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US Gun Laws

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US Gun Laws

Postby Keef » Tue Jan 07, 2020 8:44 pm

Probably one for Flintlock.

My daughter has an opinion about US gun Laws, she says they are too lax and that anyone can walk into a gun shop and legally buy a gun.

Now I have only a rudimentary knowledge of US gun law, mainly concerning moderators/suppressors but I believe it's not that easy.

Can anyone give me details of what the restrictions are or point me to an information source please?
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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby kce » Tue Jan 07, 2020 10:20 pm

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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby flintlok » Wed Jan 08, 2020 1:27 am

There are about 20,000 gun laws in the US. There may be local, state, and federal regulations governing the purchase of firearms. In some jurisdictions certain guns are banned or so restricted they might as well be banned. Massachusetts laws are convoluted such that the state has a list of prohibited guns and the state attorney general office has another list of banned guns that once was a secret. Overall, there is at a minimum at the Federal level and mandatory background check. It's called the National Instant Check System or NICS where the purchaser's information is submitted to the FBI for a criminal records check. If there are any red flags then the sale is denied. As you can imagine there are loads of people with similar names and often the sales are delayed to sort out any discrepancy. It's not simply a matter of handing a gun across the counter. Any gun dealer who violates these laws risks the seizure of their business assets and imprisonment. There is some relief for individuals transferring guns to each other however if you provide guns to convicted felons then you're on the hook for a potential 10 year prison sentence and fines. Loads of states have safe storage laws and if your guns are easily accessible you can be held responsible for their misuse. In the 1950's you could buy guns through the mail with no background checks any other disqualifying checks and the crime rate was low. After Kennedy assassination loads of laws were passed. There have been tons of regulations and restrictions since then but the crime rates have never been as low as in the 1950's. Lots of the crime rates are a result of the drug wars. Generally crime rate fluctuate independently of gun laws. There have been a few cases where the police have endorsed carrying guns and provided training and the crime rates have dropped. One of the gun clubs that I belong to was once a wooded area noted for finding stolen and torched cars. It was wooded public land. We approached the local city and managed to have land leased to us to operate a gun club. The following year the local area stolen car rate dropped 20%. We did see thieves on the range occasionally but they were discouraged and immediately left when they saw loads of happy riflemen with good sights. The UK media likes to represent the gun issue in the US as the wild west. In Rhode Island our crime rate is slightly higher then the crime rate in the UK. Your daughter's belief that anyone can buy a gun in the US is simply incorrect.
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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby Deallad » Fri Jan 10, 2020 1:22 pm

US gun law are not too lax, British gun laws are too restrictive

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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby flintlok » Fri Jan 10, 2020 4:11 pm

Deallad wrote:US gun law are not too lax, British gun laws are too restrictive

Mike



Yeah, that's the problem with the US gun laws. The beat up on the legal gun owners and the criminals literally get away with murder as they don't pay attention to such things. The US Supreme Court has ruled that criminals do not have to register any firearms as it would be self incriminating under the 5th Amendment. Go figure.
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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby Coldfinger » Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:31 pm

If nobody else is going to say it..... Good to see Keef posting again!

:thup:
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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby Les1066 » Sat Jan 11, 2020 10:04 am

Coldfinger wrote:If nobody else is going to say it..... Good to see Keef posting again!

:thup:


+1 :thumbs:
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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby Texasproud » Sat Jan 11, 2020 3:27 pm

I remember being told by a friend of my niece in Ireland that we could get our guns from vending machines. If only.
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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby Coldfinger » Sun Jan 12, 2020 12:30 am

Texasproud wrote:I remember being told by a friend of my niece in Ireland that we could get our guns from vending machines. If only.


If they fail to drop into the bottom tray then do they advise you not to bang on the glass?
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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby flintlok » Sun Jan 12, 2020 1:04 am

The bottom line in the US is if you are an adult and have no criminal background, not legally insane, don't abuse alcohol or drugs, and do not pose a creditable threat, you can buy a gun in most jurisdictions. There may be a limit on the type or model of a gun and the magazine capacity and you may have to jump through inane permitting hoops but you will be able shoot and enjoy your firearm. There are holes in the criminal database but in most cases the screening works if law enforcement does it's job.
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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby Keef » Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:25 pm

Thank you all for the feed bacl

I am now left with the conundrum of whether to have an argument with my daughter about the "ease" of firearm acquisition in the US. I suspect I'm going to leave it for now until my health improves - after a total of four months in hospital I don't need any more time lying in a bed.
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Re: US Gun Laws

Postby flintlok » Thu Jan 16, 2020 2:40 pm

I never argue with my daughters about politics. I believe that they will figure it all out as they go along. ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
The faster I go, the older I get.

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Flintlok, I think you're dead right....."The Dogge"

" when an American comes on the forum .....and then gets a bit upperty ..."

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