NYC undercover stings expose 'gun show loophole'

[strickj]

Wouldnt it be a straw purchase for them(the PI's) to be buying guns for the out of state residents(Bloom)?

[bubbadavis]

I just don't follow the logic: "People are breaking the law, so let's pass more laws. That'll fix the problem."

How about prosecuting those that broke the law? Seems like a win-win to me. The criminals get dealt with and the rest of us get left alone.

I must be low on my liberal today.

[macville]

Anyone who attends the Nashville shows should recognize this dealer. Their booth stands out out.

Umm... while the dealer may have broken the law, didn't the people buying the gun also break the law since they went through with the purchase? Was this video of one of Bloomberg's goons or was it an LEO sting?

Matthew

[Guest HexHead]

It's only a straw purchase if the person "buying" the gun is doing so for someone ineligible to purchase it themselves. The guy in the video never said he couldn't pass the check. He looked at the gun and his "wife" bought it. Maybe it was for her in the first place and he was just picking it out for her? Maybe she was buying it to give to him for a birthday present? It's not necessarily as bad as they want everyone to believe. Lots of "reasonable doubt" in that video.

[Guest 270win]

It appears that some of these private investigators are appearing to break the law themselves. They are not law enforcement or part of the ATF. What legal authority do they have...they have absolutely none. Local/state police in the respective jurisdictions should have them arrested and charged to prove a point to NYC.

[Motasyco]

I always check out my wife's guns before she buys one. And she'll do the same if she's with me when I'm looking. That's the first thing that struck me when I watched it. Small with a lot of punch? Perfect for a woman. I also look at vehicles with her before she buys one. Same difference.

Don't get me wrong, if a law was broken, then there should be punishment but let's be sure.

[Guest JustMyLuck]

The sad thing is there are similar things happening in Tn.

To make a long story short. about year ago the ATF came to Flea Markets around here and ended up snagging about 20+ people. These people were not "gunrunners" by anymeans. Most of them (that I knew anyway) were decent hard working Blue collar people, including my neighbor (a retired 68 yr old man).

One of the ways these folks "broke the law" was ..... The undercover agent approached them about buying a gun (long gun) when they made the deal , a female that was with him handed the seller the money . Well the female was a convicted felon, so that was a charge.

That was only one charge by the way, there were alot more including Selling a firearms without a license etc. All of it was Entrapment, all the way

The story is too long to post now but if anyone is interested I'll post the whole BS story when I get time. Including how I almost had "Issues" with the ATF that raided my neighbor.

JML

[strickj]

It's only a straw purchase if the person "buying" the gun is doing so for someone ineligible to purchase it themselves. The guy in the video never said he couldn't pass the check. He looked at the gun and his "wife" bought it. Maybe it was for her in the first place and he was just picking it out for her? Maybe she was buying it to give to him for a birthday present? It's not necessarily as bad as they want everyone to believe. Lots of "reasonable doubt" in that video.

Bloomberg hired out PIs to buy guns for him,because him,or him affiliations from NY could not buy them here in TN.

I'd like to know why no charges are being brought upon them for these straw purchases

[Chief07]

As responsible gun owners we need to police ourselves. The anti-gun lobby is looking

for excuses to enact more restrictive gun laws.

Bloomberg the billionare nutjob will do anything to push his anti-gun agenda.

Just be smart. Follow the law of your states.

[DaveTN]

I'd like to know why no charges are being brought upon them for these straw purchases

The contacts here are Mayor A C Wharton of Shelby County and Mayor Tom Beehan of Oak Ridge. My guess would be that they had investigators here buy the weapons and turn them in to local law enforcement to be tagged in evidence. But that’s just a WAG.

[extremescene]

All of these dealers pretty much should have guessed something was wrong when they keep repeating "I can't pass a background check" over and over again. A real felon trying to buy a gun would not be so forthright with that information. When someone starts saying crap like that it should be common sense not to sell to them... they are either trying to bust you or they are the dumbest criminal ever. Either way, they shouldn't walk out of there with your gun!

[Guest Mugster]

The guys selling stuff at the gunshow, well, lets just say they aren't the sharpest knives in the toolbox. Couple that with the idiocy level of most buyers, and i'd claim that what you saw on that tape happens all the time.

I'm amazed the anti-gunners haven't done this a long time ago. Once the word gets out, they'll keep doing it over and over. Law enforcement will have to look into it.

[raydog1]

Bloomberg hired out PIs to buy guns for him,because him,or him affiliations from NY could not buy them here in TN.

I'd like to know why no charges are being brought upon them for these straw purchases

Knowing Bloomberg, these guns probably went directly to a destruction station. So no actual straw purchase committed. Just a "staged" one for the cameras.

I'll be surprised if they don't start doing this type of sting regularly. Sure as heck worked on Acorn.

[GoVols]

As responsible gun owners we need to police ourselves. The anti-gun lobby is looking for excuses to enact more restrictive gun laws. Bloomberg the billionare nutjob will do anything to push his anti-gun agenda. Just be smart. Follow the law of your states.

+1 There it is.

[Guest SUNTZU]

As responsible gun owners we need to police ourselves. The anti-gun lobby is looking

for excuses to enact more restrictive gun laws.

Bloomberg the billionare nutjob will do anything to push his anti-gun agenda.

Just be smart. Follow the law of your states.

+1 There it is.

Yet another area to work on your situational awareness. These people are out to put you in harm's way, as well.

[Oh Shoot]

Well, guys, I'll stir the pot some:

I'm not even commenting on crooked FFL dealers here.

There is no doubt that it IS easy for folks who are prohibited by law from gun ownership to pick up a firearm at a gunshow from a private sale - felons, folks under restraining order, under aged, folks from a different state, whatever.

