Bill in Congress to ban private sales at gun shows

HankT wrote:

But if it could set up a fast, efficient and effectiveway to handle a privateparty transfers at gun shows....it would be appealing to me. I would establish fiveperformance parameters for such a system.

1. Fast. Very fast.

2. Free (zero cost).

3. Fair, sure, and fastway to unpack a failed transfer.

4. Automaticcheck of transferred gun for stolen/crime involvement status.

5. Fast. Very fast.


I could live with that. Such a system would be beneficial to me and others, so I'm pretty sure I'd be in favor of it.

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I disagree. Why should we be okay with such infringements on our rights? Thats the only way the antis will ever get their way if they baby step us and chip at our rights slowly saying this or that restriction really isn't that bad and we can live with it, but before we know it there are so many little restrions that add up to an enourmous infringement.

Therefore, I willstrongly oppose any and all infringements on my rights including this one!

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Swampbeast wrote:

HankT wrote:

But if it could set up a fast, efficient and effectiveway to handle a privateparty transfers at gun shows....it would be appealing to me. I would establish fiveperformance parameters for such a system.

1. Fast. Very fast.

2. Free (zero cost).

3. Fair, sure, and fastway to unpack a failed transfer.

4. Automaticcheck of transferred gun for stolen/crime involvement status.

5. Fast. Very fast.


I could live with that. Such a system would be beneficial to me and others, so I'm pretty sure I'd be in favor of it.

Click to expand...

I disagree. Why should we be okay with such infringements on our rights? Thats the only way the antis will ever get their way if they baby step us and chip at our rights slowly saying this or that restriction really isn't that bad and we can live with it, but before we know it there are so many little restrions that add up to an enourmous infringement.

Therefore, I willstrongly oppose any and all infringements on my rights including this one!

Click to expand...

But isn't it fair to say that there are different degrees of impingements (if not infringements)?

E.g. the assault weapons ban, and 1 gun/month restrictions are more burdensome than a gun show loophole bill, while restrictions on sales to persons adjudicated mentally incompetent are less burdensome?

Also, aren't the differences between instant check bills significant? The Lautenburg bill's definition of a gun show as a place where 50 or more weapons are displayed seems to sweep up a whole lot more private sales than what most people would think of as a "gun show."

The distinctions are material because they effect how to rate political candidates against each other. Most politicos do not support the repeal of all gun control: if that is what we demand, w/o exception, then it renders us politically impotent.

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HankT wrote:

But if it could set up a fast, efficient and effectiveway to handle a privateparty transfers at gun shows....it would be appealing to me. I would establish fiveperformance parameters for such a system.

1. Fast. Very fast.

2. Free (zero cost).

3. Fair, sure, and fastway to unpack a failed transfer.

4. Automaticcheck of transferred gun for stolen/crime involvement status.

5. Fast. Very fast.


I could live with that. Such a system would be beneficial to me and others, so I'm pretty sure I'd be in favor of it.

Click to expand...

I disagree. Why should we be okay with such infringements on our rights? Thats the only way the antis will ever get their way if they baby step us and chip at our rights slowly saying this or that restriction really isn't that bad and we can live with it, but before we know it there are so many little restrions that add up to an enourmous infringement.

Therefore, I willstrongly oppose any and all infringements on my rights including this one!

Click to expand...

PT111 wrote:

Last weekend I was at a gunshow in SC and one of the booths had a sign saying that you must have a SC drivers license to purchase a gun. I asked the fellow about it and he said that his were a private sale and he decided to put the sign up after one fellow from Wisconsin got terribly upset because he refused to sell him a gun and let him walk out the door with it.

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Well, that illustrates the problem with some private sales. Unless the seller does some checking about the buyer, he might illegally sell to a non-resident. A lot of private sales at gun shows don't include any kind of checking whatsoever. That is a problem waiting to happen.

As far as "Why focus on gun shows?," it's obvious. That's were LOTS of private sales get done in a specific period of time. It's pretty logical to want to regulate that rather large bundle of transactions. And feasible, too, in many respects.

When I go to a gun show, I often go prepared to trade, buy, or sell a firearm. That's a big part of what gun shows are for me and many others: An opportunity to find some gem of a gun and/or get out of something I'm not shooting anymore or which doesn't work in my collection.

And I almost always prefer to deal with (legally eligible) private parties. I've only bought one gun from an FFL at a gun show, because I, well, I had to have it. Had to do the NICS/4473 process, and it wasn't too onerous. But it was a small vendor not a big one that has so many sales that you have to wait an hour to get the paperwork done.

When dealing with private parties, I always ask for ID and keep a record of who I dealt with. But it's a little awkward sometimes. And, frankly, although I would neverdo business with a shadyguy or an obviouslyineligible (e.g., out-of-stater), Istill am concerned about the informality of the transactions sometimes.

On the whole, I'd rather just agree to a deal with a private party and then let the predominantly used process take care of the transfer. That process (NICS, etc.) is the best process out there (it is flawed, of course) to screen out ineligible buyers and, to some extent, sellers. I figure the screening, which is areally good idea, is the primary responsbility of the government and its designees.

So, I'm not opposed to a requirement of a NICS/4473 process at gun shows for private party sales. The HUGE problem I see is one of adminstration of the transfer process. But I doubt that the government could set it up so that it would be easy and quick.The gubmint screws everything up.

But if it could set up a fast, efficient and effectiveway to handle a privateparty transfers at gun shows....it would be appealing to me. I would establish fiveperformance parameters for such a system.

1. Fast. Very fast.

2. Free (zero cost).

3. Fair, sure, and fastway to unpack a failed transfer.

4. Automaticcheck of transferred gun for stolen/crime involvement status.

5. Fast. Very fast.


I could live with that. Such a system would be beneficial to me and others, so I'm pretty sure I'd be in favor of it.

Click to expand...