Reply #36: In what context was the term "waiting period" used? [View All]

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"Waiting periods" for firearms sales can mean two separately distinct meanings. By one loose definition it can mean the 3 day wait that's part of the Brady/NICS check that all firearms dealers must perform. Under the current system, once an FFL (dealer), initiates a background check, the FBI must respond back within 3 business days with either a "proceed" or "deny". If the dealer doesn't get a response back after that time period they have the discretion whether or not to proceed with the sale.

The more accurate definition of the "waiting period" is a mandated time period between the time of purchase and time when the buyer can take possession of the firearm(s)... regardless of the outcome of the NICS check. As an example, in California a gun buyer must wait ten days from time of purchase to time of receivership even if the NICS results in a "proceed". In fact, the Brady Bill/NICS check as originally enacted required a 5 day "waiting period"

The logic/reasoning given by the anti 2nd amendment crowd is to serve as a "cooling off" period to help prevent crimes of passion and persons with the intent of committing suicide.

With that in mind, the NRA supports the former definition and is opposed to the latter...

FABLE III: NRA opposes all "reasonable" gun regulations.

Anti-gun activist groups claim that all of their proposals--including gun bans, prohibitive taxes, registration and licensing to name a few-- are "moderate and reasonable." Those who oppose such ideas, they say, are "unreasonable." And they claim that NRA opposes all gun laws. The truth is, NRA supports many gun laws, including federal and state laws that prohibit the possession of firearms by certain categories of people, such as convicted violent criminals, those prohibiting sales of firearms to juveniles, and those requiring instant criminal records checks on retail firearm purchasers.

http://www.nraila.org/media/misc/fables.html#FABLE%20III:

The more accurate description of "waiting periods" is complete anti-RKBA nonsense. Never mind that anyone with the intent of committing mayhem or a "crime of passion" is really going to be put-off by it, but it's also pretty ridiculous to make a law abiding citizen who already possesses firearms to repeatedly wait any time period above and beyond what is required under the current NICS system. If anything, what really needs to be done is to improve the current system so that any background check results in shorter delays (without sacrificing reliability).