Confiscated weapons to be melted into rebar

Weapons were on display Monday at Los Angeles County Sheriff's headquarters, where Sheriff Lee Baca announced the destruction of more than 8,300 weapons confiscated from criminals in Los Angeles County. The guns will be converted Tuesday morning into steel rebar as part of "Project Isaiah." Tamco Steel donates its furnace, equipment and personnel to convert the weapons into rebar, and will allocate the steel from the melted weapons to be used for upgrades to freeways and bridges in California, Nevada and Arizona.  

Photo: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Cheryl Whitt]

Gee-they're actually going to use the steel in Arizona?? Won't that violate some sort of boycott??

[Randy]

So I guess I'll be the first to state the obvious....thats not a lot of rebar

[latimesreader]

What a waste of some good guns that are worth much more than the value of a piece or rebar. How about selling the guns to law abideing citizens anp put the money to good use?

[K.E.]

Two thumbs way up!

[Saul T. Bahlzitch]

That's a great photo op. Too bad they didn't auction off the evil firearms to law abiding citizens around the country. Take all those proceeds and use THAT for bridges and roads. Re-use comes before recycle!

[A Naughty Rodent]

"...steel from the melted weapons to be used for upgrades to freeways and bridges in California, Nevada and Arizona."

So, we're no longer boycotting Arizona?

[kathleen]

Rebar ? Isn't there something more valuable or is gun metal really cheapo bottom-of-the-barrel grade ?

[Diz Pareunia]

They should be distributed to qualified citizens for purposes of self defense.

[David]

A tragic waste of good guns. I know it's not a politically correct idea in this day and age of blaming social ills on inert tools, but they should have been sold at public auction.

[Montana Gold]

These guns with serial numbers can be resold to the benefit of California. This seems like an under the table deal. Get free metal to a rebar company for profit. Why do the cops auction stolen property and cars to pay themselves!? Seems like a gang don't it? Sell the guns, give the tax payers the money back and fire all lazy cops.

[C Justin]

That's got to be some high-quality rebar!

[Robert NO longer in LA]

More likely, great news!, for S&W.....remove the abundant supply, and prices LEAP! Saul....YOU and Kathleen, are SOOOO RIGHT!!!! WHAT A WASTE, so typical of imbecile OAFficials.

[R U Joking?!]

Kathleen, gun metal is premium steel, like that used in most vehicle strut springs.

Mixing different grades & alloys of it together in a crucible, or pot, yields steel of inconsistent strength & low quality.