How Reddit Became a Gun Market—and Authorized Its Logo on Assault Rifles

[Redfairen]

Since 2011, part of the popular online forum Reddit has grown into an active marketplace for assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, and other powerful firearms, according to an investigation by Mother Jones. In the last six months alone there have been more than 1,000 listings posted by more than 400 Redditors on the GunsForSale subreddit, one of thousands of niche communities on the sprawling discussion site. Not only has Reddit allowed a gun market to thrive, it has also literally put its stamp on it: Gun purchases brokered through the site have included nearly 100 AR-15s engraved with Reddit's alien logo, which was used on the assault rifles with explicit permission from the company—while it was owned by media giant Condé Nast—according to email correspondence obtained by Mother Jones.

In May 2011, a Redditor organizing a bulk order of AR-15s asked the company about a plan to engrave the logo and replace the standard "SAFE/FIRE" markings on the weapons' safety selectors with "UPVOTE/DOWNVOTE." Within a few days of the request, a Reddit business staffer working in the New York City headquarters of Condé Nast granted permission to use the logo in an email sent from a Condé Nast account. The staffer did note that for the safety selectors, "we would prefer that you keep the SAFE/FIRE language…to ensure the safety of all people who may come in contact with these guns."

.......

The Reddit-branded AR-15s represent just a sampling of the powerful firearms purchased through the site, which has tens of millions of users and often drives major traffic to other websites. Many listings have offered guns in quantity: In September, for example, an active seller and Redditor who goes by the handle "FirearmConcierge" advertised an inventory of black SCAR 16s, a combat assault rifle made for US Special Operations forces. "UPS freight just dropped 19 of them off," the listing read, pricing them at $2,300 a piece. According to his online postings, FirearmConcierge is a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL) operating in Florida.

Instructions posted by the moderators of the GunsForSale subreddit warn users to comply with federal and state laws, and many sellers on the site say that they transfer guns through FFLs, which conduct background checks on buyers. But some user comments suggest that sellers may be exploiting a loophole in federal law to traffic firearms—including talk of licensed dealers selling guns without conducting background checks, which in some circumstances would be illegal.

At least 159 transactions have been completed on GunsForSale since last June, according to more than 100 Redditors who reported them using the subreddit's automated system for verifying sales and rating sellers. The number of completed transactions may be higher, because some deals arranged through private messaging on the site and completed face-to-face likely go unreported.


http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2014/01/reddit-guns-assault-rifle-ar15-logo-conde-nast

[LAGC]

1. The sad thing is...

@FirearmConcierg

Listen, I'm not saying I want to see Sandy Hook Part II but another 20 or 30 dead kids would really dress out my balance sheet.

This sentiment here really sums up the reality of the situation.

Every time there's a mass-shooting, there are perfunctory cries for harsher gun controls, followed by a run on guns and ammo, shooting prices through the roof, and really boosting the profit margins of both the manufacturers and the dealers.

But really, if Sandy Hook couldn't get stricter gun controls passed in this country on a national level, what does Mother Jones honestly think could?

If anything, sensationalist reporting by Mother Jones is only contributing to the frenzy.

[Duckhunter935]

2. well nothing like scare mongering

But some user comments suggest that sellers may be exploiting a loophole in federal law to traffic firearms—including talk of licensed dealers selling guns without conducting background checks, which in some circumstances would be illegal.

Ah no, in all cases would be against federal law

Not even going to say anything about the scary "ASSAULT RIFLE' language.

So they run an online newspaper ad that lists weapons for sale and states all federal and state laws need to be followed. The horror of that.

[Hoyt]

6. Point is, it's an efficient way for yahoos to market gunz to folks who might not pass a background

check. Run your ad, find a local yahoo looking for a gun fix, take a fistful of cash, no background check - all legal. Of course, gun fanciers make it sound so harmless. Laws need to be changed requiring BG check by FFL, no matter how loudly callous gun fanciers whine and say they are the only thing between us and tyranny.

[LanternWaste]

10. It's a tactic that has certainly been helping firearm sales since 2008.

"well nothing like scare mongering..."

It's a tactic that has certainly been helping firearm sales since 2008. I suppose it's more often criticized depending upon who uses it rather than simply its use.

[The Straight Story]

3. I have no problem with this

Adults using the internet to buy/sell things they enjoy (keep in mind over 99% of gun owners are responsible yet most react it seems like the rw does when it comes to muslims - take what a few do and use that as a fear tool in an effort to whip up the blind faithful).

People get decals on their cars, bikes, computers, etc and so on. A lot of folks sport shoot (archery btw is making a comeback in that regards) or target shoot and want to customize what they see as a tool/sports equipment.

I am sure fear though will drive others to fret about what other people do with their personal belongings - works for other religious/political groups.

[GeorgeGist]

4. You have no problem with the 1%?

Surely you jest.

[The Straight Story]

5. I have no problem with the 99.5% - though some will because of the other few

And since everyday around 50 million people in the US use their guns responsibly it might behoove others not to knee jerk react to the few who don't and want to find ways to label the rest - let alone wasting time on frivolous laws that contribute nothing to stopping the next killer to use one tool over another.

Assault weapon ban? Silly when you look at it. We have more than enough sensible gun laws that are not enforced because people don't want to pony up the money for more enforcement officers/equipment/prosecutors/etc. So what do we do when someone shoots someone else (already illegal in a number of ways - assault is illegal, killing is, using a gun is more illegal than harming people other ways, etc).

You cannot, and will not, legislate people into morality. A few will always go their own way so banning things we know won't work. Restricting ownership to those not criminally inclined by checking their history is fine, but not all people will go to buy a gun after they have done something to exclude them (in other words, it is not a perfect system to accomplish that goal).

I am all for keeping the guns out of the hands of that less than 1%.

Question is - why do so many ONLY want the 1% of society (the government and the wealthy) to be allowed to own guns? Maybe because they see us lowly citizens as below others in society that have a job with the government. Which puts the government above the people (and the wealthy, of course, will have armed protection if they want it by hiring others that we tell them are allowed to own guns).

Me? I am for the 99%. Not so sure about others though and why they rush to promote the 1%.

[Hoyt]

7. Bull, selling a gun for a fistful of cash without a background check should be a felony.

[msanthrope]

8. Aaron Swartz's legacy at Reddit....I've maintained from the start that DOJ went after

him because of issues with Reddit...but I thought it was the child porn.

[Eleanors38]

9. Is MJ competing with Infowars, now? Earth-shaking news. nt