The Business of Guns

background checks, such as involuntary commitment in a mental health facility, that could further identify prohibited persons. Their report found that many different persons with felony convictions, like assault or domestic abuse, tried to purchase guns, as did minors and foreigners in nations where weapon ownership was likewise restricted or illegal. An undercover investigation by New York City law enforcement in 2011 found that over half of the dealers contacted on a gun sale website would sell guns to customers who said they “probably couldn’t” pass a background check. Perhaps surprisingly, states with mandatory background checks for federally licensed dealers do, in fact, lead to background checks from private sellers. The EGS survey found that 84 percent of sellers in states mandating background checks indicated that they required the appropriate permits and checks to go through with the sale. By contrast, just 6 percent of sellers in states with no mandatory background checks required the same standard; one Ohio-based Armslist vendor sold an assault rifle without any type of verification at all, simply saying (not inquiring) to the prospective customer that they could go through with the sale, “assuming you haven’t beaten your wife lately [and] done any drugs.” Another sale required fewer than three minutes of face-to-face interaction. Those who choose to do business with unlicensed gun vendors must assume a great deal of risk, as there is no guarantee that those who buy from unlicensed vendors will receive legal weapons. The Latin phrase caveat emptor , “buyer beware,” certainly applies to online gun sales. Reports from sites like Gunbroker.com reveal the risk of a customer finding out that they’ve bought a stolen gun. While they can turn the gun in to the ATF, and the seller can be removed from the website, nothing stops these sellers from creating a new profile with new contact information to hawk stolen guns all over

The Business of Guns

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