How does NICS work anyway?

[damien]

On the 4473, the purchaser basically gives name, address, city, state, zip. The SSN is requested, but not required. How does NICS match this information? Let's say a purchaser has a distinctive name like Kurt Merkwürdigeliebe in Peoria and is prohibited. As far as I know, crazys and petty crooks are not prohibited from changing their name. While in Smallville, the purchaser changes his name to Kurt Smith, and then moves to Denver. Now Kurt Smith of Denver does the NICS check. Does it hit? How would NICS match Kurt Smith of Denver (not prohibited, probably) to Kurt Merkwürdigeliebe in Peoria (prohibited)? Even if they get a copy of the court order with the name change, all NICS knows is that one of the Kurt Smiths in Peoria is prohibited. NICS doesn't know that Kurt Smith of Denver is prohibited.

P.S. I am not looking to break any law and I am not prohibited. I just think about things. My job always has me thinking about possible bugs in the system.

 

[pcosmar]

How does NICS work anyway?

It doesn't. It is an inconvenience to the lawful.
It is not used by the unlawful.

 

[Gaffer]

When I worked in a gun shop I never saw anyone not give their SS# and get a delay. Those who chose to not give their SS# almost always got a delay, especially if they had a name that was common. However that being said I also saw sales denied if too much info was given such as US security clearance numbers etc.

It is a flawed system and those states that do not have their criminal records available to NICS are more prone to delays and denials than others.

 

[Hoppy590]

When I worked in a gun shop I never saw anyone not give their SS# and get a delay. Those who chose to not give their SS# almost always got a delay, especially if they had a name that was common. However that being said I also saw sales denied if too much info was given such as US security clearance numbers etc.

iv only given my SSN once, and it was on accident. i was so used to filling out papers for college i just put it down by instinct. how ever all the times i HAVNT put it down, iv never been delayed. the SSN is god if your a "john smith" or "bob jones"

 

[geekWithA.45]

I understand it involves entrails of a dove, and an incantation to Zeus.

 

[Johnny B]

Nice Dr. Strangelove reference!

 

[FieroCDSP]

Damien, you pose an interesting question, and I think the previous posts hit it for the most part. There is nothing to prevent a criminal from getting a good fake-ID and passing NICS. Most places that issue real ID's require Birth Certificate and Social Card. There's not too much to faking/stealing either. Basicly, the system doesn't work on the smart criminals, only the really dumb or lazy ones. If you legally change your name, there would likely, eventually, be a note next to your SSN about it in the system. If you don't use the SSN on the form, then there's no way to tell the difference. The physical description might ID a fake, but not even 50% of the time, because there's no way to know whether this person is a fake, or a real first-timer to the system.

Basicly, the very concept of NICS is flawed in that you can't ID everyone 100% of the time, with 100% accuracy. At least not until Hillary gets in power and institutes a Gestapo style "papers, please" requirement for absolutely everything.

 

[Sistema1927]

You think that NICS stops prohibited persons from buying guns?

Heck no, it exists for the express purpose of intimidating the law abiding from exercising their God-given right to self-defense. As such it is an un-Constitutional infringement of your right to keep and bear arms.

 

[TallPine]

I've never provided my SSN and never been delayed.
(well, except when the system was down for 24 hrs one time )