Reply #18: The only spinning I see is from the gun control crowd. [View All]

[Withergyld]

Lets pass a law that sounds like we are doing something, but will have little if any effect on reducing crime.

This is why closing the gun show loop hole will be ineffective:

Many who feel that gun laws in the U.S. are too lax cite the "gunshow loophole" as a major source for criminals to purchase firearms. However there requirements to sell of buy a firearm at a gunshow are the same as any other place a firearm may be bought or sold. A licensed dealer must perform a NICS check anytime they sell a firearm to an unlicensed person NO MATTER THE LOCATION of the sale. There are a few exceptions to the NICS requirement. Some states issue firearms ID cards that require a background check to obtain. Arizona also allows concealed carry permit holders to bypass the NICS check. In these cases a thorough background check has already been performed that satifies the Brady Law. Private sales do not require a background check.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that less then 1% of armed criminals obtain their firearms at a gunshow. The same report shows that 40% of armed criminals obtain their firearm from an illegal source. Another 40% of armed criminals obtain their firearms for family or friends.
A great deal of effort is being expended to pass a law that would have little impact on where criminals purchase firearms.
The "gunshow loophole" is a fallacy because the laws that govern the sale of firearms are the same regardless of location.

For further reading see:
The FAQ page for the ATF
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/index.htm
See table 8 on page 6 of the following PDF file from the BJS for sources of firearms used by criminals
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/fuo.pdf