The right to bear arms is enshrined in the US Constitution.
This means all lawful residents are allowed to buy and own a gun.
But federal law sets out a few exceptions.
Fugitives,
people with criminal convictions,
those considered a danger to society
or who were involuntarily committed to a mental institution
are all excluded.
The federal minimum age to buy a so-called long gun,
a rifle or shotgun is 18,
21 for handguns and semi-automatic weapons.
Permit requirements to purchase, own or carry firearms then vary,
depending on the state.
The permit is needed to buy handguns in a total of twelve states.
Only four have similar requirements for long guns.
In the rest of the country,
anyone meeting the federal criteria can buy firearms without a permit.
Seven states completely prohibit openly carrying handgunsn
while concealed handgun carry is illegal in only two.
A total of 31 states meanwhile allow
residents to openly carry handguns without a permit.
Guns salesmen must alert local officials
and obtain a federal firearms license.
Federal law then requires licensed vendors
to run a background check before selling firearms,
but the rule can be circumvented
as it doesn't apply to non licensed vendors
Anyone can legally sell a gun without a federal license,
if the sale isn't considered a regular business activity.
This applies for instance to someone selling firearms
from their personal collection.
Gun shows are known for facilitating these transactions,
which can be conducted without the need for a background check.
Unlicensed sales currently represents twenty percent
of all gun purchases in the US.
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