Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Seattle Officials Aim for Gun-Law Changes [View all]DanTex
(20,709 posts)Every new post from you is a different gun lobby talking point.
Anyway, licensing and registration would have several effects. One of them is to prevent the flow of guns that is diverted from lawful gun owners to criminal gun markets. In the US, almost all guns used by criminals start out in FFLs and are originally purchased by people who passed a background check. But most of the time, the original purchaser is not the same person who uses the gun in a crime. Instead, through one of several methods -- straw purchase, private sale on the unregulated secondary market, theft, etc. -- the become diverted and end up in the hands of criminals. The registration of guns would make it much more difficult on straw purchasers and gun traffickers. It would also make it easier for police to trace guns and figure out patterns of gun trafficking. It would also encourage lawful gun owners to take more precautions about how they store their guns, and who they lend or sell their guns to.
On top of that, the world isn't neatly divided into law-abiding citizens who never break the law, and criminals who never follow any laws. Many people fall somewhere in between, and licensing and registration would cut down on irresponsible gun ownership.