3 ms·

Yes background checks are required at licensed gun stores. But as many as 40% of gun sales are private.

• hga 11y ago
  But a substantial fraction of those involve implicit background checks. I recently received 3 long guns of personal significance in my teens in the '70s, from my father (who I live with after "eviction by tornado" and now to help take care of him), and having started my education in all gun things starting in 1963-4 he knows my character better than just about anyone else. The first time I bought guns was from a professional couple, and they wouldn't have done it if I and my SO hadn't convinced them we were also such, and would treat them with all due respect. Of course, no one denies there are problems at the other end, but we are talking about a Constitutionally enumerated right in an era where all Constitutional protections are under threat (yes, even the 3rd Amendment, pervasive surveillance is exactly what quartering troops was all about way back then). I won't predict a violent counter-revolution if the nation went to mandatory background checks, like would be certain if registration became mandatory, but that would be playing with fire.