Saw off a 6-inch piece of a shotgun barrel, and slice it open the long way with a metal cutting wheel. Lay it on a forge until it's piping hot, then fold it open. Now you've turned a shotgun into a mini garden shovel.
That's what they do at Disarmory Ministries — craft guns into art and tools.
Disarmory, a nonprofit based out of Berkley, trades gift cards for guns people didn't want anymore. Its founder, the Very Rev. Chris Yaw, stood on 12 Mile with 5,000 gift cards from Kroger and Meijer at the nonprofit's first buyback in 2021. Those cards were gone in minutes.
Yaw said the goal of Disarmory is to provide an easy and safe way for people to dispose of their unwanted guns.
"If there are fewer firearms lying around that people aren't using, then
we're contributing to the safety of the community," he said.
Originally, Disarmory turned in the guns it received to the Michigan State Police (MSP). After learning in 2023 that an MSP contractor was reselling the gun parts, Disarmory started disposing of guns in-house.
The nonprofit breaks and saws apart the guns that get turned in, but it doesn't throw away the materials. Instead, Disarmory turns those guns into artwork.
For some, getting rid of a gun can lift a burden
Research casts doubt on whether buybacks are effective at reducing gun violence or taking guns out of circulation for high-risk groups. But Disarmory's effect tends to be therapeutic for the people who come through, according to 62-year-old William Harris, one of the gun "choppers" for the nonprofit.
Harris has cut up hundreds of guns surrendered to Disarmory. One of the guns that sticks in his mind was a brand new .380 pistol that a mother brought in 2025. Harris said the gun belonged to her son, who had recently turned 21.
"Two days after he bought the gun, he blew his brain out," Harris said. "We don't just take guns off the street. People bring them in because something catastrophic happened in their lives."
Harris said a lot of the people who participate in Disarmory's buybacks do it for a sense of comfort after experiencing a tragedy.
"It gives them relief that this weapon that killed their son or daughter is out of their life," he said.
There's also an aspect of convenience for some of the people surrendering their guns, like 46-year-old Daniel Dingerson, who brought 11 guns that used to belong to his dad.
Dingerson said that he inherited the guns when his father passed away, and he chose to surrender them at a buyback because it was the easiest way to responsibly get rid of the guns without putting them back on the market.
"I want them gone," he said. "They probably have some monetary value to somebody, but to me, it's not worth it to sell them."
Artists work to give guns new meaning
The Detroit Free Press spoke with three artists who work with Disarmory to repurpose the guns after they get chopped.
Mary Bensmiller, 68, who works with a team to make collages and placards out of gun parts and drift glue.
"We just kind of work off of each other's strengths," she said. "We have one woman who's really good with colors. We have another person who seems to see animals in the pieces. I see letters in the pieces."
Bensmiller, a retired nurse, said she relishes repurposing guns into items that won't be used as tools for violence, a common theme among Disarmory's volunteers.
"I get such a joy out of creating a positive, creative, beautiful piece of art out of a weapon that can cause so much pain and destruction in people's lives," she said.
Sam King, 33, is a blacksmith who collaborates with Disarmory Ministries to make garden tools out of gun parts.
King has been a blacksmith for less than a year, but said he loves the example that his work sets for his community and wants to project a message of nonviolence and love for all.
"I have four kids, and I want this to be at the forefront of their minds all the time, and I almost want it to become a way of life for them," he said. "I hope to constantly be reinforcing the teachings of Jesus to my kids, to myself, reminding us who we are and what we believe in."
Robin Rienstra, 22, studies at Oakland Community College. Rienstra's niche for the nonprofit is making jewelry out of gun parts using a high-speed rotary tool, an angle grinder and a propane torch.
Rienstra's basic process is to cut gun barrels into rings, file down the sharp edges, and then engrave the surfaces. She uses the blowtorch to heat up the ring, which forms a black oxide coating once the ring cools down, creating a color contrast between the engravings and the rest of the ring.
She echoed Bensmiller's sentiment of wanting to create an object of positivity out of a destructive weapon, and said she feels moved to do what she can when she reflects on the school shootings around the country.
"I've been in the same school district as a school where a shooting happened," she said. "I've heard stories, and it's heartbreaking. I can't change that directly, but I can make a symbol of hope."
A small piece of a big picture
Disarmory's work aims to provide a convenient, emotionally comforting way for people to let go of their guns. It also promotes gun safety awareness and gives people safety resources like gun locks.
Yaw said the buybacks at Disarmory are only one part of a multi-pronged effort against gun violence, though.
"There is not one big answer to one giant problem," he said.
Disarmory is part of End Gun Violence Michigan (EGVM), a coalition of organizations lobbying for gun violence prevention laws in the state. EGVM supported red flag laws, safe storage laws and expanded background checks for gun buyers, all policies that went into effect in 2024.
EVGM is currently advocating for policies like state-level licenses and oversight for gun dealers.
Yaw said that strong policies have a slow time getting passed in Michigan because of competing interests, though. He called for unity across political aisles to move popular regulations forward.
"Any form of legislation needs to be bipartisan, going with what the people want," he said.
Yaw said he wants Disarmory to help shift public attitudes away from gun fanaticism.
"The birth rate is lower than the rate which we make guns at," he said. "There are more guns than people in our country. The vast majority of gun owners are extremely responsible with their weapons, but do you want guns to continue to be the number one killer of kids?"
Tristan McFolley is a Detroit Free Press intern. Reach him at tmcfolley@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan church turns guns into jewelry, placards, garden tools
