Democrat Congressional candidate Dan Helmer shared an undercover video of himself purchasing a rifle at a Virginia gun show.
Dan Helmer is challenging incumbent Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R) to represent Virginia's 10th Congressional District. This week, his campaign released a video showing Helmer purchasing a semi-automatic rifle at a Virginia gun show from a private seller. The Democrat candidate claims that the video shows how dangerous the "gun show loophole" is and why Virginia and the United States Congress should work to close it."Last week, I walked into a gun show here in Virginia's 10th District to see how easy it is to buy an assault rifle. What happened was terrifying -- it took less time to buy a weapon of war than a cup of coffee. Politicians in Washington and Richmond have compromised away our safety. In Congress, I will fight for common sense gun safety measures that our politicians have ignored for so long," Dan Helmer's campaign posted to social media.Under federal law, anyone who purchases a firearm from a licensed gun dealer must first pass a background check before they can take it home. That also applies to licensed dealers who rent tables at gun shows. However, in Virginia and under federal law, there is no background check requirement for private gun sales. There is no special set of rules for private sales inside of gun shows. The laws that apply to these private transfers are the same that govern over a father gifting a hunting rifle to his son. In the video, Helmer is heard saying that the AR-15 style rifle he was purchasing was just like the one he used in the Armed Forces. He asks the seller whether he needs to register the rifle or pass a background check, and the seller's response is "no," which was true.
The Helmer campaign is pointing to this as evidence that Virginia and federal laws do not go far enough to prevent dangerous people from purchasing firearms.
The seller -- whose face is blurred out -- complies with all state and federal laws during the sale.
The seller is heard asking Helmer if he is a felon, to which he responds that he isn't. It is illegal for a felon to purchase a firearm from anyone. The seller also asks to see Hemler's photo ID to prove that he is a Virginia resident. Towards the middle of the video, the private seller is seen writing out a receipt and proof of transfer. While Virginia law would technically allow for a firearm transfer to be made without any documentation, proof of a transfer is recommended in case a sold firearm is used in the commission of a crime. Here, the seller is going above and beyond what he is legally required to do to document the sale.
The vast majority of firearm sellers at gun shows are licensed dealers. A table at a gun show can cost a dealer over a hundred dollars and unlicensed dealers seldom pay these overhead costs to sell at gun shows. The majority of these unlicensed gun sales occur as people walk through the shows. Gun owners will often carry their rifle or shotgun on their back with a sling and include some sort of sign advertising they're looking to sell it.
As he walked out of the gun show, Helmer tells the camera that he was able to buy "an assault rifle" that is "functionally similar to exactly the same type of rifle I carried in Iraq and Afghanistan." He continues by describing that the AR-15 style rifle he purchased is "an incredibly dangerous piece of weaponry that's meant for war."
The rifle that Helmer bought at the gun show was a semi-automatic rifle. That means that a shooter must pull the trigger repeatedly for the rifle to fire multiple shots. With the exception of dedicated marksman rifles, the United States Military does not field semi-automatic rifles. While it contains many of the same parts as the M16 or M4 carbine, it lacks the critical full-auto and/or burst settings. The military's automatic weapons allow for soldiers to fire multiple shots with a single pull of the trigger.
Civilian ownership of fully automatic weapons is heavily restricted, and it is illegal for an unlicensed civilian to own any machine gun manufactured after 1986. In order to purchase a fully automatic weapon that was manufactured prior to 1986, a buyer must submit to a lengthy background check, submit his fingerprints to the ATF, pay a $200 tax, and then wait months for the ATF to clear him or her. That is the process that Helmer would have to go through to purchase a weapon that is "functionally similar to exactly the same type of rifle [he] carried in Iraq and Afghanistan." And with the exception of old Communist Bloc rifles like the SKS that still in service or designated marksman rifles, modern militaries do not use AR-15s.
What do you think about how easy it is to purchase a gun? Do you believe the current restrictions in place are enough? Tell us in the comments below!
