Democratic lawmakers asked the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study that shows how easy it is to illegally purchase weapons on the internet. Two-and-a-half years later, the results are in, and the the Democrats, including Elijah Cummings and Elizabeth Warren, are not going to be happy with the results. Fox News reports that investigators attempted to make 72 online purchases, all in violation of federal law, and could not get a single seller to complete the transaction.
The researchers did have some success obtaining illegal weapons on the "dark web", a part of the internet that "requires specific software, configurations or authorization to access," where they were able to purchase two illegal firearms. The weapons had the serial numbers removed, and were shipped across state lines in violation of federal law.
The National Rifle Association applauded the report, saying "private sellers advertising online are knowledgeable about the law, conscientious, and self-policing." The NRA also reiterated that online gun sales are "subject to the same federal laws that apply to any other commercial or private gun sales."