Gun Show Undercover: The Investigation »
Posted By Tumultuous 1 month, 3 weeks ago in Political OpinionThe vast majority of people who either visit or sell guns at gun shows are law-abiding citizens and dealers.
However, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms , and Explosives (ATF) reports that 30 percent of guns involved in federal illegal gun trafficking investigations are connected to gun shows.
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Tumultuous
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ibstilyn1 month, 3 weeks ago
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I've worked my share of gunshows over the past few years here in Arizona. I have an 03 FFL (curios and relics) and my friend owns a gunshop and has a 01 FFL (dealers license). I would on a regular basis, help man the counters and show the wares for his stock.
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Both of us have licenses to protect and I personally don't look good in stripes or like being the "catcher" on a prison baseball team if you catch my drift. He would send away the obvious (out of staters) or catch more refusals on background checks than he would see in realized transactions.
The guns usually used in crimes that would come back in traces from the BATF would be the low end Cobra derringers or Hi-points (under $200 range guns).
It's a bit of a misnomer to show a $1200 AR15 and mention "crime guns" in the same breath--they are just not a throw away gun used in crimes.
Most of the private party guys have higher end guns and hunting rifles or relics like I would collect. These almost never are used in crimes or sought after by criminals.
Who's going to shell out $1500 for a naval artillery luger and toss it? Or buy a bolt action 7mm Sport Sako and NOT go deer hunting with it?
The term "federal illegal gun trafficking" can mean the following:
A guy from california is drooling over high capacity magazines--with the assault weapon ban in cali he can't own one. So a private party bozo sells him one. The cali guy is not a "criminal" per se in that he has a 9-5 job and pays taxes etc. He's just an out-of-stater wanting something that IS illegal for him to own and bring back into calif. So , if he gets popped coming across the border chalk up another "criminal gun show purchase".
I was approached once by a guy who asked what can we do for him? My advise was to buy AZ vacation property to establish residency, get approved ID , buy the gun and enjoy shooting it when he's here on vacation. Keep it in the closet or gun safe here and don't dare to try crossing the border with it. The nice BATF agent flashed his badge, smiled and thanked me for the best advice he had heard the entire show.-
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Coatl1 month, 3 weeks ago
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"Who's going to shell out $1500 for a naval artillery luger and toss it?"
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Drug dealers in this side of the border. Seriously almost every professional murderer working for any drug cartel in Mexico that have been killed, captured or ran away but have leaved his weapons behind have at least one weapon that can be traced back to the US, and while some are from the black market, a lot are from legal gun shows.
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Redneck1 month, 3 weeks ago
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I do not believe this article or the report which says 30% of all guns used in crimes are purchased at gun shows. But in any case the words "loop hole" are revealing. They are trying to register every sale of a firearm in the USA. They want a record of the transaction. OR else how is a private person selling a private possession to another private person a "loop hole" or illegal? So what if criminals use privately purchased firearms? Can anyone looking at a member of their family perhaps know that person will use the weapon in a crime? The background check only identifies persons who are already criminals on record.
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Shall we begin to do background checks on all persons seeking to purchase an automobile because they MIGHT use it to kill, flee a crime scene or have an accident and then flee the scene? Shall all private sales of private possessions be overseen by the government? Are all such sales under a "loop hole" category?
There are those who would put my family through similar hoops if I bequeath my firearms to them upon my death or attempt to merely make one a gift to a grandchild so they can continue in a family tradition of hunting. It is all about CONTROL! -
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reallypsst1 month, 3 weeks ago
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Lets use some common sense here, these checks keep a track record of guns sold and potentially sold to criminals and can help law enforcement solve crimes and find a-holes who sell guns to anyone with a buck,gangs love you idiots who keep them armed,take a look around pal guns are not falling out of the sky,they are being sold by irresponsible dealers and people who don't care till someone in their family is killed by one of these illegal transactions !
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jonmaverick1 month, 3 weeks ago
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I'm not one of the people who negged your comment, but I don't agree with your brand of common sense. Tracking the sale/transfer of guns between private owners will do no more to curb crime and help apprehend criminals than the registration of automobiles cuts down on DUI and hit-and-run. That is a fallacy perpetrated by people who want to take away our freedom to transfer personal property untaxed, or worse, ban the private ownership of guns altogether.
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BB641 month, 3 weeks ago
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Gun shows are not the problem. We have a gun store in Milwaukee that is under attack because 30% of the gun crimes in Milwaukee came from them. The real problem is the straw buyers. People paid to buy guns for felons. I think we need to stop plea bargaining the gun charge. Use a gun, go to jail. Hurt someone with a gun during a robbery, go to jail and never get out. I'd like to see capital offenses include a death penalty. Drugs, rapists, murderers, or target cops or firefighters, you die. If there aren't enough jail cells build more prisons. How about prison camps in the desert? No gyms, libraries or anything like that. You did the crime you do the time. Long hours of hard labor will eliminate a lot of problems.
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jonmaverick1 month, 3 weeks ago
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"the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms , and Explosives (ATF) reports that 30 percent of guns involved in federal illegal gun trafficking investigations are connected to gun shows."
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That means that 70% of the guns involved in federal illegal gun trafficking investigations come from somewhere else. Why aren't we worried about that instead? Where do those guns come from? How can we stop criminals from obtaining those guns? Wouldn't that conceivably reduce gun crimes up to 70%?
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What really irks me is that none of the so-called 'investigators' ended up in jail for their actions. If you truly believe you would be disqualified from owning a gun because of a background check, then you are in violation of federal law the minute you approach a table at a gun show and pick one up. Why aren't the responsible private sellers notifying the BATFE or local police officers, who are always present in abundance at gun shows, of these violations? C'mon you private sellers, protect your rights, use common sense, and don't break the law! This is important guys, don't let criminals buy guns! And don't jeopardize my right to legally sell my guns at a gun show.
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