Loaded chain email No. 9 reader favorite of 2012

A chain email forwarded to us by a reader suggested the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had mysteriously "executed an order for enough rounds of .40-caliber ammunition to kill every man, woman and child in the United States."

Gulp.

We confirmed that Homeland Security contracted to buy up to 450 million .40-caliber bullets--a total indeed exceeding the nation’s population.

Significantly, though, the purchase contract covered five years; there was no indication the agency was piling up the bullets in a hurry. The size of the contract was explained as enabling the government to buy in bulk to save money on ammunition routinely used for training officers from a variety of agencies. The email, which had an element of truth, rated Mostly False.

You can read the full fact-check to the right along with our No. 10 reader favorite, a review of Ron Paul’s flawed claim about the number of measures passed into law in 2011.

Look for our No. 8 reader favorite tomorrow.