Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: A Federal Firearms Operator's License [View all]Bazinga
(331 posts)I have to admit I don't know all of the details, but this send like a workable alternative.
What if the NICS was opened up to public notaries? A simple document with a notary seal and signature would indicate that the buyer is not a prohibited person, and a copy of that document is kept by the seller. In this way the government (ie the public) gets to perform a prudent check on who may own firearms, but there is no record of who actually does or what weapons they own, there is little added cost as the NICS is already in place, the privacy issues of opening the NICS to the public are avoided, and private individuals are still allowed to sell their private property privately.
The major sticking point with UBCs is determining what constitutes a transfer. I'll admit I don't have the answer to that, but I can say this. I would distrust any definition that would require me to run a background check on my wife in order to go on a business trip for longer than two weeks.
My working principle is this; the government has a vested interest in who may own weapons, but no right to know who actually does.