The state of Massachusetts was one of the earlier states to ban homemade firearms, known in the media as “ghost guns.” They weren’t alone, of course, but it’s not like this is a state known for its refusal to pass gun control laws.

And we’re told those laws work. We’re told that they do all the things proponents say they would.

Unfortunately, I don’t buy it, and a recent arrest in Massachusetts is a good case study as to why I don’t.

According to Holyoke Police Captain Matthew Moriarty, officers along with members of the State Police, DEA, and FBI executed a search warranted issued by the Holyoke District Court at 985 Hampden Street and 116 Waldo Street last Wednesday.

The search warrants were part of a lengthy investigation into a regional narcotics trafficking operation with roots to the Highlands neighborhood of Holyoke and neighboring communities. Inside the two homes, officers seized a large quantity of heroin and cocaine, two illegal firearms, and cash. One of the firearms was considered an AR-15 ghost gun.

So one of the most gun-controlled states in the nation couldn’t keep guns out of the hands of a criminal? Shocking.

“But that’s because other states won’t ban ghost guns!” someone will claim.

Of course, only one of the recovered firearms is an unserialized firearm. The other wasn’t.

Then there’s the massive amounts of heroin and cocaine they found. If we can’t keep people like this guy from getting that stuff–these drugs are illegal in all 50 states and pretty much illegal everywhere in the world–then how would more gun control laws in completely different states keep a so-called ghost gun out of this yahoo’s hands?

The answer, of course, is that it won’t.

As we’ve pointed out repeatedly, gun control only inhibits the law-abiding. Those inclined to break the law typically don’t hesitate to break still more laws in the process. They don’t figure they’re going to get caught anyways, so they don’t worry about still more time in prison if they are.

But gun laws like those in Massachusetts keep law-abiding people disarmed. They dissuade many from exercising their God-given right to keep and bear arms in the first place, thus making it easier for the bad guys to find defenseless prey.

Banning so-called ghost guns won’t end the practice of making unserialized firearms. That ship set sail back in 1998.

Criminals will find a way to obtain guns, just as this guy obtained heroin and cocaine. Those didn’t come from some state where they were legal. If all guns vanished from the hands of the law-abiding, criminals would get guns via the same illicit pipelines they use to get drugs.

What’s more interesting is that so-called ghost guns–and I mean those produced without serial numbers, not those manufactured by gun companies then stolen and had the serial number removed–only account for a tiny fraction of firearms used in criminal activity.

All of this hysteria that led to the ban that didn’t work was manufactured fear designed to terrify people into supporting said ban that didn’t work.

Typical.