# Large Scale Gun purchasing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-scale-gun-purchasing/653256 "2013-03-18T14:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-scale-gun-purchasing/653256/1 "2013-03-18T14:25:07Z")
So, assume I win the lottery tomorrow (nothing huge, a local for a couple hundred grand, USD). What laws stop me from going to, say, the gun markets of Pakistan, or possibly Iraq (where I have heard there at least used to be piles and piles of salvaged military hardware for sale) and purchasing weapons wholesale, and then turning around and selling them in some other location? (note: I am aware that I couldn’t turn around and sell them in the US. Lots of laws against that) I’ve never understood why someone doesn’t do that. Some NGO or something with a large bank account just walks in and buys all the dang guns. Or some wanna be Victor Bout buys them all now and resells for a HUGE profit …while avoiding the issue of selling in banned states that got Bout in such hot water. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-scale-gun-purchasing/653256/2 "2013-03-18T15:51:56Z")
People do that all the time. They’re called arms dealers. (Unless you don’t like them. Then they’re called arms smugglers.) You already know about Victor Bout. There are plenty more just like him. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-scale-gun-purchasing/653256/3 "2013-03-18T17:12:54Z")
It’s not just the United States: virtually all countries are going to have legislation about this (the governments in power don’t want to be overthrown). So there is going to be a complicated situation to move the guns legally. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-scale-gun-purchasing/653256/4 "2013-03-18T17:46:38Z")
> [@Tristan](#): > > What laws stop me from going to, say, the gun markets of Pakistan, or possibly Iraq (where I have heard there at least used to be piles and piles of salvaged military hardware for sale) and purchasing weapons wholesale, and then turning around and selling them in some other location? The established competition, for one. Your attempt to muscle in for a piece of the action must cause you to be found in some alley, dead. Or missing, never to be seen/heard from again. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-scale-gun-purchasing/653256/5 "2013-03-18T17:50:39Z")
Well, it’s hard to get 'em all. Buying some of them causes scarcity, which increases price. It’s very tough to buy all of any item in a market fast enough to avoid causes price spikes from the scarcity. And if you just buy them up in an area, more will be imported to the area to sell to you. You might even find that guns are being manufactured, delivered to you brand new, all so that you can destroy them, at tremendous profit for the manufacturer. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-scale-gun-purchasing/653256/6 "2013-03-18T19:47:29Z")
The late Sam Cummings managed this very well [post-wwii.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Cummings) ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/large-scale-gun-purchasing/653256/7 "2013-03-19T12:44:52Z")
Also, based on some news stories from time to time - I suspect there are a confusing maze of laws that prohibit American citizens from conspiring to deal in arms in various world trouble spots, let alone transfer millions of dollars to various organizations that might not be on the approved list, or front for such people. Without the resources of the State Department, good luck figuring out what is and is not allowed.