what is the gun show loophole I keep reading about?

[CbtEngr01]

In your own words please?

[maddezmom]

1. Welcome to DU

Why don't you go first...what do you think it means?

In you own words please.

[CbtEngr01]

3. when I hear the term

I think people are infering that, at gunshows, licensed dealers do not have to run the buyer through the NICS background check. Is that correct?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

14. Not true. An FFL holder must run the required checks regardless of venue

[obamanut2012]

10. Good

catch I missed.

[NYC_SKP]

2. Good DUers would please post these in the guns forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1172

[99Forever]

4. Why would you send anyone to that place?

What awful thing did that poster do to you?

[NYC_SKP]

7. There are consummate professional gun people who are there.

But I do get your point...

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. It is a figment of the anti gunners fertile imaginations

The correct term is private sale. In many states it is legal for an individual to sell a firearm to another person. It does not go through an FFL, and there are no required records. It should be noted that private sellers are not allowed by law to run background checks or have access to the NICS database.

[AndyTiedye]

11. How is That Not a Loophole?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

12. Loophole means an exception. Its been standard practice for most states since the USA was formed

[DanTex]

6. In many states, you can avoid a background check by going to a gun show...

...and buying guns from an unlicensed dealer, and no background check is required. Coincidentally, Colorado is one of the states that has closed the gun show loophole. That happened after Colombine, in response to the fact that the guns used in Colombine were purchased via the gun show loophole.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. Unlicensed dealers get stomped on by the BATF

It can be a judgement call, but if you sell more than one a month, you better have an FFL. Many gun shows will not rent tables if you are primarily selling firearms and do not have an FFL.

The so called loophole is really just individuals selling to another. You selling you extra duck gun to neighbor kind of thing.

[slampoet]

19. I went to a gun show in West Michigan last month that did no such thing.

men with 45-85 guns all labeled as their "personal collection" even guns with all the original packaging and including a guy who was a regular seller and was Blind. Seems from the conversations that he had been a seller and without sight for over a decade. Funny how one's "personal collection" can fund a whole decade of sales and still have so many left.

I have seen two of these gun shows and they are a regular happening every month here.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

22. I have seen that a decade or more ago but not recently

I am surprised the show allowed it. Did you consider dropping a dime to the BATF?

[slackmaster]

8. It's a euphemism for the fact that private sales of used firearms are unregulated in most states

Gun shows per se are not the issue - No law has any kind of exemption for transactions that happen to occur at a gun show.

[CbtEngr01]

16. it dosnt have to be a gunshow?

the 'gunshow loophole' dosnt really have to be at a gun show, is that correct?

[slackmaster]

18. Occasional intrastate private sales of used firearms are unregulated in most states

State laws vary. Most firearm transfers in my state are regulated by state law.

[obamanut2012]

9. There is none that I've ever heard of

I have no idea what people are talking about. Gun shows require IDs, pistol permits, NICS check, and/or whatever else your state or the Feds require.

Also, every gin show I go to forbids any private sales in, say, the parking lot or lobby. You will be arrested for a felony if you do so.

[baldguy]

15. Licensed gun dealers are required to perform background checks on the people they sell guns to.

However, if it is a private sale no background check is required. In fact, the GOP, the NRA and the RW gun lobby made it so such sales are prohibited from performing background checks. So if a gun dealer wants to sell to a criminal or a straw buyer they can, if they lie to construe the sales as "private". That way they can avoid the normally-required background check - even if they sell hundreds of such weapons each day.

This usually happens at gun shows - hence the name.

And the the GOP, the NRA and the RW gun lobby have spent millions of dollars to ensure that it's perfectly legal.

And tens of thousands of Americans are killed every year because of it.

[Johnny Rico]

17. "Tens of thousands" are killed by the gun show "loophole"? Really?

Given the tens of thousands is by definition at least 20,000, that would mean that you are asserting that at least 2 out of 3 Americans killed by guns each year are dead because of the "loophole".

Do you stand by that?

[slampoet]

20. Mexicans are casualties too.

Even if they are not US citizens.

54,927 deaths since 2006.

[Johnny Rico]

21. He wasn't speaking of Mexicans.