The City of Hampton has come up with a simple answer to the gun show loophole: don’t allow unlicensed dealers at gun shows.
As this editorial from The Daily Press points out:
Hampton requires promoters who want to sponsor gun shows at its facilities to bring in only licensed dealers. And to make things simple, the State Police are on hand to do instant background checks.
The beauty of the city’s approach is that it addressed the loophole without needing the permission of the General Assembly.
As the owner of the venue, Hampton can set up rules that forces the renter to comply – or not rent the space. Such a simple answer.
The question is: why haven’t other cities in the region adopted it? They are always happy to play “follow the leader” on other things. It certainly isn’t for economic reasons: the editorial says that a Portsmouth-based statewide gun show promoter keeps coming back to the Hampton Convention Center.
Somebody want to clue me in on why the other cities haven’t jumped on the band wagon and, instead, continue to wait for the General Assembly to act? They certainly aren’t doing it in the case of the smoking ban.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
What about the approximately 1 in 4 vendors at gun shows who do not sell guns?
Flea markets.
Doc, simple — they don’t sell guns.
LOL, Mouse I want to bake you some sort of pie, that answer was so pointedly brilliant.
I guess I just don’t see the brilliance.
There are folks who are not licensed firearms dealer who derive a significant part of their income from selling books, military souvenirs, historical relics, hunting clothing, and other items the gun show attendees buy while at a gun show. If the venue will only rent to licensed gun dealers for a gun show, they can’t sell their wares to their best customers.
The brilliance of denying these people access to the marketplace eludes me. Perhaps you think they could just wait until a non-gun show event is there and sell their hunting books and political bumper stickers at the Bridal Fair?
It’s easy too mandate “simple solutions” in the abstract when it is other peoples’ livelihoods you are destroying.
I think AEM has it right. You’re missing the point here, Dr. Tabor. There was nothing in the editorial to suggest that non-gun selling vendors would not be allowed.
OK, I see.
Someone who is in the business of selling guns has to have a license to do it, whether he is at a gun show or not.
Someone who is not in that business and buys a ticket to get in, but who wants to sell a gun of his own to another attendee can do so in the parking lot.
Presumably, a bookseller at the show, who is not in the regular business of selling guns and thus has no license, but who has a personal firearm he’d like to sell can also do so in the parking lot where it is less safe from possible interference from a criminal.
So, this whole thing is to make him go out into the parking lot just like the attendees to make the sale?
And what great social problem is that supposed to solve? Is there any record of criminals or madmen obtaining a firearm in that manner? Or is this just another meaningless gesture aimed at a problem that doesn’t exist?
No, the licensed dealer only rule is a stupid answer. Nothing really changes. The guys who are unlicensed will still solicit the sale through private conversations either in the show, or in the parking lot. They will then make the sale out in the parking lot.
This whole effort to keep people from buying or selling guns is ludicrous. If a thug wants a gun, he will follow someone, or just break into enough houses until he finds one or more.
You can outlaw guns until you are blue in the face and the thugs will find ways to get firearms.
All of these laws are like fences around your property. They only prevent law abiding citizens from entering. For criminals, it is just a minor inconvenience.
In the case of guns, these attempts to restrict access by law abiding citizens, has only made the odds of a criminal finding an unarmed “mark” much higher.
Our family supports the NRA and the VCDL. We are not gun enthusiasts, so a few weapons are fine for our home defense, but all citizens must recognize that the Second Amendment means that the government has no right to regulate the type and number of arms that we own. All such laws are yet another abridgment of our Constitution, but we have had so many, who cares about a few more?
I think you could say that the framers did not intend for citizens to have their own tanks or missiles, but in the traditional meaning, arms were, swords, pistols or rifles. So, by definition and tradition, all rifles and smaller weapons should fit into this category and be free from government restriction. So if my boyfriend wants an Uzi machine gun, then if he can afford it, he has the right to own it.
By the way, more automatic weapons might make those weasels in the Assembly re-think the idea of foisting stupid laws down on us, like RTAs and “abuser fees.”
If you are in a District where the lard ass incumbent voted for the RTA and/or abuser fees, but the bugger doesn’t have an opponent then get together with your local committees and write in a single name of someone else. Who knows, the People might score a few surprise upsets!
“The guys who are unlicensed will still solicit the sale through private conversations either in the show, or in the parking lot. They will then make the sale out in the parking lot.”
I believe that is against the law. However, I have been unable to find the law in question, so I cannot be sure.
The instant background check is an inconvenience for criminals, if a minor one. In fact, they can get their guns more cheaply by buying stolen ones. But the check also screens for those declared mentally incompetent, and for those under restraining orders (as for domestic abuse cases).
That said, your boyfriend can buy an UZI here. Yes, there are hoops to jump through, and I do not like that at all, but you can get them.
All gun dealers at a gun show must be licensed gun dealers. I fail to see the problem. Hampton is not breaking new ground here. What was in the “brilliant” quote above is true for all gun shows.
BTW, there is a gun show in Norfolk this coming weekend.
On the topic of guns, it warmed my heart to see that there was a waiting list at Bob’s handgun range this last Saturday. He has enlarged his store and it is always busy. That also warms my heart.
Nice place there. He used to have good archery equipment, too, but I haven’t been there in years.
Mouse – a sale between private individuals in a parking lot or anywhere else is perfectly legal. If I own a gun, it is private property, just like my car. I can sell either of which any time I want. For a handgun, I must sell to a VA resident, whom I don’t have reason to believe is prohibited from owning that gun.
This is a stupid, unworkable solution, just like all other gun control.