Pictures | Tue Jul 30, 2013 | 6:25pm EDT

Melting guns

<p>Guns to be melted lie in a pile near a news conference at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. According to press releases from the sheriff's office, 5,495 weapons confiscated from criminals in Los Angeles County and collected through a gun buyback program are being melted and reformed as steel rebar at the mill. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Guns to be melted lie in a pile near a news conference at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. According to press releases from the sheriff's office, 5,495 weapons confiscated from criminals in Los Angeles County and collected through a gun buyback program are being melted and reformed as steel rebar at the mill. REUTERS/David McNew

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<p>Guns to be melted lie in a pile at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

Guns to be melted lie in a pile at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Guns to be melted lie in a pile at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

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<p>Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca tosses a pistol onto a pile of guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca tosses a pistol onto a pile of guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew more

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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<p>Front-loader tractors scoop up guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

Front-loader tractors scoop up guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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<p>A steel worker stands near a pile of guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

A steel worker stands near a pile of guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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<p>Deputies look at guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

Deputies look at guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Deputies look at guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

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<p>A deputy sheriff looks at a disabled gun to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

A deputy sheriff looks at a disabled gun to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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<p>Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca holds a .308 caliber semi-automatic rifle to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca holds a .308 caliber semi-automatic rifle to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David...more

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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<p>Heat waves rise from cooling billets, the steel shapes that melted guns will become before they are turned into rebar, at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

Heat waves rise from cooling billets, the steel shapes that melted guns will become before they are turned into rebar, at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July...more

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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<p>Molten slag falls in the distance as guns to be melted lie in a pile at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

Molten slag falls in the distance as guns to be melted lie in a pile at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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<p>Molten steel flies from a caldron where guns are being melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

Molten steel flies from a caldron where guns are being melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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<p>Guns fly up to an electro magnet to taken to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

Guns fly up to an electro magnet to taken to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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<p>A front-loader tractor carries guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew</p>

A front-loader tractor carries guns to be melted at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's 20th annual Gun Melt at the Gerdau Steel Mill in Rancho Cucamonga, California July 30, 2013. REUTERS/David McNew

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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