If the HPA passes...

[Uffdaphil]

I'd be happy (for now) with a condition that cans require the instant background check by an FFL to weed out felons. And only be transferred via FFL. This would sound reasonable to the non-zealot non gun owner. And I think the precedent would ease the way for applying the same standard next to SBR sales.

It could force the ATF to disclose what percentage of non-approved stamps would not have been caught by the insta-check. A tiny number would make it hard justify continuing the practice. A large number would call for a better criminal database which would also make ATF investigations moot.

[alamo5000]

I'd be happy (for now) with a condition that cans require the instant background check by an FFL to weed out felons. And only be transferred via FFL. This would sound reasonable to the non-zealot non gun owner. And I think the precedent would ease the way for applying the same standard next to SBR sales.

It could force the ATF to disclose what percentage of non-approved stamps would not have been caught by the insta-check. A tiny number would make it hard justify continuing the practice. A large number would call for a better criminal database which would also make ATF investigations moot.

One thing is for sure: Trump can end the 41F crap with one stroke of his pen.

And you know what I think? I think the ATF wants him to. Why? Because they are under staffed, and supposedly under budget as is. They had all this paperwork coming out of their asses BEFORE 41F was implemented (unilaterally by Obama). Then after that action now they ALSO have the onerous task of doing a background check on each person that's on an application...which means they have... with the stroke of a pen almost tripled their work load with little to no increase in budget or staffing.

On a side note I did extensive background checks for a living for about 4+ years. Every single day for the most part I was doing the same kind of background check Obama supposedly instantly put upon the ATF.

Not only are they not staffed for it, they aren't trained for it either. In the organization I worked for it would take around a year for someone to learn how to properly conduct a full background investigation. You have to learn not only the penal codes for your state, but for every other state, as well as the history of the laws in question, as well as learn how to read and interpret legal documentation.

It's not so easy as 'put this guy's social security number in there and see if something comes up'.

The people that are free and clear and never got a parking ticket before are pretty easy to clear. One person could do 20 or 30 of those in a day. But the minute something questionable comes up it goes from minutes to sometimes months to clear that person.

I worked for a large government agency and was in charge of HR--and that agency required everyone (except office staff) to be legal to carry firearms as well as other minimum requirements. The section that I pushed paper for was responsible for clearing (and maintaining those clearances) for around 35,000 people... so in other words I'm not just speaking out of the left side of my ass here.

To put the burden of all these background checks on the ATF is onerous at best. And while we are on the subject the Insta-Check system is nowhere near fool proof as is. I could literally write you a book about how screwed up that is and why it's a weak system. Don't get me wrong it does catch some people but overall it gets about a C+ to maybe a B for being effective.