If you live in the Frum world requiring background checks for private sales or transfers seems a no brainer. Imagine this scenario, (forget halacha for a minute) which happens countless times all over America.
Yanky and Shimi live next door to each other for 20 years and are Chavrusas in Kollel. Their kids go to school together. They’re always at each others house.
Every year, Yanky goes hunting with his chevra in Montana.
He’s catching a 6am flight Sunday morning. As he’s checking his gun Motzei Shabbos, he sees something he doesn’t like. Should he be able to borrow Shimis gun? There’s no place to go to do a transfer before the flight. So basically Yankys big trip is ruined because Shimi is not sure if Yanky may be a criminal so he can’t transfer his gun. This and similar situations occur all the time. A rich doctor and lawyer who collect guns, everytime one wants to sell one to the other they need to drive 30 miles to town to fill out paperwork and pay a fee? That’s the problem people have with requiring background checks on private transfers.
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