What Would Confiscation Really Look Like?

“What did Mao Zedong say about disarming the population? ‘Every communist must grasp the truth: Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.'” — William Kirk, Washington Gun Law.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Gun confiscation—a term that makes every lawful gun owner’s blood boil. But is it really something we need to worry about, or is it just political posturing?

William Kirk, President of Washington Gun Law, took to the screen to discuss this very issue, diving deep into both historical and modern examples to shed some light on the topic.

Kirk starts by addressing the elephant in the room: “One of the two presidential candidates appears to be really in big favor of it,” he said, referring to the increasing chatter about gun confiscation coming from the Harris-Walz ticket.

The concern isn’t just about the rhetoric but about the possible reality of such an action.

“As a matter of fact, if Congress doesn’t act and pass unconstitutional legislation within the first 100 days, she’s [Kamala] just going to do it through executive order,” said Kirk, referring to the vice president’s recent statements. “And she’s even so much as talked about mandatory buybacks and confiscation.”

To understand whether gun confiscation could truly happen in the United States, Kirk took a historical look back at some grim precedents.

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From the Ottoman Empire’s disarmament leading to the Armenian Holocaust, to Stalin’s brutal purges in the Soviet Union, to Mao Zedong’s mass killings in China—each scenario paints a chilling picture of what happens when a government disarms its citizens.

“How has gun confiscation worked in the past and how has it worked out for the people who had their guns confiscated? I think you probably know the answer to that one,” Kirk remarked.

The discussion didn’t stop at history. Kirk also looked at more recent events, including Canada’s ongoing struggle with its own black rifle ban. Announced in 2020 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Canadian government promised a mandatory buyback program.

Yet, four years later, not a single firearm has been surrendered. The estimated cost? A staggering $6 billion, far exceeding the original estimate of $400 to $600 million. And they still haven’t figured out how to round up the guns.

“So, at the current time, not only has Canada not even collected a single firearm or firearm component, they have no idea how they’re going to do it,” Kirk explained, noting the logistical nightmare that the U.S. could face if a similar policy were attempted.

“Of course, what they have been able to create, though, is millions and millions of dollars in new government jobs, which are being filled by people who are still sitting around, picking their ass and scratching their head, figuring out how we’re going to get Canadians to give these guns up,” he continued.

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Additionally, Kirk pointed out the stark differences between Canada and the U.S., particularly the sheer number of firearms in America and the deep-seated cultural resistance to any form of gun confiscation.

“Knowing Americans’ real strong desire for our inalienable rights and our civil liberties,” he said, “we might be a little bit more unwilling to surrender the firearms.”

Kirk also emphasized that most law enforcement leaders, including chiefs of police, sheriffs, and state patrol captains, are staunch supporters of the Second Amendment.

“None of them ever signed up in law enforcement to go kicking down doors of lawful, responsible Americans to confiscate their firearms,” he stated. Kirk warned that if confiscation efforts were ever attempted, it would likely trigger significant resistance, making parts of the country “very noisy very fast.”

The bottom line? While politicians may threaten gun confiscation to rile up their base, the practical realities make it highly improbable, if not completely impossible.

Kirk explained:

No matter whether it’s Vice President Kamala Harris or any other dimwit who’s just trying to chum the waters of their base, they will threaten with gun confiscation over and over and over. And yes, trust me, if they could actually do it, they would do it. But when you actually slow down, stop, think, and realize the complexities of what would occur, it’s highly improbable, if not completely impossible, to ever occur.

All that said, Kirk concluded with a cautionary caveat: “If I end up doing another video in a year or two about this topic, we’re probably all in serious trouble.”

What say you? Do you believe gun confiscation to be a political possibility in the near future?

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  • Tip Tover August 21, 2024, 9:52 am

    It will be passive control to weaken the country before they go for the guns. Ever hear of digital currency? and all of the food processing plants on fire? and giving medical care to every illegal immigrant till the system is bankrupt and overwhelmed? Once they have your money, food and medical care under their thumb the rest is easy. These things are all in the process of being done now. If there is going to be push back against the Communist NWO it had better begin soon…

  • Walleye August 17, 2024, 6:21 pm

    Red states could encourage their governors to simply deputize its law abiding citizens, thus making them part of the national law enforcement community. Check mate.

  • Richie88 August 17, 2024, 5:38 pm

    In america it would be a civil war….no doubt, a war that leftist democrats would have no chance of winning
    There would be a big division among the military…..we will never surrender our arms here in america…..never.

  • paul I'll call you what I want/1st Amendment August 16, 2024, 7:02 pm

    I think you might be a few rounds short of a full mag there…….

