It may not be a concern to you, but the person who has the gun likely is unaware of the law they are breaking. It IS your job as a supporter of the 2nd to educate people about firearms and that includes NFA.
I am a supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Although I myself adhear to all firearms laws, I consider the NFA unconstitutional. If I want to work for BATFE, I'd send in my application, go through the interview process and collect my paycheck for the services you seem to think I need to do for them for free.
When someone goes up to another person they don't know and says, for example "hey, buddy, did you know that rifle of yours looks to be 2"'s too short and you could be looking at some serious penalties" - that person has no idea whether you intend to turn him in, or where you're coming from.
If someone asks me about NFA laws, I'll gladly inform them of what I know to the best of my ability. But, I'm not a BATFE agent snooping around for what I consider to be technical violations of an absurd, inconsistant and unconstitutional law.
Having mechanical problems with a car isn't comparable to people violating laws. Here are a list of other laws that I don't inform people that they are breaking:
- Speed Limits (unless you're speeding through my neighborhood)
- Zoning violations
- watering restrictions
- riding ATV's or dirt bikes on rural public roads
- fishing or hunting without a license
- Drinking beer at public outdoor events
- Bikes with loud pipes
- women who happen to flash me randomly (I wish)
- people who have black boxes that steal HBO or whatever other paid TV
- folks who copy their friends CD's, computer programs, etc.
There's a whole slew of things that other people do that break some technical law that I could totally care less about. If our government thinks it's beneficial in some way to pay people tax payer's dollars to go around and sniff these kinds of criminals out and prosecute them, then about the only thing I can do about it is keep on voting for "shrink the government" advocates.
It isn't any of your business what they own, however the gov will make it their business if they find out.
That's right, if you own a gun, you better know the laws. Unfortunately, it's the government's business to enforce stupid firearms laws that have no purpose whatsoever. It's not my business, and I have no intention of letting the government make it my business.