Because it is illegal for certain people to own firearms in this nation.
Because the SCOTUS will NEVER strike down what are considerred reasonable restrictions that still allow law abiding citizens to buy, sell and own firearms.
Because I already said the check must be free, if the gov't wishes to enact a "reasonable restriction" it is a cost all of society must bear and not a penalty to the immediate person forced to go through it. If you have a problem with paying then take it up with someone who says you should.
I know about having to go through an FFL, I live in NY. We need a permit to just touch a handgun let alone own one. I have not said you would need to.
Because your LAWFUL private business may not be lawful. How do you know the person isn't a felon, an illegal alien, from another state? Unless this is your neighbor, and you are certain he has no felony convictions from 20 years before you met him that he never told you about right?, you don't know.
I am not parrotting anti propaganda. The bottom line is you could go and sell a gun an illegal alien right now who has no ID and doesn't speak English and all you would have to say was "I thought he was legal?" Look at this with some logic and you have to admit there is a hole present in this system. Saying otherwise is simply a lie.
If you want a fool proof (meaning it could not be twisted into something more than what it was) piece of theoretical legislation that cost you nothing, only involved a phone call to an free number, and requires you to keep no written record then guess what? The knee jerk reaction from most here would be NO WAY. The rejection has nothing to do with logic, only emotion.
People do not like it but the majority of the nation is well against us on this. The antis get to paint gun shows as arms bazzarrs where criminals buy guns. We know that is not the real case but we also know there is a huge hole that allows the sale of weapons to those banned with no reprecussion to the seller.
Why wouldn't you, as a private seller, not want to know that the person you sold a gun to was not a convicted felon, illegal alien, or even fugitive. Even better why would you not want said banned person to decide not to even try buying from you because they knew they would not be approved with the call? Let them deal with other criminals who knowingly break the law to arm them. If the weapons used in crimes are linked back to a private seller the authorities simply need watch them and try to buy a weapon from them. If the seller doesn't make the call they can be arrested for selling a weapon without making the required background check. Don't even bother trying to prove anything backwards from the crime commited with the earlier weapon since NO RECORDS SHALL BE KEPT.
If gun owners choose to make their stand on this hill, refusing checks for private sales, they have no stable foundation. The fall they take on this issue may also hurt us on real issues we should be fighting against.
People need to see the forest through the trees.