  • SJ August 16, 2024, 3:06 pm

    Pull out an old street map of the US. The faintest grey lines are the “Main Street” type roads connecting towns. Along those millions of miles of roads are many more millions of 50yd driveways. A vast majority of those homes have guns. Once the sheriff’s deputies start going house to house, how will you convince the next deputy to step over the pile of dead cops at the end of the driveway of the home of the first family that will not comply? How big do you let the pile get? Because it will happen many times across the US on all of those squiggly grey lines.

    • Marc August 22, 2024, 2:43 pm

      Every time a Democrat gets in the White House, we go through these types of discussions. Because they bring it up every time they get into office. As much as I despise the majority of the don’t give a damn about the 2nd Amendment. All they know is they’re ‘scary weapons’ and they’ll cry if they even get near one.

      If they would take a firearms course and learn how to use the firearm properly…I think they’d understand why our 2 Amendment is as important as it is.

  • AK August 16, 2024, 1:55 pm

    I’d say 29 states would declare themselves sanctuaries, and refuse to cooperate, maybe passively – at first – resist. That’s a big chunk of the US.

    The Feds making this an enforcement priority, over more pressing issues, would be publicly, optically ugly.

    Even Dominion, running its algos and servers 24/7, could not overcome the preference cascade that would follow. And if TINVOWOOT did happen, then batten down, the ride will be rough….no predictions on outcome….

  • Tom K. August 16, 2024, 1:32 pm

    Did the police /soldiers not go door to door confiscating guns after hurricane Katrina in Louisiana? Could they not do it nationwide too? Of course many would not willingly surrender their guns, or maybe surrender only one or two if they have several..

    • AK August 16, 2024, 1:57 pm

      They did but that got stopped pretty fast. Bad optics, burly porcine cop twisting an old woman’s arm for her tiny Smith and Wesson antique.

    • Jim C. August 19, 2024, 3:13 pm

      Some did, Tom, but most of them soon abandoned their post, and went home to secure their home, wife, and kids. The confiscation was eventually determined to be illegal, though that took several years, if I recall correctly. Also, some refused to comply, and there were no shootouts over it. Just moved along to the next person on the list. As for doing a “partial surrender”, the enforcement officers did, and will, have a printed list of all your firearms, courtesy of the ATFE.

      It was a hurricane, no shots fired. If you picture a wholesale refusal to surrender one’s arms, there will, early on, be shots fired. At that point, I can almost guarantee that neither police nor soldiers are going to exchange fire with every home they have on the list. They will go home to protect their own.

  • Bisley August 16, 2024, 12:43 pm

    Of course they can do it, and they will when they think they have firm enough control of government and the military to get by with it. It will be done by force and terror — with ATF (and any other state and local entities that are totally on board) SWAT teams breaking down doors at 4:30 AM and shooting anyone who resists (or they think might resist), and sending any survivors to prison for 20-30 years. They certainly can’t do enough of this to have any real effect on numbers of privately owned guns, but they can terrorize most gun owners into surrender. Stalin and Mao succeeded in disarming countries that were awash with guns due to civil war, and so can anyone else with the position and desire to get it done at any cost.

  • MV August 16, 2024, 12:30 pm

    most americans will give up their guns, look no further then covid. Biden mandated the jab via executive order, either get the jab or lose your job. Many of folks talked real tough, I heard many times,”I will never get the shot.” But when it came to job or jab, many took the jab. When that time comes between the choice of standing up for the 2nd amendment or submission, many americans will submit

    • Phil August 16, 2024, 3:03 pm

      Many will…most won’t. Besides the Government couldn’t cordon off Rhode Island much less a larger area. Word has gotten around regarding Covid and folks remember Katrina. Imagine what would happen if the Gov tried another lockdown?

  • Dano August 16, 2024, 11:47 am

    Every election year the autocrats try to say their opponent will confiscate guns. So why is gun ownership the highest on record with Biden? Confiscation is not even on the table

  • Mauser6863 August 16, 2024, 11:36 am

    Well it’s pretty easy to do over time, as we have seen with Britain and other totalitarian “Democracies”. After the mandatory buyback/turn-in fail and they will fail they will do this; First they do the easy stuff, get the 4473’s and start knocking on doors and kicking them in, usually when the man/husband/father isn’t home. They will only do this in nice neighborhoods where they expect people to be law abiding. This will instill fear in many people and cause them to act either in compliance or to resist. If firearms and ammo are found, the owner will be arrested immediately at work, lose his job and go to prison, with it all shown on TV news and in PSA’s. Second is to offer cash rewards to turn in your neighbors/family members. Third is to identify people they suspect of having guns and ammunition and “un-person” them, freeze their bank/brokerage accounts and gov’t benefits like social security/medicare, driver’s and professional licenses, car registration, insurance/medical policies, etc. and issue arrest warrants for them all, until they comply. Finally they will not be satisfied with throwing the remaining gun owners in jail/fining them, but will brand them terrorists and enemies of the state with arms possession the sole factor needed to ascertain guilty. Alternatively, The smart way is really to just place all arms in an NFA type of registry and prohibit all new civilian firearms and limit people to no more than 50 rounds of ammo per gun can be possessed at a time. When you die, only one rifle, one pistol and one shotgun (3 firearms max) can go to your heirs. Any firearms over those three must be turned in. Vilotaions would be the same 20 years in jail and a $20,000 fine per firearm. Either way, Communism will win, Yeah Kamala.

