ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'

Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers

Virginia gun show in 2016
The US will now require background checks for gun shows and online firearm sales
(Image credit: Alex Wong / Getty Images)

What happened

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives finalized a rule Thursday that expands the pool of gun sellers who must run background checks before selling a firearm. The rule seeks to close the "gun show loophole" by using a 2022 law, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), to require checks for gun sales conducted online, through the mail and at gun shows, though not for hobbyists selling from their collection or inherited firearms.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.