New York State Hits 10,000 Guns Collected in Buybacks

The state has reached a milestone in its voluntary firearm surrender program following a recent event in Rochester.

Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Violence

Bold flat-color illustration featuring a geometric silhouette of an administrative building facade, symbolizing institutional firearm policy. — New York state officials announced that more than 10,000 firearms have been surrendered through voluntary buyback programs across the state since 2019. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you believe government-led gun buyback programs effectively improve safety in your community?

New York has collected over 10,000 firearms through voluntary buyback programs since 2019. A recent event in Rochester at the Church of Love Faith Center successfully gathered approximately 600 additional weapons.

Why it matters

Public officials maintain that these initiatives improve local safety and prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands. However, the overall effectiveness of such programs in reducing violence remains a subject of ongoing debate among researchers.

The program offers standardized payments of $100 for revolvers, shotguns, and rifles, $250 for semi-automatic handguns, and $600 for qualifying assault rifles. Staffers from the Attorney General's office perform on-site firearm classification.

The players

Letitia James

She serves as the Attorney General of New York and oversees the state's legal and public safety initiatives.

The details

The buyback process relies on voluntary surrenders to collect weapons from the public. The classification of assault rifles is determined based on specific technical characteristics defined under New York state law, including semi-automatic functionality.

The state began conducting these gun buyback programs in 2019.
Studies assessing buyback effectiveness were published in 2021.
Attorney General Letitia James held a buyback event in Rochester on October 20, 2026.

Legal Context

Recent efforts in New York are frequently measured against the 2021 National Bureau of Economic Research study on gun buyback programs. This research suggests these initiatives do not correlate with reductions in homicide or interpersonal gun violence.

Residents can participate in these events to voluntarily surrender unwanted firearms in exchange for cash incentives. Officials use these programs to remove weapons from circulation, though residents should monitor official announcements for the location of future events.

The takeaway

While New York continues to scale its buyback efforts, participants should be aware that the primary goal is the secure removal of existing firearms from homes. Future participation depends on the state scheduling additional events in local jurisdictions.