Purpose and mechanism[edit]

Legislation-led[edit]

In many cases, buyback programs amount to compensation schemes following a change in law which prohibits the private ownership of certain classes of firearm. Examples include the compensation scheme following the United Kingdom Offensive Weapons Act 2019,[1] and the 1996-97 National Firearms Buyback Program in Australia.


The effectiveness of such schemes is often dependent whether the affected firearms were subject to registration, which allows authorities to enforce their surrender.

Incentivised amnesty[edit]

In other cases, buyback programmes may take the form of an incentivised amnesty scheme intended to take legally and/or illegally held firearms out of circulation more generally. Examples include the 2004 Brazilian buyback.[2] Such schemes may be run concurrent with a legislation-led programme.

Private buyback[edit]

In some countries - particularly the United States - buybacks may be privately funded - typically for the purpose of taking firearms out of circulation. Examples include an anonymous donor funding buyback events in California following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.[3]

Argentina[edit]

In July 2007, Argentina initiated a national gun buyback program that ran until December 2008. Participation in the program was voluntary and anonymous. Individuals received between 100 and 450 pesos (or US$30 to US$145) per firearm depending on its type. All types of firearms were accepted including legal as well as illegal weapons. The 2007–2008 buyback collected a total of 104,782 firearms or around 7% of the country's estimated total number of firearms as well as 747,000 units of ammunition.

The prohibited most semi-automatic rifles and tightened the licensing regime on some shotguns.[12] Compensation was provided in Section 21 of the Act.

Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988

The and Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 prohibited most handguns.

Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997

The prohibited 'rapid firing rifles', bump stocks as well as various non-firearm items.[13] The surrender and compensation scheme ran from 10 December 2020 to 9 March 2021 before the legislation came into effect, making the affected items unlawful to possess.[1]

Offensive Weapons Act 2019

The United Kingdom has undertaken three significant buyback schemes, all of which were legislation-led.


UK Police forces hold knife and weapon amnesties from time to time, but no compensation is offered for surrendered items.[14] Although individuals have amnesty for possession of the articles, they may be prosecuted if a surrendered firearm is connected to criminal activity - some firearms are passed to NABIS to be forensically examined and checked against open investigations.[15] Legally-held firearms are accepted by Police for destruction at any time.

Braga, Anthony A.; Wintemute, Garen J. (2013). . American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 45 (5). Elsevier: 668–671. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2013.08.002. PMID 24139782. Retrieved June 11, 2014.

"Improving the Potential Effectiveness of Gun Buyback Programs"

Leigh, Andrew; Neill, Christine (2010). (PDF). American Law and Economics Review. 12 (2). Oxford University Press: 509–557. doi:10.1093/aler/ahq013. hdl:10419/36943. S2CID 787141. Retrieved June 8, 2014.

"Do Gun Buybacks Save Lives? Evidence from Panel Data"

Neuman, Scott (January 15, 2013). . NPR. Retrieved June 11, 2014.

"Newtown Prompts Gun Buybacks, But Do They Work?"