Gun Owners Are Using Instagram to Privately Sell Firearms, Evade Background Checks

Instagram, which does not have a specific policy that bans users from selling firearms, has become another vehicle for online gun sales according to a Daily Beast report. While 91 percent of Americans support a law requiring anyone who purchases a gun to pass a background check, weak state and federal gun policies have left online sales of firearms largely unregulated, which now extends to the increasingly popular photo-sharing application.

Daily Beast’s Brian Riess describes a typical offer on Instagram:

A typical gun-toting Instagram post goes something like this: “‘LWRC 10′ SBR FOR SALE!!! Come get it! Includes AAC suppressor tip, ergo grip, 3 magpul pmags, 2 40 round mags, bungee sling, and about 500 rounds of .556. Message me if interested.”

While Instagram has no specific policy about online sales, it recently updated its user guidelines to prevent images that encourage self-harm or abuse. Instagram, owned by Facebook, did not return a request for comment.

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