Trying to buy a rifle..gotta wait three days....why?

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Today we went to Wal Mart and on the spur of the moment my husband decided to buy a 22 rifle that was on sale. After filling out the forms, the salesperson called whoever they call to verify that we could purchase a gun. He came back and told us he was answered by a recording saying the computers were down and would be back up in about 30 minutes.

The salesperson took out home phone number and said he would call when we had been approved. Several hours later, he did call to tell us that it would be three days before we would be approved but gave no reason. Anyone know what is going on?

-- Linda A. (adahi@muhlon.com), July 13, 1999

Answers

The computers have been quite slow for some time now. Three days certainly seems excessive though. I had to wait about an hour yesterday.

PS-I highly, highly recommend the Ruger 10/22

Great gun, accurate out of the box, sturdy.

-- Tommy Gunn (machineguns@nukes.com), July 13, 1999.


The FBI shut down the national instant background check computers for maintenance. By law if the computers are not available the tranaction can continue. However, recent thugish behaviour by our goverment make dealers skittish about running afoul of BATF. I would have sold it to you if I was Walmart, but who can blame them?

Watch six and keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), July 13, 1999.


I recently bought a mini-14 .223. Oddly enough when my "request" to the gov. was phoned in, a yellow, or hold came up. The guy who sold me the rifle (the next day) told me that about 50% of their requests couldn't be verified immediately.

If the feds don't call back, you get the gun in three days. You see, we are still innocent until proven guilty, apparently. Fortunately, they gave Gander Mountain the go ahead on the rifle the next day.

It does seem that we now have a manditory waiting period for the purchase of firearms doesn't it? Did the FBI ever plan on being able to handle all the verifications in an efficiant mannor? What do you think?

-- ruger rifles (gunbuyer@hom.eoh), July 13, 1999.


The current administration-and the government infastructure (including the new leadership of various law enforcement agencies) are actively engaged in social engineering-the elimination of the "gun culture" in this country. We are the last remaining nation-state with a culture that equates gun ownership with civic identity. This is becoming increasingly inconvenient and an obstacle to other items on their agenda which is basically one of control. I believe that discouraging and/or eliminating the notion that gun ownership is a right and essentially synonymous with other outdated, politically incorrect ideals has the highest priority. You know, like individuality and self reliance? They'd love to have a Constitutional Convention. They could care less about such events as the shooting in Littleton,Colorado. But use them as an excuse for further restrictions? You bet. I also think it will only get worse. It will be awhile before the house-to house searches, but they're coming. Of course, the paperwork and delays COULD just be a cautious government anxious to avoid having a terrorist or a drug czar walk into Wal-Mart and buy that 10/22 without any "protection" for it's sheep...uh, citizens, we meant citizens...sorry.

-- Fearful of my government (paranoia@strikesdeep.com), July 14, 1999.

Duh,

Maybe they just want to make sure your local gangbanger drug runner cannot buy one unitl they check his/her record and rejects them for all the felonies they have.

Small price to pay for getting your gun for protection against them. (waiting a few days) And if you are "innocent" and have no felonies, aren't you glad they stop at least one or two who do have them from getting guns they could use against you and yours?

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), July 14, 1999.



"And if you are "innocent" and have no felonies, aren't you glad they stop at least one or two who do have them from getting guns they could use against you and yours?"

Yes, it's better to punish a hundred innocent than to allow one guilty to go free.

Just one question: howzacome they taught the exact *opposite* in the schools when I was a kid in the 1950s?

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), July 14, 1999.


Cherry

What a stu*it answer.

If I want a rifle without waiting time I go downtown. I can get whatever I want within 30 minutes. From the Kalashnikov full automatic to the UZI. If I can do it ( and I am just an average citizen) every neighborhood dope dealer can.

So your comment is-- like always -- utterly stu*it,and useless. Use your brain once in a while will you?

-- justme (justme@justme.net), July 14, 1999.


Cherri,

I'm not insulting or flaming you here, but, you're either very young or naive. The bottom line is "gangbangers" do NOT shop for weapons @ Walmart or any other retail store. And if your thinking about the average joe, who IS a law abiding citizen, he/she can flip out and go crazy and shoot 50 people at any time. There is NO way to protect against human fraility. Wait, I guess there is, arm every one(not known crim's of course), that way if someone DOES flip and start mowin', he/she will be "neutralized" befor the carnage reaches 5-10- 29...

Either that or we need a certified armed Gov. agent in each of our homes to "protect" us from ourselves...Sheeesh.

-- CygnusXI (noburnt@toast.net), July 14, 1999.


I believe that the three day holding period came into effect last fall, end of November? Rifles. Possibly shotguns as well. Don't worry about it. These systems are doomed. Buy all the ammo you need for YEARS to come and some as barter.

-- ..- (dit@dot.dash), July 14, 1999.

"You know, like individuality and self reliance?"

Government cannot understand either individuality or self reliance. The arrogant "leaders" of this country usually refer to us as "tax payers, workers, or welfare recipients". Government is corrupt with their self importance and the thought that they know more than us and or they could car less about us...except for the above.

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), July 14, 1999.



Cherri,

Then why require search warrants? Why not just allow the police the enter any home they want and search it? I mean, if you're innocent you have nothing to hide, right? Right?

And why not let police beat confessions from suspects. After all, only the guilty will confress, right? Right?

The Bill of Rights is meant to PROTECT us from abuses of power and the Second Amendment is the ONLY one that has the physical capacity to enforce that protection.

You don't need a background check or license to exercise your rights to free speech do you? At least not yet, anyway...

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), July 14, 1999.


Cherri,

For the reasons stated above, you deserve to live in the former Soviet Union.

Oh, I forgot, we can't turn back the clock like we can for Y2K.

DUH!!!!!!

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), July 14, 1999.


Recently some thugs broke into a Galyans store here and made off with a bunch of guns (don't know what kind). The case hasn't been solved. I agree with what was said earlier; the thugs don't shop at Walmart or anyplace else for their guns, they steal 'em.

-- rick (I'mset@home.house), July 14, 1999.

It's people like Cherri -- congenitally stupid and willfully ignorant -- that have contributed to the decline and fall of the U.S.

Cherri: I hope your call to 911 someday gets put on hold while you are being (insert here the description your worst sexual nightmare).

-- A (A@AisA.com), July 14, 1999.


If you buy your guns with registration papers-"they" will be knocking at your door to take them away from you, SOON.

-- Army Girl (aGirl@ag.com), July 14, 1999.


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