Question: Are gun buyback programs like offering...

[Straw Man]

12. Pushback.

"Buyback" programs (a misnomer because you can only "buy back" something that was yours in the first place) are unpopular among gun activists for several reasons.

One is that they encourage people to turn in for destruction guns that may be unique and collectible. Paying $50 for an antique Colt Single Action Army and then destroying it is not only a disservice to the person bringing in the gun -- someone ostensibly not exactly wealthy -- but it also takes a valuable and historical piece out of circulation permanently.

Secondly, despite being touted as a measure to reduce gun violence, they actually provide a convenient way for criminals to dispose of crime guns. The "no questions asked" policy means that the guns being turned in cannot be tied to any individual, and a potentially valuable piece of evidence disappears forever.

As for "smart guns," the only pushback there came because the state in question -- New Jersey -- had recently passed legislation mandating that once any "smart gun" was available for purchase, only "smart guns" would be allowed to be sold in the state. That's a pretty dire situation for anyone shopping for a firearm as it would reduce the consumer's options to one unproven and expensive gun which may or may not be suitable for that consumer.