“This law of reporting all lost or stolen guns....may have some value to it. If a guy isn’t willing to report these....you’d have to be suspicious of his intentions or ethical behavior around guns.”
Meh. The Constitution’s protections are not dependent on one’s intentions or ethical behavior. It’s “shall not be infringed”, not “shall not be infringed, EXCEPT...”.
Seems kinda amusing...we set loose various US Army personnel and US marshals....to go and ask stupid questions of folks who brought wagon-loads of rifles, and traded to the Indians (deemed US citizens). We processed charges and put people into US prisons/jails. No one seemed to be around at that point, or willing to argue that the Constitution forbid them from doing so. In fact, most folks thought it was necessary and a very positive misuse of the law.
There’s not much difference between this current issue, and that issue of 150 years ago.