Off-the-books gun sellers say Obama’s proposals will just boost their trade.

[jpak]

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2013/01/obama_s_gun_control_proposals_off_the_book_sellers_react.html

How would gun and ammunition sellers react to President Obama’s proposals to combat gun violence? I decided to find about by asking people who operate out of the so-called “secondary gun market,” where those without federal licenses to distribute weapons ply their trade. About 40 percent of guns reach people via this off-the-books route, including many of the guns that reach young people.

I spoke to three gun sellers who work in and around Chicago. I was prepared for defensive reactions, given the 30-plus legislative recommendations and executive actions on the table. Instead, they were skeptical when I read them Obama’s proposals. One summed up the general sentiment: “Not going to change one thing I do, thank the Lord.”

That response makes sense when one looks closely at gun markets, which are a bit quirky. The three Chicago brokers I spoke with don’t own gun stores or sell over the Internet. They make their money in the illegal, secondary market in three ways: They sell guns directly; they find customers for suburban gun dealers, who pay them a finders’ fee, and who then sell the gun off the books; and they match sellers with gun sellers in alleyway gun shows. Ninety percent of these sales are handguns, as opposed to assault rifles and shotguns.

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Law abider FAIL

yup

[gejohnston]

1. Law abider nothing

If they are in the business for profit, they are violating federal law. If they individuals selling unregistered guns to people who don't have IL FOIDs, they are violating IL law. They are traffickers.

If the article were about gun booths at Florida flea markets, the article might have had a valid point.

[jpak]

2. misery and death are their "profits"

yup

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. No. Money is their profit.

misery and death are side effects, not the goal or concern of their business.

Not much different from crack, meth, heroin dealers. It's about the money. And maybe some perks.

[Lizzie Poppet]

3. Precisely.

No one's claiming that felons like that are "law abiders."

Derp.

[upaloopa]

4. Give this type of seller about 15 years behind bars

And the buyers about 10. Have a national hot line where you could call anonymously and report the sales.
Stop telling us gun control doesn't work.

[gejohnston]

5. There is

http://www.atf.gov/contact/hotlines/

Violating the Gun Control Act can get you up to ten years.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

11. Snitchin' can get you worse than ten years. nt

[jpak]

7. yup

[Puha Ekapi]

6. It just demonstrates...

...that those of us who follow the law are the ones who will be impacted, while those who are lawbreakers will continue to scoff at the new regulations.

Epic jpak fail.

yup

[upaloopa]

8. Isn't that true with most laws? I guess because

there are law breakers there should be no laws.

[Straw Man]

12. Did you read the article?

The point is that the proposed legislation doesn't target the real problem, which isn't "assault weapons," but the illegal trade in handguns. Tackling that doesn't require new legislation -- it takes enforcement.

[upaloopa]

15. Again that is diversion. Mass murders are being done

using AR15 type guns. That is what is causing the uproar.
Every talking point gunners have are diversions. "Don't look there, look over here, see no problem over there."

[Straw Man]

16. Yours is the diversion.

You are hollering about the tip and ignoring the iceberg: illegal handgun crime. Liberalize drug laws and come down on gangs like a ton of bricks: then you will see some results. Otherwise you're squandering political capital in a (probably futile) attempt to forestall events that are extreme outliers in any case.

[upaloopa]

17. We are going after guns in the wrong hands

It's the fucking guns! Your toys are used to kill people.

[Straw Man]

19. I think you're confused.

We are going after guns in the wrong hands

It's the fucking guns! Your toys are used to kill people.

You're going after guns in all hands. That's a misdirected effort. My guns have hurt no one. Taking every last one away would not save a single life.

[Ashgrey77]

18. AR15's are rarely used in crime.

It only seems that way because there have been several high profile shooting recently with them. Other than those particular shootings they are rarely used in crime. The statistics at the end of the year will have less than 100 people killed nationally with AR15's in particular. Passenger cars kill 100 or so a day. Heart Disease and Cancer kill over 1,000,000 a year.

[iiibbb]

9. By definition, they aren't law abiding.

On a side note, when you follow the rules in Illinois, it's really easy to inadvertently become a felon just by missing a deadline...

[rl6214]

13. The cops there must really suck if the media can find these "gun sellers"

To do a story but the cops can't. Or the story if just sensationalist BS.

[jmg257]

14. They work pretty good for lawful sellers too.

SIG supposedly moved 99,000 firearms in the last month or so.

Most of the targeted weapons are going for $1000 more then they typically did just 2 months ago.