Gift cards can be later rescinded or restricted and you'd have to spend your credits on their plantation. I get they're trying to make it hard to immediately spend your money on better guns at the gun show over in the next hall but they might just be encouraging desperate people to produce and horde dodgy unsafe firearms to be made in preparation for the next buyback scheme.
Like most buybacks, the government is paying $500 for someone's $200 Keltec (which may have already been "used", tainting it), and the seller will probably upgrade to an M&P or Glock (with clean serial #s)
Your tax dollars providing gun upgrades, those gift cards will be sold at for 80% cash value and then its off to buy a Glock
Yes, lives saved by making local pd your only lifeline in mortal combat in self defense. They'll arrive shortly after the crime has been committed. A bit late if you ask me.
Of course, because when seconds count, the police are minutes away.