Of course, this is no different from any other private sales situation in states where you can do that. It's just that gun shows bring masses of individual sellers together and saves an illegal buyer the trouble of hunting down individual sellers through classifieds.

Anyone can hang outside the doors of a gunshow in TN and buy most anything, with no checks whatsoever.

I really do see this becoming illegal one of these days, either by federal decree or by more pressure (usually by withholding certain federal funds to the state) put on individual states to force FFL transfer with the quickie background check for ALL firearm sales.

It wouldn't be particularly enforceable without some sort of permanently kept registration scheme, though, so I expect to see that also.

Unlike many of you, I see all the conservative ground roots demonstrations and manifestos, and even the sprinkling of state "don't tread on me" resolutions as paper sword rattling, and expect the US to become increasingly stifling on all individual freedoms.

Of course, I hope I'm wrong on all this.

- OS

[Garufa]

Sadly, I agree with your assessment.

[Guest SUNTZU]

Then they'll start regulating what is considered a gun show after they make that illegal. I'm sure someone will write a mean spirited blog about it, too.

[tng27]

I agree with OhShoot as well. If I were a real pessimist, I'd say by the time my grandson is 21, the US will be just like the UK et al and the 2nd amendment will be history or at best its interpretation will be nothing like we know now. I fear for our country more every day.

[Guest nascar22]

Sounds like we need another person to step forth and tell NYC to get ****ed and stay out of the state.

Wamp smack-talks Bloomberg's gun sting Knoxville News Sentinel

Wamp smack-talks Bloomberg's gun sting

• Erik Schelzig, Associated Press
  
• Posted October 8, 2009 at 10:33 a.m. , updated October 8, 2009 at 1:12 p.m.
  

• 
  
• 
  

<!-- end #article_header --><!-- end #section_header --><!-- end #section_title_wrapper -->NASHVILLE - Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Wamp spoke out today against an investigation by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg into questionable sales at gun shows in Tennessee and two other states.

Bloomberg said private investigators were sold guns despite saying they probably could not pass a background check. Despite a loophole in some states for "occasional sellers" at gun shows, federal law bars selling guns to people they have reason to believe would fail background checks.

Wamp, a congressman from Chattanooga, said in a Twitter posting today that: "Bloomberg and his anti-gun cronies should stay the heck out of Tn."

Wamp said Tennessee will defend its Second Amendment rights and that armed citizens "keep streets safe."

A copy of Bloomberg's report is being sent to every member of Congress and the findings will be shared the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Wamp has made gun rights a staple of his campaign speeches, including a statement that if Democratic President Barack Obama were to issue an order to confiscate guns, "We will meet him at the state line." Obama has never proposed such a move.

In the Republican gubernatorial primary, Wamp has been joined by state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville in criticizing Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, the money leader in the nomination fight, for what they consider his soft stance on guns.

Haslam has been publicly refining his position on guns since joining the statewide race in January. He soon withdrew from the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group co-founded by Bloomberg, for what he called a departure from its original mission of fighting gun crimes in urban areas.

A Haslam campaign spokesman did not immediately return messages seeking comment on the sting.

Ramsey told WTVF-TV in Nashville there shouldn't be laws to restrict people from selling their guns.

"It's a farce to be honest," Ramsey said. "Obviously the gun sales between individuals shouldn't be regulated by the federal government or any other government entity."

Ramsey and Wamp campaigns didn't immediately respond to questions about whether the gun show loophole is allowing criminals to buy guns in Tennessee.

Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen can't run again in 2010 because of term limits.

More details as they develop online and in Friday's News Sentinel

[Guest marine77]

Been talking about it again on hln news. Also talking about the guy who

shot his girlfriend by mistake the day before their wedding, and also about

the soccer mom who got murdered by her husband. Talk about an anti-

gun network. Of course what can you say about the media.

[Guest HexHead]

It's only a straw purchase if the person "buying" the gun is doing so for someone ineligible to purchase it themselves. The guy in the video never said he couldn't pass the check. He looked at the gun and his "wife" bought it. Maybe it was for her in the first place and he was just picking it out for her? Maybe she was buying it to give to him for a birthday present? It's not necessarily as bad as they want everyone to believe. Lots of "reasonable doubt" in that video.

One more thought on this. That video easily could have been edited. They may have taken out parts where she was holding the gun, operating it, checking it out and telling her husband that's the one she wants.

Of course those parts wouldn't promote their straw purchase agenda.

[Guest dalefranklin]

Has anyone even thought about the aspect of the legalitly of these dealers and private sales being video taped and recorded without their consent. I'm not defending the sales without proper checks, but if there are laws concerning consent of video and recording secretly, the undercover and the people behind them are liable and should be sued. It seems the ACORN org wants to sue for have their illegal actions being taped.

Edited October 10, 2009 by dalefranklin

[DaveTN]

Has anyone even thought about the aspect of the legalitly of these dealers and private sales being video taped and recorded without their consent. I'm not defending the sales without proper checks, but if there are laws concerning consent of video and recording secretly, the undercover and the people behind them are liable and should be sued.

It is my understanding that in the state of Tennessee only one of the involved parties needs to be aware of the recording. Cops do it all the time and so do citizens that are stopped by cops.

[Guest 70below]

Anybody know when the actual "purchases" took place? I recall being in Frontier Firearms approximately 6 months ago and a guy blatantly attempted to make a straw purchase. The salesman flat out told him he would no longer sell him the gun. The guy tried to talk him into it, but he stood his ground.

The guy even changed his story, and said that he was buying it as a gift and that's what he meant. The salesman still held his ground and refused to sell to the individual. At the time, I thought that the customer was the biggest idiot I've ever seen, but looking back, maybe it was one of these "investigators".