Help Tips for buying a firearm in the US without seeming suspicious?

[bleedthefreak]

I want to buy a shotgun and have two major fears:

1. I may have already been flagged somehow in such a way that will show up on a background check.
   • I have no criminal history, but I fear I haven't been as responsible as I should have been with my google searches over the years. I think I'm just being paranoid, but is there really some sort of watchlist you can be put on for googling / asking suspicious questions on the internet in a way that can be traced to your actual identity?
   • Two years ago I made the mistake of ordering a shotgun online from a large retailer, telling myself I would rise to the occasion when it was ready to be picked up. I chickened out for the reasons listed here, and the order was automatically refunded after the pickup window passed. Will this raise red flags if I attempt another purchase from the same retailer? Could it have raised a red flag to other retailers as well?
   • I have a doctor's appointment this week and want to seek mental health treatment. At what point does this typically compromise one's ability to purchase firearms? From my local laws it sounds like you can't buy a gun if you were involuntarily institutionalized or have history of addiction, so hopefully I'm good, but the language of "history of addiction" seemed really vague when I read it. I assume it only counts if it's acknowledged by a court or something.
2. When I show up to make the purchase, the clerk will immediately see through me, decline the purchase, and call the cops.
   • I have crippling social anxiety and am not very smart, so I am not confident in my ability to play it cool if they so much as make casual conversation about what I'm buying it for, or guns in general. I feel like I wouldn't sell to me if the roles were reversed. I know nothing about hunting, home defense, or sport shooting - I know I need to research for myself, but any guidance would also be appreciated. Do clerks for large corporate retailers typically ask questions, or do they just run the background check and get it over with as quickly as possible? Perhaps it would be a good idea to go during peak business hours.

I know this is kind of a ridiculous and vague request, but I'm really having trouble with it, so any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Someone123]

Returning the weapon might limit your ability to buy from that one retailer but probably not from other retailers. If you act nervous in any way while trying to buy a firearm there is a good chance they won't sell it to you because they are risking their livelihood by doing so. Even if they do nothing wrong legally they can get bad publicity which really hurts their business. I would recommend looking at videos on youtube by "gun suicide attempt survivor" and see what happens when this method fails- many people have their faces destroyed and some become paralyzed. This is likely not a good method for you, though of course it is ultimately your decision.

 

[symphony]

When I show up to make the purchase, the clerk will immediately see through me, decline the purchase, and call the cops.

I don't have any knowledge on the matter, but can trying to buy a gun legally really be considered a crime? Worst case scenario you get denied, right? Why would they call the cops?

 

[FogFilledLife]

I don't have any knowledge on the matter, but can trying to buy a gun legally really be considered a crime? Worst case scenario you get denied, right? Why would they call the cops?

Lying on the form is a crime, but it is very rarely prosecuted.

 

[alwaysSuffering]

If you are of legal age, go to the gun show and buy from a PRIVATE seller (most dealers at gun shows are not private sellers so find one who is). Then there is no paperwork. Or find a private seller near you who is selling on a private forum of some sort.

 

[its-about-time]

Your legal right to own/purchase firearms is only compromised if you are involuntarily hospitalized. Keyword involuntary. If you're in a situation where they want to hospitalize you for mental health reasons, as long as you cooperate, you retain your legal right to purchase and own firearms.

As to the other stuff… big brother is always watching. Search history will trigger red flags. But if your searches are about hurting only yourself, nobody's gonna continue monitoring. Big brother cares more about domestic terrorists. Just saying those words is probably going to have an agent somewhere reviewing this page. Hi, big brother!! Long time no see!

 

[bleedthefreak]

I think the posts so far have pretty much confirmed my original plan. Just order online from a different retailer, show up and sign the form because it'll probably pass, and pray that they don't ask any questions I don't have the answers to. I'm more okay with just being turned away than having to make conversation with a private seller and I'm not that worried about failing a background check anyway. May have risen red flags online about suicide, but harming others has never been and never will be my intention, so hopefully that's good enough.

Now the task is just to come up with a flimsy explanation for what I'm buying for and hope it doesn't get brought up.

Thanks all.

 

[SuicidallyCurious]

I've posted online numerous times I laugh when US cops and military are torn to shreds by domestic forces or Iraqi weapons.

When I went to buy a firearm the first time my friend told me that my background check came in faster than he had ever seen anyone get one approved.

The point is : the background check system doesn't seem to be that well integrated with the US mass surveillance

 

[Britvik]

I would recommend looking at videos on youtube by "gun suicide attempt survivor" and see what happens when this method fails- many people have their faces destroyed and some become paralyzed. This is likely not a good method for you, though of course it is ultimately your decision.

All methods come with risk. Even capital punishment, carried out by the machine of the state, isn't perfect. But, gun suicide has the highest lethality rate of all methods in the US.

Firearms most lethal suicide method by far in the U.S.

Firearms are by far the most lethal suicide method, with nearly nine out of 10 attempts being fatal, a new study finds.

mobile.reuters.com

 

[Someone123]

All methods come with risk. Even capital punishment, carried out by the machine of the state, isn't perfect. But, gun suicide has the highest lethality rate of all methods in the US.

Firearms most lethal suicide method by far in the U.S.

Firearms are by far the most lethal suicide method, with nearly nine out of 10 attempts being fatal, a new study finds.

mobile.reuters.com

That's debatable whether gun suicides have the highest mortality rate because these statistics are incomplete. For example, hanging is listed as one category that puts partial hanging and full suspension in the same category, but partial is very low in lethality rate and full suspension taht is not interrupted is very high. Full suspension that is not interrupted is likely very close to 100%, and gun attempts are around 80%. Jumpiong from 220 feet plus into water, like at the golden gate bridge, is 99% lethal, but this isn't listed in the statistics. For sodium nitrate the statistics are not known, but the evidence suggests that it may be as lethal as firearms with the big advantage that if it doesn't work typically people don't have lasting damage, tehy're just sick for a couple of days. There are pther metho9ds as well that may be as lethal or more lethal than firearms but the statistics aren't kept.

 

[they forgot me]

If you are of legal age, go to the gun show and buy from a PRIVATE seller (most dealers at gun shows are not private sellers so find one who is). Then there is no paperwork. Or find a private seller near you who is selling on a private forum of some sort.

how can you figure out if a seller at a gun show is a private seller?