  • David August 16, 2024, 10:34 am

    Id be more concerned about a “soft confiscation “: refusal to provide government services (taxes, Obamacare, permits) until all firearms listed as being purchased by you (is there anyone who actually believes the NFA really destroys the purchase records like the law says?) are turned in. If you don’t ‘voluntarily ‘ turn your guns in, no health care and no filing your taxes. Eventually the cumulative IRS fines drive you broke.

    • Phil Bill August 16, 2024, 3:10 pm

      You’re assuming the newly armed and “trained” IRS agents will have the dedication and bravery to attempt to collect. Those were DEI hires and don’t have the conviction or commitment to execute. Plus after a couple gunfights, they’ll stop.

      They are cowards at heart and have done as well as they have due to “perception of control”. When the rubber hits the road they’ll cut and run. All the real trigger pullers will be in DC protecting the monarchy.

      The hinterland will belong to us…the citizens.

      • David August 16, 2024, 4:25 pm

        They wouldn’t be ‘collecting ‘, they’d be waiting for you to turn them in… or lose your house, your job, your health care. Like i said, ‘soft’ confiscation.

        • Jim August 16, 2024, 10:29 pm

          And, David, that will occur one time in a small town, or maybe 10 times in a big town, before Mayors, and other city officials, start getting buried. Are you going to stand for someone threatening to take your home and job if you don’t turn in your gun? Are you that scared and compliant?

          I am 74. I will protect my home and contents with my life, if needed. It is not even a question.

          • Maha August 17, 2024, 11:16 am

            It has seemed obvious for a long time, the older, still robust Americans will have to carry much of the load in the resistance against this Leftist junta.
            I am curious as to how LE personnel will respond to anti-Constitutional diktats, and say no rather than become enforcers for tyrannical psychopaths. Many read these articles. Perhaps they could weigh in.

          • PKB August 18, 2024, 12:39 am

            I am 69. And I have accepted the fact that I will be a dead criminal by 2028

  • Kursat Saatci August 16, 2024, 10:03 am

    Ottoman empires, never confiscate any weapons from Armenians! Besides Arminian militia got a lot of weapons from France Russia to kill Turkish people! Please read American researcher Justin McCarthy’s book regarding this issue!

  • Anthony August 16, 2024, 9:56 am

    Looks like there will be a lot of deceased gun owners on here !

    • Mauser6863 August 16, 2024, 11:45 am

      There are around 3 million federal employees and consultants. The US Military all branches has around 2.86 million personnel deployed world wide. There are around 340 million citizens. Around 82 million gun owners exist in the United states with maybe 20% fit for military service of 16 million. If it’s a math game, I think we can all figure it out pretty easily???

      • Bisley August 16, 2024, 1:02 pm

        It’s not about numbers, it’s about leadership, coordination, communication and supply. It makes no difference how big of a mob you have, if you can’t control them, supply them, and keep them focused on what it takes to defeat the enemy. We have none of that, and government wouldn’t tolerate any attempt to organize it. They would (and this time rightly) call it insurrection — and that’s what it would take to defeat them if voting doesn’t work.

      • Bessie Blunderbus August 16, 2024, 8:05 pm

        If they believe we will surrender our arms by withholding our benefits, incomes and property they will only infuriate the populous to radically respond. Make no mistake, the first confiscation exercise will equate to Lexington and Concord 2.0. If they thought Jan 6th was bad, just imagine 3500 more just like it at every single county seat courthouse nationwide.

  • Pop LeCorque August 16, 2024, 9:35 am

    Rule one – never underestimate your opponent or you are doomed to failure. Yes, it seems unlikely but be prepared for the worst and you won’t be disappointed. That said she will probably be focused on fixing the economy which is one of her key campaign promises… oh wait, hasn’t she had 3.5 years already to do that?

  • MM in Havasu August 16, 2024, 9:32 am

    Molon Labe.
    This would not end well for this government. Civil war 2.0 anyone?

