Gun Store Claims CBS News Violated Federal Law to Make Buying AR-15 Look Easy

SpecDive Tactical of Alexandria, Virginia, claims a CBS News employee violated federal law in an effort to prove it is easy to acquire an AR-15.

CBS News’ Paula Reid bought the rifle–telling “the store’s general manager the gun was for her own use.” But hours after purchasing the gun she allegedly “transferred it to a third party.”

According to the Washington Free Beacon, CBS This Morning reported, “The rifle we purchased was legally transferred to a federally licensed firearms dealer and weapons instructor in Virginia, just hours after we bought it.” The problem with this is that ATF background check form 4473 says: “Are you the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm(s) listed on this form? Warning: You are not the actual buyer if you are acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person. If you are not the actual buyer, the dealer cannot transfer the firearm(s) to you.”

SpecDive Tactical contacted the ATF after the story aired on CBS, letting the agency know they feared a “straw purchase” may have occurred. The store’s general manager Ryan Lamke said, “Due to the information provided in the CBS News report filed today, I suspect Ms. Reid committed a straw purchase and procurement of a firearm under false pretenses.”

In March 2013 Breitbart News reported that Mark Kelly–Gabby Gifford’s husband–was denied an AR-15 purchase at Diamondback Police Supply due to similar “straw purchase” concerns. Kelly went into Diamond Police Supply to show how easy it is to get a gun and after initially being denied a handgun sale–due to wrong ID–he was denied an AR-15 sale because he told media outlets he was not buying the gun for himself.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.