Here's how easy it is to legally buy a semiautomatic gun
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In Virginia, you can buy a semi-automatic gun "in 15 minutes," Roanoke Firearms owner John Markell recently told the New York Time's Michael Barbaro. Roanoke Firearms is where Seung-Hui Cho - who killed 32 in a shooting spree on Virginia Tech's campus - bought a Glock, after passing two background checks and employees' own gut checks.
It took a reporter for the Philly Inquirer seven minutes to buy an AR-15, the semi-automatic gun used in the Orlando Pulse shooting. In Orlando, buying the AR-15 took just 38 minutes two days after the shooting spree that killed 49 people, the Huffington Post reported.
Gun laws vary significantly based on the state. Nine states, including California and Rhode Island, impose waiting periods for the purchase of some or all firearms.
But, in states with less regulation - such as Nevada or Virginia - purchases are straightforward, speedy operations. Some states have stricter regulation for certain types of firearms, such as assault rifles, but in states with less gun regulation, semi-automatic guns are typically treated similarly to any other firearm purchase.
In most states, the store will run two background checks, a state check and a federal check. The background checks provide nearly instantaneous results. Customers can fail the federal background check for a number of reasons, including if they are a convicted felon, fugitive from justice, or have been convicted of domestic violence.
However, in 39 states, stores without a federal firearms license are allowed to sell guns without preforming any kind of background check - state or federal.
If the checks don't turn up any issues, the customer can then walk out with the gun or guns. In other words, if someone doesn't have a criminal record, buying a gun is usually a quick and painless process in many states.
Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock had purchased 33 firearms in the last year, according to Jill Snyder, the special agent in charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Twelve of these were semiautomatic rifles, rigged with legal devices that allowed the guns to fire like an automatic weapon.
All of Paddock's purchases were completely legal. With no criminal record, Paddock would pass any background check. Nevada, where Paddock lived, does not impose any waiting period on gun purchases. The state allows anyone who is at least 18 years old to own a firearm and does not limit the number of guns a person can purchase in a single sale.
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