Let's think about what kind of a
gun I want. Well, I might like a machine gun or what many people
call an automatic, be it pistol, revolver, rifle or shotgun. I can
forget all of those because since the National Firearms Act was
enacted in the 30's it has been illegal to buy or POSSESS except
under very stringent rules and very high taxes on every transaction.
In other words we sure don't want to be caught with any full
automatic or "Machine Gun". Besides ammunition is much to expensive
to waste with one and they are notoriously inaccurate to shoot. So I
don't want or need one of those!
Now lets get serious, I want to buy a handgun to protect my family.
I can go to one of the Gun dealers in a nearby town in West
Virginia, It's West Virginia and because I'm a resident of West
Virginia. If I go to Virginia or other states there is so much red
tape that when I get the gun I'll be several weeks older or more. So
I go to a store in WV. If they have a handgun I like, I fill out a
background form and the store owner calls it into wherever. My
experience has always been that in about a half and hour at most
will be received and I can pay my money and get my handgun and
leave. Fairly simple it seems.
If I for some reason choose to go to another state other than my own
to make my purchase I must wait for at least three days before my
application is approved and my handgun can be delivered into my
possession. That's not very simple, is it? Both these scenarios hold
true when buying from a Firearms Dealer, (that is a individual that
has a place of business and pays a Fee to become a Federally
Licensed Firearms dealer). Strict rules of record keeping are
require of the Licensed Dealer. They must keep a bound book
containing every transaction, buying, selling or trading, they must
record the Serial Number, caliber, maker and any other facts about
the gun that would help identify it. They must keep regular hours of
business and be able to surrender for inspection, their registry
books to Inspectors from the Firearms Bureau upon demand during
regular business hours they have said they were in business. The
glue is a littler sticky now, Isn't it?
Let's say I decide to go to a GUN SHOW. I sometimes go to one in
Roanoke, Virginia and less often, (simply because there are fewer
folks there), in Beckley, West Virginia. If in Beckley or in Roanoke
I am bound by the same rules regarding the purchase and background
checks as I would be in any other transaction in WV or Va, ie: The 3
day waiting period! Lets say I had hoped to be able to trade or sell
a gun I no longer wanted, when I talk to a Licensed Firearms Dealer
he will likely offer me about 50% of what I think the gun is worth.
I don't blame him, remember he has to have license, place of
business and regular hours of business, (that costs him money, so he
needs to make money on trades, just as car dealers do!) Now let us
suppose I was carrying that gun I had wanted to sell back out to my
car, when a fellow going into to the show asked me, "what's the
gun", a few words and some trading talk ensues and I sell it to the
fellow in the parking lot for what I consider a fair price, we both
are happy he paid less than he would have had to if he had bought it
from a dealer inside and I got more than the dealer had offered me.
We both walk away with a smile and have broken no rules or laws that
I know of.
Lets say while walking back to my car I see a guy and he asked my
about my gun, he says he was looking for a (you name it) gun and
would like to have traded his Handgun, (in a case), for it. I like
the looks of his handgun, we talk and trade and both walk away
happy, See what I mean?
The same scenario can take place at any Gun Show, when two people
decide to trade with one another. Proposed regulations would forbid
us to do that or even to sell, trade or give to a relative.
Note: I had a Federal Firearms License from 1955 until 1970. In 1970
the record keeping became so much trouble I surrendered my books and
License. I'm glad I did. I think the record keeping is much more of
a burden now but I think otherwise the same rules apply.
I think the things that confuse people much too much are; The
difference between a Automatic firearm and a semi-auto!
