Some of the weapons collected in Wednesday's Los Angeles Gun Buyback event are showcased Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 during a news conference at the LAPD headquarters in Los Angeles. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office says the weapons collected Wednesday included 901 handguns, 698 rifles, 363 shotguns and 75 assault weapons. The buyback is usually held in May but was moved up in response to the Dec. 14 massacre of students and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) (Damian Dovarganes)

View the story "Nine things to know about gun background checks" on StorifyNine things to know about gun background checksStorified by Digital First Media· Mon, Jan 14 2013 08:34:06Although gun-control activists hope to see an assault-weapons ban, it's not clear that could pass Congress. Instead, many expect the fight to focus instead on expanding background checks required for gun sales. Below, what you need to know about background checks.

The law requiring background checks is 20 years old.

Denverpost(AP Photo/Robert Ray)In 1993, the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act required background checks for people buying guns from federally licensed firearms dealers. Run by the FBI, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System was launched in 1998.

Gun buyers submit basic information for a background check.

Before buying a gun, prospective buyers submit their name, sex, race, date of birth and the state where they live to the FBI. They can also submit their Social Security Number, but they aren't

required to.

Denials can be issued for several reasons.

Denverpost(AP Photo/Robert Ray)The biggest reason for denials is conviction for a major crime. Gun sales can also be denied because a prospective buyer has had a restraining order for domestic violence against them or has mental health issues, among other things.

Around 1 percent of checks result in a denial.

The FBI does more than 10 million background checks each year. Around 1 percent of background checks result in a denial - that was 150,013 out of 10,764,237 checks in 2009. Between 1998 and 2012, the FBI issued 987,578 denials.

Not every gun sale requires a background check.

Denverpost(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Private sales are exempt from the background check system. That includes selling your gun to a friend, relative or stranger as well as many sales at gun shows.

Closing the gun show loophole is extremely popular.

In a December poll by USA Today and Gallup, 92 percent of adults surveyed supported requiring background checks for people buying guns at gun shows.

It's even popular among NRA members.

A survey conducted in July by noted Republican pollster Frank Luntz for the pro-gun control Mayors Against Illegal Guns found that 74 percent of NRA members supported requiring background checks for anyone purchasing a gun.

A task force will likely recommend expanding background checks.

Denverpost(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)Vice President Joe Biden has said that "universal background checks" for gun sales will likely be a major recommendation of his task force on gun violence.

Existing background checks may be toughened too.

With gun-control legislation up in the air in Congress, the White House is also looking at taking action on its own, such as increasing prosecutions for lying on background-check forms.

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