Harry Reid Proposes New Background Check Bill

Requiring folks to pass a background check before buying powders. I’d note that Massachusetts already requires a license to buy reloading components, and that didn’t stop the bombers. And would we really prefer jihadists start mixing up ANFO and other improvised high explosives? If high explosives were used instead of gunpowder, the death toll would have been higher. These were crude devices.

Explosives regulations are even dumber and more easily thwarted than gun regulations. I made black powder in my basement as a kid, and managed to get a hold of the ingredients before we had this Internet thing. Today it’s even easier. What then? Background checks for potassium nitrate, sulfur and charcoal? Are we going to require Home Depot to run background checks on fertilizer? Check the terror watch list before delivering home heating oil? It’s ridiculous.

16 Responses to “Harry Reid Proposes New Background Check Bill”

  1. Patrick says:

    Sponsor is Lautenburg.

    Won’t go anywhere. Won’t even get out of the Senate. That guy is toxic in gun states. If he proposed shall-issue nationwide, Dems in gun country would have to oppose it just because his name was on it.

    But it’s good spin for the haters to get riled up over. It’ll play in NYC.

  2. WR2A says:

    Walking by the local junkyard on a daily basis and having the junkyard dog bark, snarl, and raise hell at you is one thing. But what would happen if you decided you simply were tired of this dog and its actions and “took care” of that dog, one day?

    Metaphorically speaking, of course, someone needs to put Reid, as the local junkyard dog, down for good. It’s the only way to shut him the hell up.

    • Countertop says:

      Every time I see one of these idiotic posts about how terrible Reid is I bang my head against the wall.

      What are you complaining about? Did gun control pass?? Or are you simply upset that Reid did what his party wanted him to do? Do you think we would have fared better with the GOP running the Senate? Do you really think we would have fared Oh So Much better with a Majority Leader Schumer or a Majority Leader Durbin?


  3. Ursa Ele says:

    A lot of places, but not all, require one to provide ID via scan or fax before they will ship black powder to you. But a formal NICS check is kind of ridiculous. As far as I know, it is not even against Federal law for a convicted felon (who has been adjudicated mentally defective and was dishonorably discharged from the military after illegally using dangerous drugs while not being legally in this country) to own black powder. Right? So what good is a background check going to do?

  4. aerodawg says:

    The real question is, what good will it do since people who were basically living in mud huts were able to cobble together gunpowder nearly 1000 years ago. There’s no way anyone in modern society could do the same right?

  5. Robb Allen says:

    I’ve also heard the bombers used the powder from fireworks, not reloading supplies.

    Doesn’t matter though. To these tyrants, anything they can use to attempt to control us is fine.

    • Given they got the powder from the “Lock and Load” fireworks mortar kits, I’m sure either Harry or Frank will want background checks for that as well.

  6. Sean says:

    Read today that Boston area William & Sonoma (yuppie kitchen wares) are temporarily suspending sales of pressure cookers.

  7. Sigivald says:

    Weren’t both of them, also, either permanent residents or citizens (one of each, was it?), and without a criminal record to speak of?

    In other words, perfectly capable of passing a NICS check?

    What is it with these people and “solutions” that would not have stopped the thing they’re “solving”?

  8. Bill Twist says:

    The current “Backwoodsman” magazine has an article on how to make potassium nitrate, the main ingredient of black powder and other explosives, from chicken manure.

    It’s a relatively simple process.

  9. Asdf says:

    Just another excuse to get people’s names on pieces of paper so they can be put on a list somewhere.

  10. NukemJim says:

    ” Are we going to require Home Depot to run background checks on fertilizer? ”

    Not certain but it is my understanding that the AN most commonly sold to consumers in the US has been treated so that it cannot act as an explosive agent but will function as a fertilizer.

    Farmers on the other hand can get the untreated and prefer due to it’s costing less.

    As always could be wrong.