Mike Levin: “last week, the Violence Policy Center, VPC, released a report which analyzes statistics related to basic Federal…”

“last week, the Violence Policy Center, VPC, released a report which analyzes statistics related to basic Federal Firearms License, FFL, holders in the United States since 1992. The report warns of a large group of current FFL holders it calls ``kitchen-table dealers.'' The VPC defines this group as ``individuals who conduct business out of their homes and offices and do not operate actual gun or sporting goods stores'' and estimates that more than half of current FFL holders fit into this group. Disturbingly, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, ATF, found in 2000 that 23 percent of its illegal gun trafficking investigations involved ``kitchen-table dealers'' who were responsible for the illegal trafficking of more than 40,000 guns. According to the VPC, many ``kitchen-table dealers'' have no interest in actually selling firearms, but they obtain an FFL because of the exemptions it provides from Federal requirements including background checks, waiting periods, and limits on the number of guns that can be purchased. Under current law, an FFL holder must be a person who ``devotes time, attention, and labor to dealing in firearms as a regular course of trade or business with the principal objective of livelihood and profit through the repetitive purchase and resale of firearms.'' However, a February 2000 ATF report found that 31 percent of FFL holders had not reported selling a single firearm in the previous year.…”