The Business of Guns

One major gun market in the United States focuses on historical firearms.

Lack of a federal firearm license does not mean that one may not sell a gun, however. There is no federal law that requires a gun dealer to make a sale on commercial property, and a 1998 study revealed that 56 percent of all dealers operated out of their homes. What’s more, nearly a quarter operated out of business offices that were not primarily associated with the sale of arms, ammunition, or sporting goods. Furthermore, the requirements for gun sales from unlicensed dealers are often much less stringent than those for sales from licensed dealers. Many states (including, interestingly, the first four states in alphabetical order: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, and Arkansas) do not require a background check whenever the seller is not a licensed dealer.

Chapter 2: Retailers

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