Muscatine

One final thought(s) on guns. I once bought a used gun from a local dealer. Awhile later this gun was confiscated by the sheriff. It turned out, the dealer bought the gun from a guy who stole it. I was left holding the bag. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. So, if you buy a used gun, even from a dealer, proceed with caution.

My last collection was inherited from my dad, for the most part. I have little use for guns these days. Can't walk enough to hunt. Have no place to target shoot. Got no car to get there if I had a place. WAAH! Poor me. Lol.

Still got my very first real gun. It still looks good and works as it should. Got it when I was 12. It's all steel and wood. None of that space age plastic crap. I'm babbling again. Always do that when I get on guns. Bye.

kopf1988 said: I think you need to have the ability to do background checks or something.... otherwise you're liable if they wind up in the wrong hands someday.

Incorrect.  The notion that one person is somehow liable for another's actions is a modern liberal philosophy.  Background checks are also only the responsibility and legal authority of Federally licensed firearms dealers, not private individuals.

A firearm is an inanimate object, just like a shoe, rock or a screwdriver.  It has no sentience, self-awareness or morality and depends entirely on the human user interfacing with it for those things.  It may be used peacefully or in righteous, moral defense as they almost always are, or they may be used for evil, same as a pair of shoes may be used to chase you down and rob you, or a rock thrown through your car window during a car jacking, or a screwdriver shoved into your door frame during a home invasion.

Because firearms are simply inanimate objects, they are also simply property.  As they are property, when sold privately, they are subject to the same rules of any other property sale.  You may sell a gun to anyone you wish to, just like you can sell the shoes off your feet, the rocks from your geology collection or a screwdriver from your toolbox.  What someone does with the gun after you sell it to them is their problem, not yours; they are the law breaker, not you.  Although if it is somehow determined that you owned the gun previously, you may be questioned by law enforcement, but only for the purposes of a good investigation (you met the person who may have used the gun during a crime after all; that's useful information!).

It is true that there are laws regarding who may not own guns, namely convicted felons and those convicted of violent misdemeanors, however again, it is up to the purchaser to obey those laws, not the seller.  Of course, if you know someone is a felon or domestic abuser, it is not in your or the public's best interest to sell a gun to them; doing so just isn't ethical (it may actually be illegal in some states too).  Regardless, it is still the responsibility of the individual to obey the law.  It is not your responsibility to ensure that others do.

With respect to privately selling guns only to those you know personally and keeping records of the transaction, while there are no laws regarding such things, it is indeed wise to do so anyway.  It is likely the most ethical position to take, and let's not forget the the "CYA" principle (cover your a**).  Firearms are certainly inanimate objects, but ownership of them carries a heightened responsibility.