Gun owners and gun-rights advocates have had to put up with the creation of a number of fictional loopholes over the past several years, from the so-called gun show loophole to the alleged private sales loophole. Just when we thought things couldn’t get worse, gun banners have created yet another loophole to worry about—the “zombie gun loophole.”
Democrat U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost is trying to do something to close this dreaded loophole that apparently could cause the end of civilization as we know it if not addressed.
“The Zombie Gun Loophole is a problematic way that guns can end up in the hands of those responsible for gun violence,” Frost tweeted last week. “We must close this loophole and destroy zombie guns now. Every life lost to gun violence is one too many.”
What exactly is a “zombie gun,” you might ask. Frost has an answer for you.
“A ‘zombie gun’ is exactly what it sounds like—it’s a gun that should not be living, it shouldn’t be able to operate, it shouldn’t be in use and it shouldn’t be able to harm or claim another life—but it does,” Frost said. “Closing the loophole that has allowed gun destruction companies to collect taxpayer dollars for only destroying one part of the gun and not the whole thing is undoubtedly contributing to the gun violence we are seeing in our communities today. I refuse to see another life taken or another family devastated because of gun violence. We need to destroy zombie guns now.”
Frost has introduced legislation in Congress to stop the proliferation of “zombie guns.” Frost described “zombie guns” as guns retired from law enforcement, seized by law enforcement or others taken during gun buyback programs. But instead of them being destroyed by authorities, their parts are then resold.
“We don’t believe this is the end all, be all solution to end gun violence,” Frost said at a press conference announcing the legislation. “It’s one piece in this fight. But when we have a crisis like gun violence that claims 100 lives a day and is the leading cause of death of children (untrue, incidentally), we have to be clear that we need every single solution.”
The measure, co-sponsored by 22 other Democrat members of Congress, is called the “Destroy Zombie Guns Act.”
“Currently, government agencies across the country are unknowingly fueling a secondary gun market when they send retired, seized and surrendered guns to gun disposal companies that destroy one small part of the gun and resell the rest,” Frost said in a press release announcing the measure. “In most cases, purchasers are even able to avoid the most basic requirements, such as a background check.”
In fact, many agencies with such firearms sell the entire guns or deal with other companies that sell the guns. They do, of course, undergo a federal background check when resold so are only sold to law-abiding Americans, not criminals.
Many firearms gun parts that are not the serialized receiver that is considered the “gun” do not require a background check when sold, and these seem to be the ones Frost and other Democrats are targeting. The same parts, however, are also available from a number of other sources, so the bill would do absolutely nothing to curb gun violence.
Still, gun-ban organizations like March for our Lives and Gifford immediately jumped on board the errant zombie gun train, voicing their support for the measure—as they do with any anti-gun scheme.
“Companies should not be able to profit from reselling crime guns or their parts that law enforcement slated for destruction,” said Adzi Vokhiwa, federal affairs director for Gifford. “We thank Rep. Frost for introducing the Destroy Zombie Guns Act to improve firearm destruction practices, prevent crime guns from reappearing in our communities and shut down the growing and unregulated black market for recycled firearm parts.”
The fate of the legislation is unknown. But it’s unlikely gun owners need to worry about running into a zombie anytime soon when opening up their gun safe.
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