gun show loophole

Question
Don't you think it would be a good idea to close the gun show loophole? It doesn't seem right to me that people should be able to buy guns without background checks from unlicensed dealers.

Answer
Pam,

I realize this is a very emotional issue for many people, but the fact is, there is no gun show loophole.

A gun show is simply an event put on by a promoter that brings to one location a number of different federally licensed firearms dealers. When a gun is purchased at a show, the transaction requires a criminal background check, just as it would at a regular gun store.

Regarding "unlicensed dealers," there simply is no such thing. Think about it. Why would a person go through the trouble of obtaining a Federal Firearms License (checks, applications, visits from ATF, fees and taxes) if he could avoid all those hassles by simply operating as an "unlicensed dealer"? There is simply no such thing as an unlicensed dealer.

Bills aimed at "closing the gun show loophole" are really intended to make sure that you (for instance) could not buy a gun and give it as a gift to your significant other. When I tell people this, some have said, "Well that's exactly the point- someone could buy a gun for someone else who is ineligible to buy one for himself." Wrong again. It is illegal to knowingly give someone a gun who is not legally able to have it.

Stay safe.