed, meaning that these useful, functional, and even beautiful firearms will never be enjoyed by anyone ever again. It’s not worth the gas it would cost to drive the guns to the amnesty site. When you drive your garbage to recycling, you at least get five cents a bottle.
So, is there a better way that has all of the pros (singular) of a gun amnesty program, but none of the cons? You bet!
The Pros & Cons of GTA Guns Auctions
What GTA Guns auctions have in common with gun amnesty programs is that they’re an effective way to get rid of a lot of firearms. The big difference is that with GTA Guns auctions, you get something in return: cash!
Our online auctions are “attended” by bidders all over North America. These bidders’ experienced eyes are always looking for the next great deal, and they regularly use GTA Guns to find it.
Your responsibilities here are about the same as they’d be with gun amnesty programs. You simply need to transport your firearms safely to GTA Guns for the auction. Once they are in our possession, that’s the end of the work for you… but just the beginning for us.
From here, we put the firearms through the GUNCHECK™ and CYCLECHECK™ services to confirm they are in excellent working order. This is to make the bidders more confident as this will cause them to bid higher. We then take internal and external photos of the firearms to post on the auction page, and then actually create the listings. Meanwhile, you can be at home, wondering, “Hm. I wonder how much I will get for my guns…”
After the auction is over, we still take care of everything. First, we do all of the paperwork to transfer the firearms over to their new owners. After that, we safely transport the items to the winners. Within 6 business days following the auction, you will receive a cheque and statement for your items that sold! Easy!
Are There ANY Reasons to Use a Gun Amnesty Program in Ontario?
We can think of one use for Ontario gun amnesty programs: to get rid of firearms that are beyond repair.
If you’re a firearm collector, then you know the importance of storing your firearms in a properly regulated environment. Too much moisture and the little parts inside the firearm could easily rust. If there is too much internal damage to the gun, then its safety will be compromised (if the gun would even work at all). This is one of the reasons why we recommend storing your firearms at GTA Guns Safe Storage Facility, where they will be kept in optimal environmental conditions at all times. Plus, they’d be insured!
When a firearm is little more than a shell of its former self, gun amnesty programs can be useful to dispose of them. However, in every other case, sending them to us at GTA Guns for our auction is the superior choice!
If you’d like to learn more about GTA Guns auctions, or any of our other services, don’t hesitate to contact us about any questions you may have.