Paul Revere
New member
Continuing the thread on the alleged "illegal gun dealer" in Illinois that sold the nut case (Benjamin Smith) his pistols.
Would an "illegal gun dealer" have RECEIPTS of the sales in his possession if he was a "gun runner" or an "illegal gun dealer"?? The answer is an astounding NO. These receipts were found in the seller's home. The receipts obviously covered all of the required information to make the transaction LEGAL in the State of Illinois. And, these firearms (sold to Smith) were purchased legally by the seller, hence the paper trail that lead the FBI to his home. How would any private party seller know if a potential purchaser's FOID card had been revoked? The seller's responsiblity according to State law is to record the FOID information along with the model and serial numbers. Revoking an FOID is much like suspending a driver's license. You can still show it to buy booze or as ID. Same with a revoked FOID card. Unless the card has been confiscated by authorities, it can still be used.
My understanding of the definition of a firearms dealer is a person who transfers firearms for profit or for his business, with exemptions for individual private sales, collectors, etc. But a private individual who may buy several firearms, shoot them a few times, or just look at them, wipe them off now and then, and then eventually sell them...is making a private sale, which is perfectly legal (in Illinois).
If this guy was a private individual selling his own private firearms, which he most likely was (media slant excluded), with proper paperwork and such, then leave the guy alone. If he was an "illegal street dealer" (as defined today in the WSJ), he wouldn't have a) placed an ad in the local paper, b) had the seller come to his home, or c) transferred a receipt with the sale. Illegal street dealers are those scarey characters that we hear about running guns to street gangbangers out of the trunks of their cars without receipts and phone numbers etc. This was an elderly man who's hobby included buying firearms, and then eventually selling them. Doesn't this sound like most of us?
This is the beginning of a long attack on private firearm sales. Just wait and see.
Would an "illegal gun dealer" have RECEIPTS of the sales in his possession if he was a "gun runner" or an "illegal gun dealer"?? The answer is an astounding NO. These receipts were found in the seller's home. The receipts obviously covered all of the required information to make the transaction LEGAL in the State of Illinois. And, these firearms (sold to Smith) were purchased legally by the seller, hence the paper trail that lead the FBI to his home. How would any private party seller know if a potential purchaser's FOID card had been revoked? The seller's responsiblity according to State law is to record the FOID information along with the model and serial numbers. Revoking an FOID is much like suspending a driver's license. You can still show it to buy booze or as ID. Same with a revoked FOID card. Unless the card has been confiscated by authorities, it can still be used.
My understanding of the definition of a firearms dealer is a person who transfers firearms for profit or for his business, with exemptions for individual private sales, collectors, etc. But a private individual who may buy several firearms, shoot them a few times, or just look at them, wipe them off now and then, and then eventually sell them...is making a private sale, which is perfectly legal (in Illinois).
If this guy was a private individual selling his own private firearms, which he most likely was (media slant excluded), with proper paperwork and such, then leave the guy alone. If he was an "illegal street dealer" (as defined today in the WSJ), he wouldn't have a) placed an ad in the local paper, b) had the seller come to his home, or c) transferred a receipt with the sale. Illegal street dealers are those scarey characters that we hear about running guns to street gangbangers out of the trunks of their cars without receipts and phone numbers etc. This was an elderly man who's hobby included buying firearms, and then eventually selling them. Doesn't this sound like most of us?
This is the beginning of a long attack on private firearm sales. Just wait and see.