More U.S. gun stores closed

[sabra]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.license02jan02,0,5160217.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

More U.S. gun stores closed
131 licenses revoked in 2006 amid closer federal scrutiny of record-keeping

With little fanfare, the federal government has substantially increased the number of licenses it has taken away from gun dealers over the past five years, according to newly obtained statistics.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives pulled federal firearms licenses from 22 gun dealers across the country in 2001. That number increased almost six-fold last year when ATF revoked 131 licenses, statistics show.

Despite the increase, license revocations remain exceedingly rare and the number pales in comparison with the roughly 105,000 people and businesses nationwide permitted to sell firearms and ammunition.

Advocates for stronger gun control seized on the figures obtained by The Sun from ATF, saying that an increase in license revocations is more than appropriate after years of poor regulation.

[maxsolomon]

1. o no!

this is horrible - america NEEDS MORE GUNS. they're just about to start fighting us over here! how will we ever buy enough guns to defend our strip malls & fast food franchises? good thing we have so many well-regulated militias to organize the citizenry.

:sarcasm:

[derby378]

2. Regulations on gun dealers, last I heard...

...were designed to help protect guns from falling into the wrong hands. Y'know, like the straw purchase at a gun show that helped put a TEC-9 in the hands of one of the Columbine killers.

What's so hard to understand about this? Sheesh.

[Cooley Hurd]

4. I agree - enforecment of existing laws, without making new laws...

:thumbsup:

[MercutioATC]

5. There's really no way to prevent straw purchases.

They like to talk it up, but they're no more able to regulate straw purchases of guns than "straw purchases" of hammers.

[Tempest]

3. Record keeping violations

The article makes it clear the majority of the closures were due to record keeping violations.

You'd think the NRA would want those stores closed if they are not keeping track on who they are selling guns to.

[Squatch]

7. Gun stores are not allowed to "keep track" of who they sell guns to

Other than credit card receipts and similar transaction receipts, the store has to destroy any forms filled out by gun purchasers within a short period of time. They are required, however, to keep track of the guns they accept and sell.

[dmallind]

11. I don't think this is true

AFAIK FFL's must keep a copy of the form that gun buyers complete - the 4473 - for a long time - either 10 or 20 years. Not sure which, but a quick google would say.

The part that is - supposedly - destroyed almost immediately is the rceord of the check done at the Federal end, not the record of the retail transaction.

FFL's need to turn in these 4473s if they close, but otherwise destroy them after the requisite retention period.

[Squatch]

12. You're absolutely correct.

It is important to consider the FFL's record keeping requirements and their implications on the gun purchaser's privacy. When purchasing a firearm from an FFL, a Form 4473 (also known as the "Yellow Form"), as required by the ATF. The dealer must also record the sale in his transaction log. Form 4473 contains the name, address, NICS background check transaction number, serial number and model of the firearm, and a short federal affidavit stating that the purchaser is eligible to purchase firearms under federal law. Lying on this form is a felony and can be punished by up to five years in prison in addition to fines, even if the transaction is denied by NICS. The dealer must keep the Form 4473 for twenty years and is subject to inspection by the ATF to ensure compliance, but not more than once annually. The dealer also records all information from the form 4473 into his transaction log. A dealer must keep this log the entire time he is in business and is required to surrender the log to the ATF upon retirement from the firearms business. This record-keeping system creates an informal national firearm registration. While it is not centralized, it is important to note that the information of a gun purchaser is held by the retail dealer. Some have argued for a centralized federal registration system of all firearms, but so far this has not been accepted.


Live and learn.

[RiverStone]

6. Good!!! n/t

[Wickerman]

8. .1 of a percent of gun stores were closed?

This is news? Yawn.

131 licenses revoked of 105k?

[Squatch]

9. In that same time, how many new licenses were granted?

[Wickerman]

10. and how many of those belonged to wives or brother in laws

of the owners of the closed store? Oh, never mind.

I fail to see this as a victory for either side. If we were meeting this kind of "success" on the war on drugs... er, nevermind. :yoiks:

[Squatch]

13. WTF?

[Wickerman]

17. I gather wtf meant, "gee, Wickerman, could you clarify..."

the bit about stores reopening under the new ownership of wives or brother-in-laws? Sure, Squatch, I'll be happy to fill you in case you missed all the discussion in the Gungeon.

http://www.modbee.com/local/story/12586206p-13294617c.html

Two Merced gun store owners are losing their licenses to sell firearms after the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms determined there were problems with paperwork required for gun sales.
One store, Gunrunners, will remain open under a new name and ownership. The other, Stone's Gun Shop, closed last week.

-snip-

Stone's license was revoked Friday, she said, and Mitchell's will be revoked Oct.2. Mitchell said he will sell the store to his wife, who has applied for a federal firearms license.

[w4rma]

14. Good. Enforce the existing law. (nt)

[jaksavage]

15. Glad to hear it.

It is a few who wreck it for the many.
It is too bad that gun ownership has become such a negative devisive thing. There are lots of democratic hunters out there. The gun issue is used to divide us. However our nation is no longer responsible enough to have such easy access to firearms. Having grown up with them I dread the day when I can no longer use them.

[TomInTib]

16. Translation: More firearms sales for WalMart

Those licenses weren't revoked solely because the ATF discovered its heart.

Someone big was pushing the issue.

This will also boost street sales.

[slackmaster]

19. Not necessarily so

Wal-Mart drops gun sales in about third of US stores
By Associated Press | April 15, 2006

Wal-Mart Stores has decided to stop selling guns in about one-third of its US stores in what it calls a marketing decision based on lack of demand in some places, a company spokeswoman said yesterday.

The world's largest retailer decided last month to remove firearms from about 1,000 stores in favor of stocking other sporting goods, in line with a ''Store of the Community" strategy for boosting sales by paying closer attention to local differences in demand.

''This decision is based on diminished customer relevancy and demand in these markets," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Jolanda Stewart....

http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2006/04/15/wal_mart_drops_gun_sales_in_about_third_of_us_stores/

Wal-Mart sits in Feds' crosshairs for gun-sale violations

Lapses in background checks at California stores lead to calls for wider inspections.

By Daniel B. Wood | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

SIMI VALLEY, CALIFORNIA – In the sporting goods section of Wal-Mart here, you can buy camp stoves, fishing tackle, and baseballs. But you can't - for the next few days, at least - buy the rifles and shotguns that have made the retail giant one of the largest sellers of firearms nationwide.
In a move that antigun groups say warrants similar action across all 50 states, California recently announced Wal-Mart would temporarily halt firearms sales within the state after justice officials found nearly 500 violations of gun laws by just six stores in one month. It's a setback for the retailer which, Thursday, was given notice that the state of New York intends to sue the corporation for selling toy guns that the state says could be mistaken for real weapons.

In California, investigators found illegal sales to felons, scores of firearms released to buyers before the 10-day waiting period and background checks were completed, and failures to identify purchasers through thumbprints and a driver's license - as required by state law.

"Public safety is severely jeopardized when gun dealers provide firearms to people who are prohibited from possessing, much less purchasing, them," said state Attorney General Bill Lockyer. He announced that Wal-Mart had immediately suspended the sale of firearms at 188 stores following the inspections in the Central Valley and Sacramento areas. The move is temporary until the company corrects the problems....

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0411/p04s01-usgn.html

[onehandle]

18. Does this mean that the number of gun deaths within households have dropped?

Probably not.