Gun sales person to person surprised the GAO!

The Bloomberg-esque 'investigation' still leaves room for anti-Constitutionalists to challenge the applicability of the results. From the report:

"Specifically, privatesellers on Surface Web gun forums and in classified ads were unwilling tosell a firearm to our agents that self-identified as being prohibited frompossessing a firearm." (Emphasis added)

In other words, the ATF agents told the sellers that they were prohibited from owning a firearm.

Yes, it's a tribute to and indication of the honesty of the average firearm owners.

But realistically -- what person trying to buy a gun would tell the person selling it that they were buying it unlawfully or for unlawful purposes? I suppose the ATF agents had to do that to establish intent and avoid charges of entrapment, but it does undermine the pro-2A position.

Also telling is another line:

"In these 56 attempts, 29 sellers refused because they wouldnot ship a firearm [across state lines] . . . "

That's a good thing.

". . . in five of these attempts, the accounts we set up on severalforums were frozen by the websites, which prevented us from using them after we disclosed our prohibited status or requested interstate shipmentand attempted to make a purchase."

That's another score for the good guys.

But something to notice: out of 72 attempts, eleven were scams and two actually conned the ATF into sending them money. In other words, over 15% of the firearms ads (responded to by the ATF) were scams.

Makes me even more reluctant to buy through an online auction.