- Straw Purchases A straw purchase is when a person who can pass a background check, purchases a gun for someone who cannot pass it, often knowing they will use it for criminal purposes. -Private Sales Private sales require NO background check when you are purchasing a gun. 40% of guns are sold this way. Because there is no background check thousands of guns get purchased this way a day. This puts guns directly in the hands of criminals, and traffickers who can not pass a background check, or would simply prefer the anonymity. -Gun Shows It is very simple to get a gun at gun shows, often without a background check, and no questions asked. During gun shows, sellers can sell guns without taxes or paper work. -Armslist.com Has over 70,000 listings from private sellers, you can purchase the guns or assault weapons with no background check, tax, or transfer fee. -Stolen People steal guns from people who aren’t criminals. About 200,000-500,000 guns are stolen a year and then used for criminal actions.