The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - CNN films illegal gun sales at gun shows.

MLeake · April 13, 2013, 06:05 PM

I don't know of any requirement to ask for an ID. I have never heard of any requirement to ask what a buyer intends to do with a gun, and I would think a seller who asked that kind of thing would often as not be told to mind his business. Sure, it might be along the lines of "shoot it, obviously," but that would just be a polite and light way of saying MYOB.

OTOH, if a buyer says things like, "I wanted to buy this last week, but the transaction got refused at the gun shop," that would raise flags.

BumbleBug, what you described was a straw purchase, and it is very illegal. There is no "gun show loophole" that allows that. The same thing can happen at an FFL's gun shop, and it's hard to prevent, unless the straw purchaser decides to buy in bulk or does something else that creates suspicion.

April 13, 2013, 06:05 PM	#13
MLeake Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2007 Location: Outside KC, MO Posts: 10,128	I don't know of any requirement to ask for an ID. I have never heard of any requirement to ask what a buyer intends to do with a gun, and I would think a seller who asked that kind of thing would often as not be told to mind his business. Sure, it might be along the lines of "shoot it, obviously," but that would just be a polite and light way of saying MYOB. OTOH, if a buyer says things like, "I wanted to buy this last week, but the transaction got refused at the gun shop," that would raise flags. BumbleBug, what you described was a straw purchase, and it is very illegal. There is no "gun show loophole" that allows that. The same thing can happen at an FFL's gun shop, and it's hard to prevent, unless the straw purchaser decides to buy in bulk or does something else that creates suspicion.