Universal Background Checks in NH!

[Ryanxia]

HB 650 seeks to redefine a private transaction between 2 friends as a so called “commercial sale“. Don’t be confused by this rhetoric. Licensed dealers engage in “commercial sales”. Regular people who sell or give a firearm to a friend or relative are not dealers. Under HB 650 those regular people could go to jail for selling a gun to a friend or family member.

Thus, if you lived in Stark or Fitzwilliam and wanted to sell your gun to your lifetime next door neighbor, you and he would have to take a day off and drive to a federal firearms licensee.

Once you got there, you might very well face the dirty little secret of the Brady Law: The system is frequently down for long periods of time — sometimes an entire weekend. And 8% of all inquiries result in “false positives” – normally because your name is similar to someone else’s.

If you live in New Hampshire it's time to contact your reps, tell them to OPPOSE HB 650 and make sure your friends and family do the same. Spread the word at your local gun shops, look into setting up flyers, whatever it takes.

Link
http://www.ammoland.com/2015/02/new-hampshire-sell-a-gun-to-a-friend-go-to-jail/#axzz3Re9zA9Mk

 

[Ryanxia]

I would agree there's likely out of state influence in this. Hopefully the good folks in the Shire contact their State representatives.

 

[coloradokevin]

As I predicted when we had this issue in Colorado a year ago, these things are destined for many other traditionally gun-friendly places. And, I agree that this is very likely being driven by out-of-state forces.

 

[hso]

Here's the link to the proposed legislation - http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2015/HB0650.pdf

Note the definition of "commercial" vs. the supposed exclusion of personal sales between individuals.

This bill requires commercial firearms sales or transfers in this state to be subject to a criminal
background check and provides a criminal penalty for a violation. The bill excludes private,
noncommercial sales or transfers between individuals, provided neither individual is prohibited from
owning or possessing a firearm under state or federal law. ...

1 Purpose. It is the purpose and intent of the general court in enacting RSA 159-E to require commercial firearm sales and transfers in New Hampshire to be processed through a licensed firearms dealer, who will conduct a background check and create a record of each sale. The general court believes this law will protect public safety by helping to keep firearms out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill.
2 New Chapter; Background Checks for Commercial Firearms Sales. Amend RSA by inserting after chapter 159-D the following new chapter:
CHAPTER 159-E BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR COMMERCIAL FIREARMS SALES
159-E:1 Definitions. As used in this chapter:
I. “Commercial sale” means a sale, transfer, or exchange of a firearm that takes place at, or on the curtilage of, a gun show or pursuant to an offer to sell buy, transfer, or exchange a firearm that took place at a gun show, or pursuant to an advertisement, posting, listing, or display.

 

[greenmtnguy]

We voted back a Republican majority in the state house this year, and also strengthened the republican majority in the senate. I agree one should never count on anything as far as the government is concerned, but I think that we'll be able to make this one go away into a dark place and not come out again.