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FACT SHEET: Does the Veterans Administration (VA) Confiscate Guns?

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Image courtesy NSSF

The short answer is “no.”

Many U.S. Veterans are foregoing critical mental health care because they’re worried their guns will be confiscated. That’s a compounded tragedy, and it’s one that the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) seeks to dispel right now. The organization has created a fact sheet, which is linked below in a .pdf format. It will open automatically when you click on it, and you can print it out or e-mail it to friends if you want! There have been recent changes to the law and the way the VA handles requests for mental health assistance, so even if you think you know the answer … well, you may be wrong. Because the short answer to “does the VA confiscate guns” is “no.” The longer answer is that it only happens under the same circumstances that it would happen to anyone, vet or civilian. Get the facts, and if you need it, get help.

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The Firearm Industry Trade Association, has developed a webpageย containing resources for military veterans, including aย fact sheetย discussing mistaken beliefs that cause some veterans to forego seeking health care from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) because of concerns about having their firearms taken away.

โ€œUnderstanding the facts about this topic can help veterans make informed decisions about seeking the health care they are entitled to,โ€ said NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi. โ€œThis care can range from a routine checkup to a hip replacement to screening for PTSD to mental health care.โ€

The fact sheet is titled โ€œCorrecting Mistaken Beliefs about VA Confiscating Veteransโ€™ Guns.โ€

The webpage notes that โ€œNSSF and its member companies proudly support Americaโ€™s military service veterans. On this page NSSF shares information and resources that can benefit veteransโ€™ health and resiliency, and that highlights their importance as employees and leaders in Americaโ€™s firearm industry.โ€

The site includes information about several NSSF veterans-focused initiatives. They include programs to help prevent suicide among veteran and non-veteran populations and a careers center that lists job opportunities in the firearm industry, which employs thousands of veterans. Also noted is NSSFโ€™s support for Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA), an industry-run organization that helps the healing and re-integration of disabled combat veterans back into normal life through participation in hunting and the shooting sports.

The goal of the fact sheet is to dispel misinformation about veterans, health care and personal firearms. โ€œMany veterans hold a common misconception that seeking mental health care or other treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will lead to their guns being confiscated. This belief, though widespread, is mistaken. The following information gives the facts about veteransโ€™ health care, disability claims, and gun ownership rights.โ€ Read the complete โ€œCorrecting Mistaken Beliefs about the VA Confiscating Veteransโ€™ Guns.โ€

As a supporter of Americaโ€™s military veterans, NSSF is sharing the โ€œCorrecting Mistaken Beliefs about the VA Confiscating Veteransโ€™ Gunโ€ because it recognizes that many veterans do not seek the VA health care they are entitled to out of fear of having their firearms taken away. That fear is unfounded, as the fact sheet explains in a clear Q&A format.

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