GAO attempts to buy guns illegally online

[TFOGGER]

Unsurprisingly to those of us here, they were utterly unsuccessful. Results here:

https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/688535.pdf

TL, DR; version: 72 attempts to illegally buy guns online, 56 sellers told, 'em to f-off, 5 phony accounts banned by forum mods for revealing they were prohibited in one fashion or another, and 11 were abandoned after the GAO concluded the seller was trying to scam them, including one that they paid for and never received.

[Will1776]

lol

[Gman]

...but...but...that's not what I hear from the MSM.

[Erni]

Wonder if any of the attempts were here.

[TFOGGER]

Wonder if any of the attempts were here.

It wouldn't surprise me. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that the mods here were responsible for one or more bans on "buyers" that revealed they were prohibited or otherwise solicited illegal behavior. The mods here do an amazing job!

Our members also tend to be pretty good at self policing, mostly through their law abiding natures, and maybe partly due to paranoia about ATF and/or other law enforcement stings.

[Zundfolge]

Clearly this isn't true because I've been told by dozens of Europeans I've argued with that in America, school children can buy machine guns at Walmart without any ID ... cash and carry.

[Bailey Guns]

Clearly this isn't true because I've been told by dozens of Europeans I've argued with that in America, school children can buy machine guns at Walmart without any ID ... cash and carry.

It's true. That's how I got my full-auto, porcelain Glock 7 when I was only 14.

[clodhopper]

full-auto, porcelain Glock 7

Those are the best.

[Skip]

Those are the best.

Yup. You can walk right through airport security with them.

Serious... How is the GAO now have a interest in gun control? Other than accidentally shattering gun grabber myths, which I appreciate, is this justified to determine how effective the ATF is?

Those of us who enjoy having forums (like this) don't need another rogue agency testing us. Would "surface web" sellers/forums who didn't reject a bad transaction be referred for prosecution?

Accordingly, to demonstrate how the Internet may
facilitate illegal firearm transactions, we decided our agents would
complete the firearm purchases.

To make sure a crime was committed? I guess that's better than walking them into Mexico.

The scenarios based on the GCA covered the following:
• a felon avoiding a background check,
• an individual with a domestic-violence background or a restraining
order against him or her,
• an individual who unlawfully uses controlled substances (or is an
addict),
• an individual who was dishonorably discharged from the military, and
• an individual who has renounced his or her citizenship or is otherwise
an unlawful alien.

Hey seller, yes I'd like to buy your AR-15 but first let me tell you about the coke I use...

[Aloha_Shooter]

Serious... How is the GAO now have a interest in gun control? Other than accidentally shattering gun grabber myths, which I appreciate, is this justified to determine how effective the ATF is?

Those of us who enjoy having forums (like this) don't need another rogue agency testing us. Would "surface web" sellers/forums who didn't reject a bad transaction be referred for prosecution?

I was initially concerned about that as well but when I opened the report, the first page clearly says the GAO was requested by Congress to assess the effectiveness of BATFE operations, including testing just how many guns were being sold illegally on the Internet. If I understand the situation right, this was actually a response to Congressional concerns about the rogue anti-gun BATFE and DOJ operations under Holder/Obama so this report is a good thing -- it punctures the myths that Holder and anti-gun bureaucrats were using as a rationale for their anti-gun policies and supposed sting operations.