  • jody harrison August 16, 2024, 9:31 am

    I hope good, honest, law abiding Americans AKA The Silent Majority, would finally decide to stop being so law abiding and so silent.

  • little August 16, 2024, 8:36 am

    Civil War II

  • Scott August 16, 2024, 8:15 am

    Anything is possible I suppose but the reality is that right is as solid as any. I doubt many military and police and veterans of either would give up the right, seeing as they swore an oath to protect it and the rest of the Constitution. If ten or twenty million of those folks won’t give them up why would anyone else? Key words to consider in the oath may be the part about defending the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

  • michael hess August 16, 2024, 8:14 am

    look how well that went in canada. well in was voluntary but the same outcome.
    so when they come for your gun they will be coming for you too. most likely you will not be returned alive.
    so what to do? you already know and remember they will be in body armor.

    • Pop LeCorque August 16, 2024, 10:59 am

      I think it went differently in Australia

      • michael hess August 16, 2024, 11:18 am

        so what? i contend that if someone want to kill another enough they will find away. no guns, use a knife or rock. the gun is simply a tool. in the hands of a master carpenter you get something beautiful. in the hands of a wood butcher you get splinters. looking deeper, without guns the population can and will be made to do whatever the government tells them to do with no way of resisting. looking around this administration has weaponized many federal agencies to do it’s dirty work. looking forward what else will the dumb as crap government weaponize and use against the people the politicians work for. wake up you are the politicians bosses not the other way around.

        • Pop LeCorque August 17, 2024, 6:11 pm

          Dude, you totally misunderstood what I meant. The story said the Canadian s didn’t roll over, ausies did. That was my point. Don’t be so quick to alienate without understanding

    • Winters August 16, 2024, 3:11 pm

      That’s the advantage of being nearly 80 years old, knowing how to shoot and being a Vietnam veteran not being afraid of death. Never forget body armor does not cover the legs, the neck, the arms, and especially not the face. When they come for us, they had better bring more than one body bag.

  • Liberty Tree Watering LLC August 16, 2024, 8:14 am

    Just remember who Hitler recruited to do a lot of his dirty work… military and police rejects and social pariahs who craved power and favor who would sell their own mothers out. Do we have any of those in our population? Or perhaps those military-age males who have been walking across the southern border for the last 3.75 years, or the ones the BTA (Biden Travel Agency) flew in to 45 or so different airports in the US interior. Look it up. Will Americans have a problem firing on those people or other blue-helmeted imports? Will the cries of hungry children cause formerly big-talking keyboard warriors to quietly line-up to trade an AR for a sack of groceries and a mark on their right hand or forehead? We may very well soon see.

    • wdcraftr August 16, 2024, 3:13 pm

      Liberty Tree Watering LLC,
      That Mark you talk about is forehead/thoughts, and hand/force.. People will take the Mark of forced Sunday worship, violating the 4th Commandment, and losing out on eternal life, so that they might buy and sell, have food, electricity, water, a job, etc. Without Complete trust, faith, and obedience to God, you cannot resist and Keep God’s sabbath.. Of course, living in the country, off grid, and growing your own food, will make it easier to Obey God for a while.

    • Winters August 16, 2024, 3:14 pm

      Some will, most will not!

  • Mac August 16, 2024, 8:10 am

    They won’t and can’t do it. BUT, there’s other ways they can get the same affect. Think ammo. Make it unreasonbly expensive, sue manufacturers until they go broke (which is what they’ve allowed already). Unfortunately, there are ways. But like we all think and know, there’s gonna be hell broke out. “From my cold dead hands as I lay in a pile of empty brass”.

    • Pop LeCorque August 16, 2024, 11:04 am

      I think it went differently in Australia anybody remember how quickly the shelves got empty during a little thing called Covid? Maybe we’re all stocked up now after 5 years of record sales but whatever we have probably pales compared to what’s in their warehouses. Obama wasn’t above using drones on citizens. Anyone got a Stinger in their basement?

  • Skep Tickle August 16, 2024, 7:44 am

    Never say never.

    • Winters August 16, 2024, 3:20 pm

      Yep, ask the Aussies if it can’t happen. They rolled over and turned in their weapons without firing a shot. Now they are subjects, not citizens.

  • Bob August 16, 2024, 7:44 am

    Good luck.

  • paul I'll call you what I want/1st Amendment August 12, 2024, 2:29 pm

    like a bad day in the middle east!
    for the mod what’s up with the comments didn’t see any until i posted then i saw a gazillion of them?

    and for dano………science goes to the highest bidder so play that game!!!

    • Dano August 16, 2024, 11:45 am

      Obviously, you are not a scientist. If what you said was correct pharmacies would be stacked with ineffective drugs and we wouldn’t have satellites, among other things.

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