ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'

Peter Weber, The Week US
·1 min read
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Virginia gun show in 2016.
Virginia gun show in 2016.

What happened

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives finalized a rule Thursday that expands the pool of gun sellers who must run background checks before selling a firearm. The rule seeks to close the "gun show loophole" by using a 2022 law, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), to require checks for gun sales conducted online, through the mail and at gun shows, though not for hobbyists selling from their collection or inherited firearms.

Who said what

The new rule will "keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and felons," President Joe Biden said. It closes a loophole that allows "anyone intent on doing harm to buy a gun," and "we're all safer for it," said former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.). Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who helped pass the BSCA, called the new rule a "power grab" that distorts the law's intent.

The commentary

This is the "largest expansion of background checks" since 1993, Axios said. Legal challenges may pare back the rule, but polls show "expanding background checks has widespread public support."

What next?

The rule takes effect in 30 days.