One of the things the folks on the left love condemning is the “gun show loophole.” Learn more about it as you continue to read below.
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In this article:
Gun Show Loophole Myth | What You Need to Know
Does It Exist?
Chances are if you read Gun Carrier on a consistent basis, you are pro-gun and understand this loophole is non-existent. It is, however, a good idea to have a solid argument for when these things come up, so we're going to discuss it right now.
The far-left wants us to believe a good portion (sometimes citing as high as 40%) of all gun sales take place at guns shows where no background checks are required.
An example of a far-left publication spewing this nonsense came from CNN, who is teaching exactly that. I'll save you from having to read it. It states:
A background check is conducted only in store purchases. There, gun buyers have to fill out a form from the ATF, or the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives — not what unlicensed gun dealers would do.
Consulting U.S. Law Shield
Before I begin to make my point, let me state why I believe I'm qualified to talk about this. I work in and for the firearm industry in various roles.
Writing for Gun Carrier (formerly of guns.com, The Truth and a few others) is not the only thing I do. I actually consult with a company called U.S. Law Shield, who is a firearm legal defense company.
And, because I consult for them, I get to go to gun shows all over the state a few times each month to represent this company.
In other words, I'm not some desk jockey with no experience. I actually work a table at multiple gun shows a year.
So, first off, each and every table at the gun show perform a background check on each person buying a weapon.
Why? Because more often than not, those tables have people who own gun stores, and not some random person.
Plus, every so often, you will see an attendee walking around with a hunting rifle or shotgun strapped to his back with a piece of paper attached.
This paper has a listed price for the firearm in question. Usually, the firearms are too expensive they won't sell during the course of the day.
Why don't they sell? Because they are often high-end firearms or collector's pieces and the seller won't budge at all on the price.
So, more often than not, at least from what I've seen, these firearms do not sell.
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Background Checks
I have never seen anyone carrying an AR15 or handgun of any kind to sell in a private sale. Does it happen?
It might, but I've never seen it. One thing I have seen, though, is plenty of people getting denied during the background check itself.
For one reason, there may be a flag on the person trying to buy the firearm and unable to purchase.
In other words, the system in place does work to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.
Therefore, the first statement by CNN is totally false about conduction of a background check is only in stores. Any credible business is going to cover their arse as much as possible with the sale of firearms.
Now, let's tackle the second statement, which is only partially false. As we learned, some private sellers can try to sell a firearm to someone at a gun show, even though they are usually unsuccessful.
So, they don't have to get a background check if they buy one of these very limited, overpriced hunting firearms at a gun show.
However, the vast majority of all firearms sold at gun shows are done by a federally licensed gun seller, who has to perform a background check on the person actually buying the gun. It's the law.
Believe it or not, most gun shop owners and employees don't want usage of their firearms in crime. Not only does it suck for the people getting shot/losing loved ones, but it can cause drama for them, too.
Why would they ever put their livelihood in jeopardy?
Learn more about the gun show loophole in this video by The Daily Share:
Is there a loophole? Nope.
When you look at it in light of the context of what's actually happening, and from the point of view in which hundreds—if not thousands—of guns can be sold during a gun show, and only a very tiny percentage of them even have the possibility of being a private sale, the chance of there being an actual loophole dwindles significantly.
And, when you take into account a lot of the private sellers never actually agree on a price, it goes down even further.
What do you think about the gun show loophole? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 18, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.