(Newser)
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The 23 operators responsible for more than 80% of gun show firearm sales in New York state have agreed to protocols to ensure buyers get criminal and mental health background checks, reports the New York Times. Under the new system, all guns brought into gun shows will be tagged with the owner's name and the gun's serial number; when someone buys a gun and passes a background check, a second tag will be attached to the gun and checked on the way out.
"Once we demonstrate how easy this is and how it keeps people safe, it weakens the arguments on the federal level that guaranteeing background checks are overly burdensome or face meaningful opposition," says the state attorney general. The agreement follows a 2011 investigation in which undercover agents were able to purchase weapons, including AR-15s, without being screened; New York is one of just a few states that require background checks for private sales at gun shows.
