Shocker: NBC News Segment On ‘Ghost Guns’ Is Riddled With Inaccuracies

Shocker: NBC News Segment On ‘Ghost Guns’ Is Riddled With Inaccuracies

Another day, another story about firearms from the news media that’s absolute crap. NBC News reported on February 9 that “ghost guns” are being used in crimes across the country. They’re untraceable. And criminals can obtain them without a background check. That sounds serious. The source of the worry: AR-15 gun kits. The network ordered a kit and sent it to a former ATF agent, who then assembled it within “a couple of hours,” according to national investigative reporter Jeff Rossen. Here’s what NBC News reported:

Federal officials like Graham Barlowe, the resident agent in charge of the ATF’s Sacramento office, say the loophole is dangerous.

“People that could not pass a background check,” said Barlowe, “are purchasing these unfinished receiver kits and making firearms because they know that if they went to a gun store, they wouldn’t be able to pass a background check.”

Police say criminals are well aware of the availability of “ghost guns,” and they’ve been used in shootings across the country, from Maryland to California.

Jeff Rossen, NBC News national investigative correspondent, went online to see how easy it would be to order these gun kits. He quickly found dozens of websites offering the product, and ordered a rifle kit, which he had shipped to former ATF agent Rick Vasquez in Virginia.

[…]

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D.-N.Y., the senate minority leader said he wants to close the loophole, but expects fierce opposition from the National Rifle Association. “We are going to try to pass legislation,” said Schumer. “The trouble is the NRA is so unreasonable and has such power in the Congress, you’d think this should pass like that, but it is going to be a long hard road.”

Luckily, Stephen Gutowski of the Washington Free Beacon caught on the inaccuracies and raked NBC over the coals for failing to check with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives about these so-called ghost guns. First, the law enforcement agency isn’t familiar with these firearms being used in crimes. They don’t have the data, despite NBC’s claims that they’re being used all over the place. Second, it’s not legal for prohibited persons to own firearms, even if it does come in separate parts for assembly. Last, Gutowski spoke with Vasquez who said that the assembly didn’t take a couple of hours and that there’s more to it than using a simple power drill to finish a lower component (the part that’s considered the gun) that’s 80 percent completed.

Read at TownHall