I'm also from a smaller city in the south. I can also confirm that when people say "come and take them," they are serious. No one is going to be interested in a buy-back program, and a lot of people will defend their household if they know authorities really are coming to take their guns. A lot of men in southern culture would feel comparatively helpless if they knew they couldn't defend their home with a gun. Not saying it's logical, but that's the mentality.
Ironically, my home town in TN is a lot safer than where I now live in the Bay Area, where legal gun ownership is restricted and frowned upon. I don't think that's _why_ it's less safe here, but it's interesting to see the opposing mentalities.