How easy is it to buy a gun in America? | International News | Top English News | WION

[0:00]We're going to keep our focus on the issue of guns in the United States, where you need a license to drive, you need a license to become a teacher, but you don't need a license to buy a gun. Guns are available everywhere here from big chain stores to small shops. The Gun Control Act of 1968 sets federal age restrictions on who can buy a gun. The eligibility criteria is a bare minimum. A person must be 21 years old or older, not stand convicted of weapons offenses and not have a history of violent behavior. In 23 American states, you don't even need a license to carry a concealed weapon. A background check is conducted only for in-store purchases. Anyone who purchases a gun from a licensed firearms dealer is vetted through a system called the National Instant Criminal Background Check. The only red flag stopping anyone from buying a gun is a felony conviction or a dishonorable discharge from the US military. But the databases on which the government relies are often flawed, outdated, incomplete. The process too is quite simple. First, you go to the firearms dealer in your neighborhood. Second, you make them contact the FFL, the Federal firearms licensing office. Third, you ask the dealer to send your purchased gun to an authorized dealer. There will be some interviews, some background checks, and soon you will be the proud owner of a brand new weapon. More than 20 million of them sold last year alone. The rules are even more relaxed at the nation's gun shows. If guns are purchased there, buyers don't have to go through a background check. There are websites that keep the potential buyers updated on gun shows, which are usually held in areas where gun laws are less restrictive.