amlevin wrote:
I'm not so sure I see how HB2477 really infringes on my right to own and carry a gun.
So I'll refrain from calling you names since it is counterproductive and instead just explain why I think you're wrong.
1) This increases the expense of purchasing a gun. Dealers generally charge about $25 to do a check so every gun purchased now costs $25 more.
2) This results in defacto registration. Since the dealer is obligated to keep those records, the government now has a list of every firearm you purchased. I am not comfortable with that.
3) This increases the hassle of purchasing a firearm. I now have to find a dealer that is willing to do the transfer and not all of them may be interested in taking the time to do so. (This last is probably a small issue, but could arise).
4) This means that I might not be able to buy the gun that I want if there is an NICS delay or hold. If I am buying a gun from you and you live in Tacoma while I live in Blaine, a hold means that you and I would have to meet at the dealer's shop (not Tacoma or Blaine) in order to complete the transaction, otherwise I am out $25 for a gun I never got to purchase.
Numbers 1, 3, and 4 are inconveniences that make it more difficult for me, a law abiding citizen, to exercise what is supposed to be a right. Number 2 is a step towards complete registration and potential confiscation.
Finally, what purpose does all this serve. Criminals don't buy guns at gun shows anyway. The FBI or ATFE have confirmed this over and over. All this does is make it less likely that we can get together as fellow gun enthusiasts and buy, trade, and sell our hobby.
PS You might look and see what they consider as "at a gun show". In the past bills that have been introduced at the federal level, if you met someone at a show and three months later bought a gun from them, it counts, so long as they had that gun for sale at the show.
PPS Apparently I was thinking of the other bill that would require all gun sales to go through a dealer (HB2264). This one would still have the same effect in my opinion in that no one would sell a gun without a dealer transfer. I also would echo that this is the only area of life where one can be held responsible for a legal sale that is then used to commit a crime. What if I sell my old truck to someone who currently has a suspended license and six months later they kill someone while driving drunk. What's the difference? Should I be held criminally liable for selling them the truck?