Is Purchase of Black Market Firearms Immoral?

This thread is pretty much exclusively aimed at gun owners, but others should feel welcome to contribute and vote.

If guns were made illegal tomorrow (if they haven't already been) - would you be open to purchasing a firearm on the black market? I'm not asking if you actually would buy a black market gun, only if you have ethical opposition to it: is it morally wrong to purchase a firearm without the consent of the state + society?

Of course, this isn't so much about exceptions (like felons, mentally ill people, etc) - for the sake of argument let's try to keep it about the average Joe.

Thanks for your response

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PS: there is a typo in option 1: I meant to say "No, whether guns are legal or illegal is irrelevant to my moral position."

Thankyou.

 

Define black market. If you simply mean buying a used gun from someone other than a licensed gun dealer (and you are legally allowed to buy the gun at that location), then, no, there is nothing wrong with buying. If by black market, you mean stolen guns or straw purchased guns, then, yes it is wrong.

 

Guns manufactured without state consent, I'd have thought.

 

In that case, no, I wouldn't. That would indicate a company that wasn't competent, and I wouldn't trust a gun from that company.

I've never really heard of the above.

 

It's a hypothetical.

 

Acquiring and possessing private property is declared inalienable or indefeasible in State Constitutions; thus, it cannot be immoral even if it may be illegal.

 

You're missing the point. The OP is asking what if selling/manufacturing guns was made illegal in the US. Would you then buy a black market, illegally produced gun since legal ones are now not available at all?

My answer is yes, I would still own/buy a gun or guns. Not to protect myself from the military or because I think I'm going to overthrow the government or anything stupid like that, but because if something like was actually to happen (no way in hell) the only people left with guns would be the criminals.

 

Well, I would hide some of my older guns--no trace of their existence, they were purchased by a relative pre-1968, and would give up the guns that there is any kind of record for--the ones bought post 1968 from a FFL. I probably wouldn't buy one from the black market, just because of the type of people that are involved in the black market.

 

I don't have any guns not bought through an FFL. I sold them all to "Gary", who lost them all in a freak boating accident. Poor guy.

 

Since when does state consent equal competency?

 

What Rwild noted above is going on in this thread. People are answering 2 differnet scenarios:

1) buying a gun illegally under the current laws
2) buying a gun illegally IF the federal Gov't somehow declared all guns illegal

My answer is 1) no 2) yes.....the gov't is NOT the arbitrator of what is "moral"...not by a long shot

 

Are you sure 'immoral' is the right word? It's an object for sale and you want to purchase it. Where does morality come in? Legality comes to mind..not morality.

 

some are totally unable to pare the two............

 

Morality comes in where you try to determine when breaking the law is permissible. Politics is a poor man's ethics, they deal with the same category of questions.

 

Common sense in the case of guns. I wouldn't trust a gun manufacturer so small that they weren't required to get a gun manufacturing license.

 

Oh I would. The Lamborghini of competitive accuracy.

 

What's the company name?

 

Long Rifles.
And if you wish to imply they have a manufacturing license your probably correct. Most licensed gunsmiths now need such a license to conduct business. I don't know all the particulars of the trade but I seem to remember reading of such a new law shortly after Obama was elected. Or maybe it was just the fee had increased dramatically.
I acquiesce.

 

If I understand the poll correctly, then no. The legality of firearms has no bearing, for me, on the morality of purchasing them by whatever means. The governments moral compass is horribly miscalibrated, and so I do not take my moral direction from them. I will comply with laws as long as I can exercise my freedoms within their bounds. If the laws become too restrictive or unconstitutional, and infringe upon my rights, then I have no problem with civil disobedience.

 

Your poll has an inherent bias

 

It's been the law for awhile.

Long Rifles does have a FFL per their website.

There may have been changes related to gunsmiths.

 

Very well said.

 

all polls do..........it depends on one's "Offended Level" whether it matters or not

 

Don't they all

Why would anyone want an accurate poll? It's not to prove anything, tis all a bit of fun.

As for you - I'm fairly sure how you'd vote haha

 

Of course but your more interesting question comes not in asking about illegal firearms in a country that is replete with same - because it is obvious that despite the laws there is a cultural bias among some against abiding by those same laws, Sort of like how they had to change the laws about how people indicated on a roundabout because people were not doing what the laws suggested. Laws are more likely to reflect cultural bias that to inform it

The more interesting question is would they purchase a firearm or even carry one in a country where firearms are restricted??

Surprisingly the answer to that one is often no!