It's time to close the gun show loophole. _____ Easy Access: $5,000 and One Hour Buys 10 Guns Omar Samaha, Whose Sister Was Killed at VTech, Found Out How Simple It Is to Buy a Gun The two-year anniversary of Virginia Tech, the largest massacre by a sole gunman in the country's history, is only one week away. In the two years since, what has changed, what has been fixed, and what has stayed exactly the same? Immediately following the tragedy, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and other authorities called on lawmakers to close the so called "gun show loophole" -- by which anyone can buy a gun from a private dealer with no background check and no questions asked. Two years later, that loophole is still very much open, in Virginia and 32 other states around the country. So just how easy is it to buy a gun at a gun show? For over a year, ABC News has followed Omar Samaha on a very personal quest to hold those lawmakers to their word. Omar's sister Reema was one of 32 shot and killed at Virginia Tech. We went with Omar to a gun show in Richmond, Va. -- one of hundreds held every weekend across the state of Virginia and the country. We gave Samaha $5,000 and one hour to see how many guns he could buy, and how many questions he would be asked. By 9:30 in the morning, the parking lot was already packed full of cars. Groups of men, couples and even families with children in tow streamed toward the quickly growing line out front. Samaha, 25, joined the crowds and while waiting on line, he was approached by a seller and given the opportunity to make a quick purchase. He bought a Glock handgun, with no background check, and no questions asked. "He was just sitting right outside the door, I went up to him. 'How much do you want for it?' "'$450 bucks.' 'Here's the cash.' 'Thanks. See you later.' "That was it." For Samaha, the Glock handgun was a particularly painful purchase. It was the same kind of gun used to kill his sister Reema when she was a freshman at Virginia Tech. Just holding the gun in his hand was difficult. "I don't want to think about how gruesome it was and how somebody used this type of weapon on my sister and so many other innocent people. It's devastating," he said. full article
So the new law would say what? "On the premises of a gun show, no private sales of firearms will be allowed. " Or 500 feet? Then they drive to the local wal-mart parking lot and do the sale correct? Then the problem is "ABC cameras arranged the sale of 10 guns by just driving the required 500 feet from the gunshow and meeting the seller" The real agenda is to ban individual sale of guns.
No, it would say the same rules apply to private firearm sales as they do to the ones at Walmart - background checks, etc.
Correct, that is what I said here (which you cut out and I guess forgot to read) There is no loophole close, it is just an end to legal sales of guns outside of a FFL.
Yeah I realize that is whole point. You don't think it is dishonest to call this "closing a loophole"? I mean if you want to change a law just say "hey this law is bad, I want to change it" don't dress it up and lie about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_show#The_gun_show_loophole loophole has no meaning at all in this context. It just makes it sound better to close a loophole than to end a right.
hey you started the thread. If you close individual sales what will be the punishment? Say two people have no idea of the new law or no idea of how to sell the gun legally (that they have had for years and years) how long do they go to prison? Also what will happen when someone dies? Will that require the FFL transfer?
Who cares about the semantics of 'loophole'. How about this -- let's shut down 'gun shows' and make people buy weapons from licensed shops.
Because legally defining a gun show would be a huge problem and put many small business out of business. (I know that is your real goal and you don't care) But that is why it will not happen.
Except for gun dealers who are currently illegally and feloniously operating without a license, which small businesses would that be?
So you are really worried for the two guys in the corner booth that sell gun oil, bumper stickers and little gun shaped key chains?
I guess I thought you knew better. One of the questions on the licensing paperwork is (paraphrasing), "Do you intend to only sell at gun shows, etc." If you answer 'yes' to that question, you don't get a license. So these gun show only gun dealers are guilty of perjury in their license application. If they do actually sell guns elsewhere, then closing the shows won’t eliminate their ability to sell guns. Problem solved, and we are back to the two guys in the corner selling bumper stickers. I'm not particularly interested in shutting down gun shows, but I think if the two options you offer me are: Sticking your fingers in your ears and pretending there isn't a gap in the process that makes it incredibly easy for criminals to find and buy guns without scrutiny (thus continuing to let them buy guns without background checks). Shutting down gun shows. I'm afraid, since I don't like criminals having guns and messing up things for the rest of us, I'll go with #2. If you had any give in you and could find a middle way, that would be best, but apparently you and many others don't, so there is no alternative.
So the loss in sales from not going to gun shows is fine for everyone? None of them will go out of business just from that loss? People go to gun shows ready to buy because of the ability to scan for the best price almost instantly. I have never walked into a M&P gunshop and seen 5 people filling out 4473s. Are you saying legal ability to sell guns or actual ability to sell guns? Closing gunshows DEFINITELY cuts actual oportunity to sell guns. If you are saying legal ability than I guess I could tell you that you can only sell guns to 55 year old guys named Jim and I won’t eliminate your ability to sell guns
There is this other, new fangled contraption you may have heard of. It offers the same benifits without the downside. And the volume there dwarfs gun shows.
