Islamic State has published a guide that encourages potential jihadists in America to exploit relaxed US gun laws to arm themselves and kill hostages.
The latest edition of the Isis magazine Rumiyah also made a plea to potential British recruits, saying: “Guns are readily available for purchase on the streets of Britain, even if not to the extent of their availability on the streets of its crusader European partners.”
The magazine provides details of how guns can be purchased in the US without background checks. “In most US states, anything from a single-shot shotgun all the way up to a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle can be purchased at showrooms or through online sales — by way of private dealers — with no background checks and without requiring either an ID or a gun licence,” it says.
That’s not quite true. Most gun show and internet sales are through licensed dealers and they require back ground checks. In order to be a dealer you have to have an FFL. If you are selling guns for a living or to make a profit then you have to have an FFL. There is no such thing as an “unlicensed dealer”. If you are dealing without an FFL then you are breaking the law and committing a felony. It’s sort of like using the term “undocumented immigrant” when you mean illegal alien.
Actually what they are really talking about are private sales were a non-dealer is selling a gun collection or one or two guns. Private sales do not generally require background checks. For example you sell a gun to a neighbor. Such private transactions are not likely to provide ISIS a steady supply of firearms.