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Background Check System Fails Again.
Author/s: Russ Thurman
The major failure of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in May was just another example of how badly the system is being run, according to gun dealers throughout the country.
"This is nothing new. Every time we submit a request we expect the system to have a problem. That's not bad thinking, that's a bad system," said Frank Bellings of Guns & Fish, Norfolk, Va.
The system's failure in close proximity to the Million Mom March also caused many in the industry to speculate on how easily the federal government could control when guns sales are made. That possibility was also noted by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).
"Many Americans are suspicious of the federal government's attempts to regulate firearms and this (the system's failure and timing) only increases the distrust," Hatch said.
The senior senator said he would call for hearings to investigate the NICS failure, adding that such problems are linked to the Clinton administration's gun-control policies.
"President Clinton spends a great deal of time at press conferences on gun control, yet his administration cannot even operate the NICS system adequately," Hatch said.
The notion that the failure was connected to the Million Mom March was denied by FBI officials.
"The mere suggestion that we would orchestrate such a thing is totally outrageous," a spokesman said.
The NICS system has been plagued with problems since it began operation in November 1998. Last year, the first full year of operation, the system had difficulties operating properly for 84 business days.
The Justice Department is quick, however, to point out the system's efficiency, saying that 72 percent of gun purchases are approved within 30 seconds and 95 percent of buyers get an approval or disapproval within two hours of their application for purchase.
Blocking Gun Sales
Approximately 204,000 gun sales were stopped in 1999 after the potential buyer failed a background check, according to a Justice Department report issued in early June. This put the rejection rate for the 8.6 million gun-sales applications at 2.4 percent.
The number included rejections by state and local authorities. For the 26 states that conduct their own background checks, there were 123,000 rejections. Of these, 73 percent were for felony convictions or indictments and 11 percent for domestic violence convictions or restraining orders, according to the Justice Department report.
"Despite our success, we must not become complacent. There are still 89 Americans, including 12 young people, dying every day from gunshot wounds," said Eric Holder, deputy attorney general. "We must continue our efforts to prevent crime and gun violence and our tough enforcement strategies at the federal, state and local levels."
Such numbers continued to be debated by pro-gun forces along with a continue outcry for the enforcement of laws, including those that make it unlawful for a felon to attempt to purchase a firearm.
"This administration and many of my Democratic colleagues call for more gun control but they do not administer or enforce existing gun laws and programs," Sen. Hatch said.
Mom's Officials Reject Safety
Confirming what pro-gun supporters suspected, organizers of the Million Mom March rejected an offer to provide gun safety materials to those attending the Mother's Day event. The offer came from the Women's Shooting Sports Foundation (WSSF).
"We assumed when they initially said the march was about firearms safety, they truly meant it, so we offered to help," said Shari LeGate, executive director for WSSF. "They rejected our offer -- sending their message that clearly this is politically motivated and has nothing to do with gun safety. In the words of the organizers, 'this march is about licensing and registration of handguns,'" LeGate said,
According to LeGate, more than 4.7 million women participate in the target shooting sports including trap, skeet, rifle and handgun target shooting and more than 2 million women participate in hunting.
"The shooting sports industry will spend $1.5 million this year through its (National Shooting Sports Foundation) Home-Safe program that distributes free gun locks to gun owners," LeGate said. "It was our hope to combine efforts in distributing gun locks and safety information to keep our children safe. I am deeply disappointed the march organizers chose politics over prevention."
Remington Posts Profits
Continuing a healthy trend in ammunition sales, Remington Arms posted first quarter sales of $96.6 million and a $5.8 profit. This was an increase of $1.3 million in profits over the first quarter of 1999.
Remington ammunition hit the $34 million mark during the first quarter, an increase of $5.5 million and a 19.3 percent hike over 1999's first quarter. Increases occurred in shotshell and centerfire rifle cartridge sales, while rimfire ammunition sales sagged.
The strong ammunition increases helped Remington through a 2.8 percent drop in firearm sales. The company posted $48.8 million in firearm sales for the quarter, down $1.4 million from the first quarter of 1999.
In other Remington categories, sales were up 1.1 million over 1999. The company posted strong increases in fishing and accessory products, including gun safes.
For The Record
"As we set out this year to defeat the divisive forces that would take freedom away, I want to say those words again for everyone within the sound of my voice to hear and to heed, and especially for you, Mr. Gore: 'From my cold, dead hands!"'
-- Charlton Heston, NRA President
"I would not do what he (Heston) accuses me of planning. I have no intention of proposing or supporting policies or allowing policies that disarm America or take guns away from law-abiding gun owners."
-- Vice President Al Gore
"It's not good public policy. These (gun) manufacturers are manufacturing a legal product and the interesting public policy question is if you sue somebody for manufacturing this legal product, are you allowed to sue somebody else for manufacturing a legal product?"
-- Gov. George W. Bush
COPYRIGHT 2000 Publishers' Development Corporationin association with The Gale Group and LookSmart. COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group
