I was under the impression that all firearm purchases were already subject to background checks? I bought a .223 rifle recently and was background checked.

Private sales don’t require them. Even if they did require it I don’t know how it would work. I’m not trained to spot a fake ID nor am I will ing to be liable for selling one to a person who gave me a fake ID.

Oh, I hadn’t though about private sales. Only way I can think of is to require a background check to legally transfer ownership to another person. Of course, this wouldn’t stop anyone from just selling people guns under the table.

EDIT for clarity: required background check online or at an authorized gun retailer followed by paperwork signing to transfer ownership or some such nonsense.

Had this, among many other, conversations today. It would be pretty easy for them to enact very strict penalties for individuals who sell firearms registered to them under the table to others without legally transferring the firearm. This would help close the “gun show loophole” that we’ve heard bitching about for years, and personally I wouldn’t have a problem with it. I wouldn’t sell any of the firearms registered to me to anyone without transferring the name.

It would be easy enough to give sporting goods stores the authority to transfer gun licenses after a background check. Hell, gun shows could even have license transfer booths so you could still purchase your gun at a show, get a quick background check, and walk out with everything legal and safe.

Exactly. I see zero problems with this and it can silence the opposition on a point that clearly is a big deal for them. I think many gun owners can agree that some changes can be made, just not an AWB that affects more law abiding citizens than criminals.