Background checks blocked a record high 300,000 gun sales

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The number of people stopped from buying guns through the U.S. background check system hit an all-time high of more than 300,000 last year amid a surge of firearm sales, according to new records obtained by the group Everytown for Gun Safety.

The FBI numbers provided to The Associated Press show the background checks blocked nearly twice as many gun sales in 2020 as in the year before. About 42% of those denials were because the would-be buyers had felony convictions on their records.

The increase in blocked gun sales largely tracks with the record-setting surge in sales that took hold along with the coronavirus pandemic and has continued into this year, through historic demonstrations against police brutality, deep political divisions and an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

It comes as Congress has failed to pass major legislation on guns despite the Democratic majority and President Joe Biden’s push. A bill that would strengthen background checks is stalled in the Senate. The House in March passed the legislation requiring the checks on all sales and transfers, as well as an expanded 10-day review for gun purchases. Most states require background checks only for sales at federally licensed dealers. But the legislation faces an uphill battle getting any Republican support in the Senate.



FILE - In this March 25, 2020, file photo semi-automatic handguns are displayed at shop in New Castle, Pa. The number of people stopped from buying guns though the U.S. background check system hit an all-time high of more than 300,000 last year amid a surge of firearm sales, according to new records obtained by the group Everytown for Gun Safety. The FBI numbers provided to The Associated Press show the background checks blocked nearly twice as many gun sales in 2020 as in the year before. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/gun-background-checks-blocked-record-high-sales-e0c3105b6632740b8f15858cd930441a

[peppertree]

1. But how many of these miscreants found what they wanted in a gun show

Or any number of other loopholes the Repugs have made sure were available.

[SheltieLover]

3. This!👆

Investigate & vigorously prosecute!

[Dial H For Hero]

4. Per the article, the prosecution rate for felons lying on the background check form is 0.01%.

[SheltieLover]

5. Right!

Ridiculously low!

[hack89]

10. Most gun shows now only allow registered dealers to sell

besides, they are usually swarming with ATF and cops.

Private sales are a state issue - 13 states have UBCs but they are all Dem.

[Dial H For Hero]

2. Given the massive surge in gunbuying last year, this isn't surprising.

[YMB]

6. So .75% of guns sold last year

not counting private sales, 80% builds or home made stuff. And less than half due to felonys on record.

[Dial H For Hero]

8. And of course, many of those guns are used. The actual number of gun manufactured and imported

to the US is currently running around 15 million per year, to which can be added an unknown number of homemade firearms.

[Guilded Lilly]

7. It's a start AND a wake up call.

[NickB79]

9. Alternate headline: 300,000 felons unprosecuted for attempted gun purchases

It's a felony in itself to lie on the 4473 background check. Some of them may be simple clerical errors, but a lot of them are attempts to illegally purchase a gun.

I know it's an NRA talking point, but it has a kernel of truth here: enforce the gun laws we already have on the books. Start with these assholes.

[FakeNoose]

11. The feds need to create a new database with all the "gun-fail" names

So anyone who was denied purchasing a gun, wouldn't they be considered prime suspects in future crimes? Wouldn't they be likely to participate in a political uprising, for example? One would think so.

[LiberatedUSA]

12. Forget future crimes.

Make the list and arrest them; they already committed a crime by lying on the form. Just like that To Catch A Predator thing so many years ago. The guy already committed a crime with his conversation to a supposed underage girl. The fact that he realized it was a trap, stopped responding and didn’t show up to be surprised didn’t matter; he was already guilty. So they came to him. Not falling for it (the arresting trap, he already fell for the online trap), didn’t change his past actions.

They’ve already committed a crime, no need to wait for them to commit another.

[FakeNoose]

13. OK

I agree with you, my friend! These perps should be investigated already.
Their crimes are already on record. They shouldn't fall through the cracks.
Problem is, the federal investigators have a lot on their plate at the moment.

[oneshooter]

17. Do you include EVERYBODY that lied on this form?

No matter what the family name is?

[LiberatedUSA]

18. Why would I exclude anyone?

If the law is “lying on a federal form is a crime”, then a person’s name shouldn’t matter. In real life, people get away with things for their wealth, status and connections, but that isn’t how it should be done.

[oneshooter]

19. Politics

[Martin68]

14. Good news! Tip of the iceberg, but a step in the right direction.

[truthisfreedom]

15. Good.

Love it.

[twodogsbarking]

16. If it saved one person from having

their brains splattered on the wall it was worth it. Save us.

[Lars39]

20. You know, I have never read of how the feds do this.

Do they compare inventory to sales at every store that sells guns? Does the background check software keep a denied sale from actually going thru at all?

[Dial H For Hero]

21. The software denies the sale. I have a friend who attempted to purchase a firearm around 15 years

ago, and was denied. Mind you, he'd purchased many of them previously, and his circumstances hadn't changed. It turns out someone with an identical name and year of birth had been convicted of a felony, and he was incorrectly flagged. He had to contact the ATF to straighten it out, which took some time.