Ghost Guns

Another email pitches a DVD (people still watch those?) with plans for building a ghost gun, which is most likely followed by another pitch for parts. The sell for this one tells people if they’ve bought a gun from a dealer they’re now on a government list and the BATF is making active plans under the proposed Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety (TAPS) Act to come take your guns.

First, there is no government database of gun purchasers. Records are held local by the dealer for 20 years, after which they can be destroyed. Second, the proposed TAPS Act has specific language in it that says it in no way is meant to interfere with the legal purchase and ownership of firearms.

The purpose of the TAPS Act is to appoint a standing government committee to study why violent acts occur and to make recommendations to help identify and correct behavior that leads to violent acts — not track if you purchased a new GLOCK.