Police lobby to close gun show loophole

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Police lobby to close gun show loophole

Posted: 1/24/2006 4:07:20 PM EDT

Thank you officers.

By BERNARD CHOI / KING 5 News
06:16 PM PST on Monday, December 12, 2005

SEATTLE - Local police are pushing to close a loophole they say gives criminals easy access to all types of guns.

Police say right now, many dealers can sell firearms at gun shows without doing federal background checks.

Seventeen states, including California and Oregon, currently require background checks at gun shows.

But that’s not the case in Washington.

Supporters of a new bill say it's time to change that.

Opponents say it not only infringes on their second amendment right, and it won't help much.

At Wade's Eastside Guns, anytime they sell a firearm, they have to do a background check. It's what every federally licensed gun dealer is required to do.

KING

Police say a loophole in Washington law allows people to buy guns and gun shows without having to go through a background check.

And those rules follow the dealers even when they peddle their pistols at gun shows, like one held recently in Puyallup.

“We operate exactly as if we are in the store, we have to do the background checks,” he said.

But at such shows, unlicensed, private sellers don't have to do the checks. All the buyer needs is money.

Osama Bin Laden could walk into a gun show in Washington state and purchase a semi-automatic easily changeable into a fully-automatic assault rifle no questions asked, no records run,” said former U.S. Attorney Kate Pflaumer. (Yeah, but he wouldn't make it out of the building)

A coalition of law enforcement types and anti-gun groups pm Monday showed their support for a bill to close the gun show loophole in Washington state.

“We've traced guns back that had been involved in crimes that were obtained at gun shows,” said Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske.

Alan Gottlieb, head of a large gun lobby based in Bellevue, says requiring background checks at gun shows will only hurt law-abiding owners.

“With less than 1 percent of the firearms bought by criminals at gun shows, it's really kind of stupid, it's a waste of resources,” Gottlieb said.

Gun rights supporters point to the Tacoma mall shooter, who got one of his guns from a newspaper ad, the other on the street.

“They know they can't take away guns in one big bite so they're just going to nibble away at us, and nibble away at us,” says Gaughran.

It is on the impact of this proposed bill that critics on both sides seem to agree.

“This is a first step, it's not a cure-all,” said Ralph Fascitelli, president of Washington Ceasefire.

The bill's supporters say there's no way to know how many criminals currently get their guns from gun shows, because no records of such transactions are kept.

But they point out that since the federal Brady Law went into effect, background checks at gun stores have stopped almost a million people from buying guns.

The bill to close the gun show loophole has been introduced a handful of times in the state legislature. It has never made it out of committee. (Yet!)

Posted: 1/24/2006 6:04:12 PM EDT

[#1]

Interviews with criminals in prison have shown that gun show sales account for only about 1% of crime guns.

And out of all the people stopped from purchasing by NICS checks, most are not criminals. And only a handful have been prosecuted.

This is the same old song, not even different verse, they (anti gunners) just keep doing the same thing over and over.

Posted: 1/24/2006 6:30:19 PM EDT

[#2]

In Seattle OBL would be hailed as a hero

Posted: 1/24/2006 6:55:21 PM EDT

[#3]

*Sigh*

Posted: 1/24/2006 7:01:25 PM EDT

[#4]

Just one more little step towards the eventual end of private party FTF sales/transfers in the United States.

Posted: 1/24/2006 7:10:44 PM EDT

[#5]

"loop hole" ?

Posted: 1/24/2006 9:54:46 PM EDT

[#6]

Whats a gun show loop hole? Never heard of it. Dealers CANNOT sell a firearm to a non FFL without a 4473.

Posted: 1/24/2006 10:03:35 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Whats a gun show loop hole? Never heard of it. Dealers CANNOT sell a firearm to a non FFL without a 4473.

Eh, that's not what they're talking about. They are referring to the very common practice of individuals (non FFL holders) selling firearms to other individuals - an act which requires no background check in most states.

The irritating part is that somehow, they only associate this activity with gun shows. It's really no different than Joe Blow putting an ad in the paper. Background checks haven't prevented much of anything, so it's a moot point, as far ask I'm concerned. Sell a firearm to a felon, for all I care. It doesn't change anything.

Posted: 1/24/2006 10:04:48 PM EDT

[#8]

As always the cops stand against the gun owners.z

Posted: 1/24/2006 10:04:55 PM EDT

[#9]

more liberal smoke blowing...next.

Posted: 1/24/2006 10:05:29 PM EDT

[#10]

They were doing NICS and I had to have my permit when I bought my gun at the show.

Posted: 1/24/2006 10:07:48 PM EDT

[#11]

This is the same bullshit over and over again.

They are not talking about FFL (i.e., dealer) sales. The article is addresseing sales of weapons by non-dealers to people attending the gunshow. It is the same situation as if you sold one of your weapons to your next-door neighbor in a private sale. Assuming you are not a FFL holder, you would not have to do a background check, and the buyer would not have to complete Form 4473.

What they really want is for EVERY gun sale to go through the background check and Form 4473 process,., even if it is between private individuals that live in the same state. Just one step closer to having every gun registered.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Police lobby to close gun show loophole

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