10 pm: 45°FMostly Clear

12 am: 43°FPartly Cloudy

2 am: 42°FPartly Cloudy

4 am: 39°FPartly Cloudy

More Weather

Print | E-mail to a friend SPECIAL REPORTS

The process of buying a gun

April 18, 2009 @ 09:50 PM

Purchasing a gun in West Virginia is a fairly simple process.

VISIT A STORE: The prospective buyer visits the dealer of his choice, such as a pawn shop, sporting goods store or local department store.

ATF: The prospective buyer fills out a 4473 form for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It asks several questions about the buyer and the purchase.

NICS: The licensed gun dealer contacts the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System in Clarksburg, W.Va. The system checks for prior convictions and other items.

PURCHASE: The purchase is made, as long as the buyer passes the above checks.