How it is done.

[vikgorr]

“In 1920, Britain passed a law requiring civilians to obtain a certificate from their district police chief in order to purchase or possess any firearm except a shotgun. To obtain this certificate, the applicant had to pay a fee, and the chief of police had to be "satisfied" that the applicant had "good reason for requiring such a certificate" and did not pose a "danger to the public safety or to the peace." The certificate had to specify the types and quantities of firearms and ammunition that the applicant could purchase and keep.[38]
In 1968, Britain made the 1920 law stricter by requiring civilians to obtain a certificate from their district police chief in order to purchase or possess a shotgun. This law also required that firearm certificates specify the identification numbers ("if known") of all firearms and shotguns owned by the applicant.[39]
In 1997, Britain passed a law requiring civilians to surrender almost all privately owned handguns to the police. More than 162,000 handguns and 1.5 million pounds of ammunition were "compulsorily surrendered" by February 1998. Using "records of firearms held on firearms certificates," police accounted for all but fewer than eight of all legally owned handguns in England, Scotland, and Wales.”
Courtesy of Gun Control - Just Facts

 

[dereksfl]

Even as an LEO all my weapons have been privately purchased for a good reason. My story will be, when I retired, I returned my weapon. **wink wink** You got probable cause or a warrant? Have a nice day.

 

[PainterlyShotgroup]

Britain didn't/doesn't have a 2nd amendment or anything like that to stand in the way of sweeping gun control.

 

[P&R Fan]

Those laws, I'm sure, worked great in making everybody join hands and sing Kum Byaa.
Then we had to send over thousands of guns in the Lend Lease program so they could defend their homeland. The anti-gunners don't seem to know about that.
Jim

 

[vikgorr]

Britain didn't/doesn't have a 2nd amendment or anything like that to stand in the way of sweeping gun control.

Never mind Britain. The post is about gun registration in US of A. What for you need to register the guns of law abiding people if you are not going to control them later on? Known criminal could not register a gun even if he wanted to. May be to prevent sales of guns by good guys to bad guys, but I seriously doubt that's the only reason. Private sale is good, as long as it's done without exchange of names and phone #s.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Never mind Britain. The post is about gun registration in US of A. What for you need to register the guns of law abiding people if you are not going to control them later on? Known criminal could not register a gun even if he wanted to. May be to prevent sales of guns by good guys to bad guys, but I seriously doubt that's the only reason. Private sale is good, as long as it's done without exchange of names and phone #s.

For many years any time I sold a weapon privately to an individual I made a point of recording buyer's name, address, DOB, idenfication provided, firearm make, model, serial number, etc. I also inquired whether there were any legal impediments to the buyer lawfully acquiring a firearm (even reciting the litany from Form 4473 when necessary). In my opinion, this was just part of being a responsible citizen.

Perhaps I should be rethinking these things now.

 

[vikgorr]

For many years any time I sold a weapon privately to an individual I made a point of recording buyer's name, address, DOB, idenfication provided, firearm make, model, serial number, etc. I also inquired whether there were any legal impediments to the buyer lawfully acquiring a firearm (even reciting the litany from Form 4473 when necessary). In my opinion, this was just part of being a responsible citizen.

Perhaps I should be rethinking these things now.

And you were right. I used to have FFL and CWP, that's before 1996. If I wanted to buy a gun now, I would risk buying a murder charge with it (that is plus to 10 years for
possession). Not an attractive proposition. Had to learn black powder magic.
May be it's me, but seems like every time there is a new law there is a win for bad guys and a loss for good ones. I feel sorry for LE: it will be a lot harder to do the job with gun trade going underground even more.

 

[venomballistics]

And you were right. I used to have FFL and CWP, that's before 1996. If I wanted to buy a gun now, I would risk buying a murder charge with it (that is plus to 10 years for
possession). Not an attractive proposition. Had to learn black powder magic.
May be it's me, but seems like every time there is a new law there is a win for bad guys and a loss for good ones. I feel sorry for LE: it will be a lot harder to do the job with gun trade going underground even more.

I don't think the underground will change all that much. they manage to saturate their market the way it is
what would be rough for LE is the manufactures going under or boycotting delivery to anti 2A states as Barret arms did with CA.

 

[jlrhiner]

I'd sure like to find that underground black market. I keep hearing people talk about it, but so far it's like Bigfoot.

 

[Old TexMex]

I'd sure like to find that underground black market. I keep hearing people talk about it, but so far it's like Bigfoot.

Hate to get too far afield, but my people in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras have, for years insisted that most of the weapons were coming from major weapons traders, often coming up from Venezuela. I am not talking about tinfoil hat conspiracy theory guys, but reasonable citizens and some law enforcement and private security people who say the arms come from US govt. sources, and their own govt sources.

The largest purchase of "military style assault weapons" by a single buyer on record was Fast and Furious straw buyer system, and that was through a recruited FFL, not a gunshow.

There haven't been very many uncovered black marketeers, and the OP seems to infer that some network exists. Believe me, there have been quite a lot of effort put into uncovering this network at gunshows, but not much has come of it, other than a few individuals moving a few handguns and some ammo.
I remain skeptical.