Yes.
Im curious how many gun rights supporters, especially the most ardent gun rights supporters, would support universal background checks (UBC) on all sales including gun shows and private sales (FTF) if there was no registration scheme included with the background check?
Not many. Many because of the huge difference between principle and practice and the risks HiBC detailed in his post.
I would not support a UBC on all sales including gun shows and private sales, simply because its barking STUPID. (i'll explain more in a bit)
And how would such a registration-less UBC work?
A UBC without a registration component could work. It could work without any information about the gun at all. However, a system that could do that is not acceptable to the people pushing the current version of background checks. Not even remotely, and that exposes their double standard.
First, the check can be done without any firearm information at all. One checks THE PERSON. Not the person and the gun, not the gun, just the person, as it is only the person buying the gun that can be the prohibited part.
THey are, after all only checking the person's records in the system to see if there is anything that legally prohibits them buying a firearm. Information about the gun DOES NOT MATTER,
unless you have registration as your ultimate goal.
Consider this, run the background check on EVERYONE in the country. Run it when they get their "smart ID", driver's license, or other ID. Mark the ID, if you're a prohibited person. Require surrender of ID and issue a new marked one if you get convicted of something that makes you a prohibited person.
Worried about use of false, forged ID? gee, why not just make that a CRIME!
Worries about "prove you had a background check done on this gun" go away under such a system, the question can't even be asked. All needed proof is you had a valid check done sometime before purchase, and are still not a prohibited person at the time in question.
The point is not to create a system can be beaten or not (there is no system that cannot be beaten) but one that is difficult enough to fool that going completely to the (illegal) black market is easier.
Next point, the idea of a background check on EVERY SINGLE PURCHASE.
To my mind, its stupid. The idea behind background checks is that a person who cannot legally have a gun will have something in their records stating that. The idea behind doing the check on every purchase is that you could have become a prohibited person since the last time you bought a gun.
The principle behind certain people not being able to have a gun is that they could do harm with a gun. Fine. The FIRST TIME you buy a gun, do a check (under the current system) not my ideal system described above..
Once you have a gun, HOW does any check on any future purchase add to public safety?? As far as I can see, it doesn't. If you're going to do harm, you already have a gun, therefore checks on further gun purchases are simply a waste of time and money, as far as preventing future risk. What ever risk exists (and the dregree of risk is arguable), exists from the time you get your first gun.
I believe that a system of background check could be created and would work without any information tying the buyer to a specific gun needed.
But that is not politically acceptable to the gun control people because it does not allow for some kind of registration to be created.
And the idea of background checks in general is not acceptable to many 2nd Amendment supporters on general principle, and the only version we are being offered is both unacceptable in principle AND in detail.
In short, we could have a system that does not require registration, but we are not being offered such and all suggestions otherwise are ignored, or scorned.
