Universal Background Check Legislation Introduced in Congress
Marlin 1895 Background image from Sportsmans Arms, Petaluma, CA.
Are the days of private gun sales numbered nationwide? Democrats in the U.S. House of Representative have introduced an extreme gun control measure, H.R. 8, that would regulate all private gun sales, circumventing state laws covering gun rights. American Military News reports: “A new bill restricting private gun sales is expected to move to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives this week for a vote. The bill, H.R. 8, was introduced by [House] Democrats. H.R. 8 plans to stop Americans from conducting private gun sales as they have been since 1791. Instead, they will be required to conduct background checks on prospective buyers before they can sell their own property. The House Judiciary Panel is expected to send the bill to the floor for a vote on Feb. 13.”
READ H.R. 8 Full Text HERE »
Background Checks Would Be Required Nationwide for ALL Private Party Gun Sales
This new legislation would essentially require that ALL gun sales, even between private parties, be subject to Federal NICS background checks.* On the surface, this seems to have some appeal, but there is little convincing evidence that such legislation will produce a meaningful reduction in gun violence. Why? Criminals obtain guns illegally (though theft and the black market), and nearly all the mass shooters in recent years have used weapons that were obtained legally, AFTER the perpetrators had passed normal FBI background checks.
Despite these facts, supporters of H.R. 8, say it is time to outlaw private gun sales. Rep. Henry C. Johnson (Democrat, Georgia) claimed: “Because background checks are not required for sales by unlicensed gun dealers, guns end up in the hands of dangerous people. The failure of Congress to pass universal background check legislation has eroded our sense of safety on the streets, in our schools, and even in our places of worship.”
Conversely, gun rights supporters state that H.R. 8 will NOT have the desired effects. Rep. Doug Collins (Republican, Georgia) stated: “I appreciate the efforts of those who want H.R. 8 and many who have signed on, but similar gun control measures would not have prevented Columbine, San Bernardino, Charleston, or other tragedies. You go to the Bureau of Prisons, when they put out their statistics, most criminals — as you well know — do not get their guns from legal sources.”
* Some states, such as California, already require background checks, made through an FFL, for private-party transfers. But in many other states, a private party can still sell a firearm to another private party, provided there is compliance with applicable state and local laws.
