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Comment by JohnTHaller | Hacker News Reader

Guns are legal everywhere around Chicago including all neighboring states which have much weaker gun laws than Illinois.

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As far as I'm aware, you can't buy a gun from an FFL (a gun store, or anyone whose business involves selling guns) in a neighboring state without presenting an Illinois Firearms Owner Identification card. And most (all?) gun stores will refuse to sell you a gun that they know would be illegal in Illinois if you live there.

Most of the guns used in crimes in Chicago are illegally owned handguns, acquired through straw purchases and theft. Handguns that are legal to own in Illinois, even.

Light firearms are probably easier to manufacture than pellet rifles. You're kidding yourself if you think they won't start making them.

You don't think people who are willing to break the law this way won't just manufacture them?

Are you comparing driving to another state to buy a gun with manufacturing a gun?

I'm comparing driving to another state to driving to an illicit gun smith.

I'm not sure precisely what you're trying to say here - but my intuition is that you're saying "people will illicitly manufacture guns in Illinois and people will patronize them rather than drive over to another state to purchase guns."

If that is what you're saying (and please, clarify if it's not!) - it's worth knowing that both Wisconsin and Indiana are a 90 minute drive from Chicago city limits, so any illicit manufacturing has to compete with the ease of a relatively short drive to purchase in another state.

I think sometimes people forget just how close Chicago is to other states.

No. "The only reason people aren't manufacturing guns illicitly in Illinois right now is because it's easier to drive to the next state" is a little closer.

An Illinois resident cannot legally buy a gun in another state without shipping it to a FFL in Illinois and getting a background check done there before taking possession.

So the argument that Chicago residents can skirt gun control laws by crossing state lines is false.

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