These are called buy-walks in the investigation business. As long as they are a part of a developing investigation being pursued to resolution, I have no problem with it. It isn't the purchasers that one is after in these types of cases. Its the gun runners themselves, the middle men, in hopes of identifying the upper level leaders.

Problem is you don't do buy-walks without pursuing a large and active investigation. You sures the hell don't talk about active cases and you sures the hell don't burn your seller from a buy walk by talking to media about it. This just reeks of dysfunction and politics.