Background Check Rules

[Limey]

I always thought that it was illegal for regular people to have fully automatic weapons. It's not. At all. For a person to get one, they're required to go through an enhanced level of screening, which is a good thing. But I said person; what if the fully automatic weapon was being acquired by a corporation or trust? No background check. None. Nada. So if you want one, it's easier to set up a gun trust to buy it on your behalf than it is to buy it yourself, especially if you're not going to pass a background check in the first place.

In 2000, there were 900 purchases of fully automatic weapons made by corporations/trusts. I'm assuming that a lot are for the movie industry, but I'm sure there are some private individuals in there. In 2014, there were 90,000...NINETY THOUSAND.

The NRA tells us that the only protection against a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. What if the bad guy has a bigger gun...that's fully automatic?

[Jacksonian]

In 2000, there were 900 purchases of fully automatic weapons made by corporations/trusts. I'm assuming that a lot are for the movie industry, but I'm sure there are some private individuals in there. In 2014, there were 90,000...NINETY THOUSAND.

As that's post-9/11 I would expect a large number of those are for private security firms.

[Bench]

But I said person; what if the fully automatic weapon was being acquired by a corporation or trust?

Corporations are people, my friend. 

[Limey]

Corporations are people, my friend.

...except when it comes to buying machine guns, it seems.

[Limey]

As that's post-9/11 I would expect a large number of those are for private security firms.

I'm sure that this is the case for some of it.  But the 100-fold jump is more likely down to people discovering the loophole and exploiting it (which is the explanation in the reporting I've seen on this).

[Jacksonian]

I'm sure that this is the case for some of it.  But the 100-fold jump is more likely down to people discovering the loophole and exploiting it (which is the explanation in the reporting I've seen on this).

Without seeing the year to year moves and a host of other influential factors, like geography and state and federal law changes, I don't think there's much conclusion to draw anyway.

[mrpink]

I always thought that it was illegal for regular people to have fully automatic weapons. It's not. At all. For a person to get one, they're required to go through an enhanced level of screening, which is a good thing. But I said person; what if the fully automatic weapon was being acquired by a corporation or trust? No background check. None. Nada. So if you want one, it's easier to set up a gun trust to buy it on your behalf than it is to buy it yourself, especially if you're not going to pass a background check in the first place.

In 2000, there were 900 purchases of fully automatic weapons made by corporations/trusts. I'm assuming that a lot are for the movie industry, but I'm sure there are some private individuals in there. In 2014, there were 90,000...NINETY THOUSAND.

The NRA tells us that the only protection against a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. What if the bad guy has a bigger gun...that's fully automatic?

Glad to see your fear-mongering is still alive and well.  I can't find where the Guardian got that 90,000 number, other than a fact sheet from whitehouse.gov, which also doesn't divulge its source.  Regardless, the ATF regards silencers as guns as well.  As of March 2014 there were more silencers registered with the ATF than machineguns according to their website.  Besides that, there are only 183K machineguns in circulation because only manufacturers, dealers, law enforcement, and the military are allowed to possess machineguns manufactured after 1986.

Also, bearingarms.com (a website obviously with the opposite agenda as the Guardian) says there have been two instances of NFA registered guns being used in criminal homicides in 82 years.  I don't know if that's true either, but I'm not concerned either way.  If you're intent is to be a bad guy, it's much easier to straw purchase a semi-automatic or steal one than legally possess a machinegun which you must keep registered and available for inspection by the ATF.  (If you have it for any length of time you are likely to be inspected.)

[Fredia]

one time when i was young i shot my mom in the buttox with a bb gun. i learned to shoot the right way after that and only at targets, not animals

[Limey]

Glad to see your fear-mongering is still alive and well.  I can't find where the Guardian got that 90,000 number, other than a fact sheet from whitehouse.gov, which also doesn't divulge its source.  Regardless, the ATF regards silencers as guns as well.  As of March 2014 there were more silencers registered with the ATF than machineguns according to their website.  Besides that, there are only 183K machineguns in circulation because only manufacturers, dealers, law enforcement, and the military are allowed to possess machineguns manufactured after 1986.

Also, bearingarms.com (a website obviously with the opposite agenda as the Guardian) says there have been two instances of NFA registered guns being used in criminal homicides in 82 years.  I don't know if that's true either, but I'm not concerned either way.  If you're intent is to be a bad guy, it's much easier to straw purchase a semi-automatic or steal one than legally possess a machinegun which you must keep registered and available for inspection by the ATF.  (If you have it for any length of time you are likely to be inspected.)

183,000 is a lot.  The point being here, though, that use of the loophole has increased dramatically now that people have realized it's there.  If 90% of the population is in favor if background checks for ALL gun sales, then it stands to reason that the most dangerous examples should be addressed as quickly as possible.

The fact that there are any loopholes for any gun sales is an anathema in 21st century America.

[HudsonHawk]

one time when i was young i shot my mom in the buttox with a bb gun. i learned to shoot the right way after that and only at targets, not animals

Buttox?  Is that when your ass is shot up with cosmetic enhancements?

I was shot in the leg with a .22 when I was 13.  After that, I learned not to piss off someone holding a rifle. 

[Fredia]

butt ox is a vague reference to forest gump and just a nice way to say it.

[juliogotay]

butt ox is a vague reference to forest gump and just a nice way to say it.

this may be the most cogent sentence you have ever written.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

butt ox is a vague reference to forest gump and just a nice way to say it.

I was thinking it was in reference to this scene in Ensign Pulver.