One question I would have for our opponents, is that if private sales are such a huge loophole, why is straw purchasing such a problem? It would seem to be that, since private sales are completely lawful, that it would be preferable for gun traffickers to go this route, over the route of committing a felony in order to acquire guns. Why is straw purchasing such a big issue then?
I suspect for the same reason I’ve gotten very few guns in private sales: generally speaking, it’s really hard to find what you’re looking for, if you have something particular in mind. Every private buy I’ve ever done has been a purchase of opportunity. I wasn’t specifically looking to buy that particular gun, but someone wanted to sell it, the price was right, and it was something I thought I might want to have. As a collector, I’m generally looking for opportunities. An illegal gun trafficker is going to want guns that are desirable on the streets. He will also not likely have contacts among lawful gun owners looking to sell. That’s why they choose to use straw purchasers — it’s quicker and easier to find what you want.
Both are bad because a gun was sold to an individual… There is no relative level of harm; both actions are so far beyond the pale so as to not be worth differentiating.
/gunbanner
A great deal of my purchases have been from private sellers: either small collectors like myself or just J. Random Guy at the gun show who happened to bring along granddad’s .44 Hand Ejector…
But then, the guns in which I am generally most interested aren’t exactly the kind that fill the showcases of gun dealers.