Gun Seller: We're Not All Bad Guys

Click on the audio player above to hear this interview.

The United States has a strict federal ban on gun "straw purchases"—when the actual buyer of a firearm is unable to pass a required federal background check, so a different individual buys the weapon for the actual gun owner. The law aims to prevent dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of the wrong people.

But a number of cases, most recently in Milwaukee, show that not all gun sellers comply with the law.

Are gun sellers actually concerned about liability or the tragedy of knowing that a gun they sold was used in a serious crime?

Steve Walsh is the owner of Ruby's Guns in Ellisville and Sullivan, Missouri. He's a long-time gun owner and professional shooter, and has been a gun retailer since 2007. He says that since one gun shop can give everyone a bad name, sellers must work to stop straw purchases.

What you'll learn from this segment:

• What responsible gun sellers are doing to make sure they're only selling to people who can legally own firearms.
• How a gun seller spots someone who may be buying a gun for someone else.
• What a seller like Walsh thinks about holding gun stores accountable for crimes committed by people who have obtained a weapon via a straw purchase. 

See Also: Jury Rules Against Gun Store for Selling Firearm Used to Shoot Cops