Unique Option for Coloradans Who Wish to Turn in Unneeded Guns

If you or someone you provide care for has guns that are no longer being used or are inoperable, you may be able to “trade in” the gun for a gardening tool or other object reconfigured from the dismantled gun’s raw material. A nonprofit called RAWTools, with a location in Colorado Springs, has a “swords into plowshares” mission of helping reduce gun violence by reducing gun numbers. “By using weapons to make garden tools and other hand tools, we are creating a symbol for change and we’re asking you to participate,” RAWTools states. The nonprofit will work with you in the process of legally disabling your gun. “We will arrange a time and place that is convenient to meet you,” RAWTools says, “and we will bring the equipment to decommission the gun(s) . . . according to Federal ATF guidelines.” The gun disabling takes about 5-10 minutes. The nonprofit says many people donate their guns because they realize they don’t need them anymore. In some cases older Coloradans may no longer care to use a gun or may be unable to (e.g., can’t or don’t want to hunt or sport shoot any more). RAWTools has at times collaborated with organized gun buyback programs such as one created for the Denver/Aurora metro area in 2022. That program reportedly collected some 450 firearms in its first year. The Denver Broncos once joined forces with Denver, Aurora and RAWtools, having selected the nonprofit to receive a grant through the team’s social justice fund. If the charitable mission of RAWTools appeals to you as a good way to “recycle” your unneeded gun, see details at https://springs.rawtools.org/. There you can also see (and buy) some of the tools and other products made from donated guns.