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Media Hit Piece on “Ghost Guns” Uses Scare Tactics
AmmoLand ^ | December 15, 2024 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 12/24/2024 3:22:03 PM PST by marktwain

On December 12, 2024, USA Today published a hit piece on “ghost guns” attempting to use the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as a reason to impose unconstitutional restrictions on homemade firearms.

It appears Brian Thompson was assassinated with a homemade firearm. However, the manufacture of the firearm did not interfere with the investigation of his murder. The suspect was arrested without any assistance from gun tracing data, as is the case with virtually all violent crimes. Gun tracing has no measurable effect on solving violent crimes. It is difficult to find any violent crime that was solved with gun trace data. The USA Today article misleads from the first paragraph:

For decades, America’s detectives have made breakthroughs in crime using gun traces. A homicide investigator typically uses ballistics and serial numbers of weapons checked via a vast network of gun shop records, manufacturer IDs and crime databases.

The unstated conflation is from crimes of possession or illegal gun sales to homicide. Homicides that are solved by the use of trace data seem to be non-existent. It may have happened, but this correspondent has not found documented examples. If there were examples, they would be shouted out by the ATF and those who want a disarmed population. They are not. The USA Today article does not cite a single violent crime solved by using trace data.

Canada has required all handguns to be registered since 1934.  The Canadian handgun registration is far more effective and intrusive than the United States gun trace system.  In 1995, when the Canadian handgun registry had been in use for over 60 years, the Canadian Department of Justice could not identify a single instance where handgun registration helped to solve a crime. From publicsafety.gc.ca:


(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: banglist; fear; ghostgun; media
A few thousand or a few hundred thousand "ghost guns" are insignificant in a nation with hundreds of millions of unregistered untraceable guns.
1 posted on 12/24/2024 3:22:03 PM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Unregisteted? Butt, butt, butt we see on TV shows the detectives stating “not registered”. Implying guns are normally “ registered”. Grrrrrrrr!

Merry Christmas Dean. 😊👍🙏🎅


2 posted on 12/24/2024 3:39:20 PM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within ? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
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To: marktwain

Young people probably think ghost guns are held by ghosts. Although they believe Ghostbusters films are sort of fictional.


3 posted on 12/24/2024 3:40:26 PM PST by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: rktman

American: “I believe it. I seen that on TV.”
2nd American: “Me, too.”


4 posted on 12/24/2024 3:43:01 PM PST by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: marktwain

Desperate for relevancy and lacking leadership, they dust off their playbooks amid sinking ratings, readership and viewership.

*yawn*


5 posted on 12/24/2024 3:44:30 PM PST by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: marktwain

My dad was a boiler repair man and had a bunch of little pipes and fittings in the garage. I made a little zip gun with a small piece of pipe and a fishing weight. I used a Black Cat to light it off, and it worked quite well.


6 posted on 12/24/2024 3:48:27 PM PST by MikeSteelBe (The South will be in the right in the next war of Northern aggression.)
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To: MikeSteelBe

It is hard to repress a 500 year old technology as tools and materials become cheaper, easier to use, and commonly available.


7 posted on 12/24/2024 3:59:13 PM PST by marktwain (The Republic is at risk. Resistance to the Democratic Party is Resistance to Tyranny. )
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To: MikeSteelBe

We used to break off the old style car antennas. One section was perfect for a 22 rim fire. We would hold it tight and slam it against fence pole or brick wall. It worked. Probably not very safe, but I never had one split.


8 posted on 12/24/2024 4:05:09 PM PST by 3ZZZ
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To: marktwain

If anything, based on Luigi’s skill set, liberals should promote ghost guns. It seems that he was unable to successfully build an autoloader. (At least one that didn’t need help to clear all the jams.) It was certainly not high capacity.


9 posted on 12/24/2024 4:20:14 PM PST by Colorado Doug (Now I know how the Indians felt to be sold out for a few beads and trinkets)
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To: marktwain

Made up names to frighten the listeners...

SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL!
ARMY SURPLUS WAR RIFLE.
Ghetto Blaster!
Plastic framed pistol for airline hijackings.
EXPLODING BULLETS.
COP KILLER BULLETS.
As-s-s-ault rifle
Now As-s-s-ault pistol...
.50 Caliber rifle that can knock an airplane out of the sky!
GHOST GUNS!
All names designed to frighten the public.


10 posted on 12/24/2024 4:43:09 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Colorado Doug

I’m wondering if he printed, or bought an 80% lower…..and did NOT have the Gen 3 upper…….


11 posted on 12/24/2024 5:08:35 PM PST by Repeat Offender (While the wicked stand confounded, call me with Thy saints surrounded.)
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To: marktwain

There was nothing preventing him from legally purchasing a gun. He had no felonies. He just made it himself because it was fun and he was a techy type guy.


12 posted on 12/24/2024 5:40:55 PM PST by DesertRhino (2016 Star Wars, 2020 The Empire Strikes Back, 2024... RETURN OF THE JEDI..)
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To: frank ballenger

13 posted on 12/24/2024 5:51:29 PM PST by Larry Lucido (Donate! Don't just post clickbait!)
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To: frank ballenger
Their news is sort of like the As Seen On TV store.


14 posted on 12/24/2024 6:28:28 PM PST by xp38
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

The 2 things people should be afraid of when it comes to firearms, those that wish to take firearms from law abiding citizens and those that use firearms in nefarious ways.


15 posted on 12/25/2024 4:19:39 AM PST by Dutch Boy (The only thing worse than having something taken from you is to have it returned broken. )
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To: marktwain
It is hard to repress a 500 year old technology as tools and materials become cheaper, easier to use, and commonly available.

When I was young, old timers used to say, give them a few hand tools and some old car parts (good steel) and they could build a gun. Nowadays, give someone a 3d printer and some material and they can build a gun. Once the genie is out of the bottle, there is no putting it back.
16 posted on 12/25/2024 10:13:22 AM PST by Aut Pax Aut Bellum (2025 is going to be a rough ride.)
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To: marktwain

I wonder how they’re doing tracing Routh’s SKS. It was likely imported over thirty years ago, had multiple owners, and had the serial #s obliterated/ removed, at some point. And they captured him not knowing anything about the rifle, I believe.


17 posted on 12/25/2024 6:41:13 PM PST by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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