Is there anyone who cannot purchase a gun if they want one? [View all]

[Logical]

I wonder how effective the NICS Background system really is. Is it worth keeping?

Since private sales are legal isn't it likely that the people who cannot pass a background check can just go the eBay route or the Craigslist route and get a gun? There is no obligation to do anything but verify they are 18 years old and live in the same state as the seller does.

So if a convicted felon wants to buy a gun from a craigslist listing there is nothing to stop him from buying it. As long as he is a resident of the same state as the seller and is 18 years old. Unless he admits he is a felon there is no obligation on the seller to verify anything else.

So I am not sure the NICS system does anything at all. Of the 700,000 denials since 1998 I bet all of those could buy a gun in a private sales. And this is not even counting the 100,000 stolen handguns a year that end up in criminals hands.