In addition to instituting a ban on the sale of assault weapons and “high-capacity” magazines, Joe Biden “will enact legislation to prohibit all online sales of firearms, ammunition, kits, and gun parts.” According to Everytown for Gun Safety, in 2018 there were 1.2 million advertisements placed on Armslist.com - that serves as a strong indication that a substantial portion of all firearms sales are being conducted online, something that is likely to continue to grow as the world continues to be enveloped by the digital age.

The most common assertion made by supporters of internet and gun show sales bans is that in doing so, they can reduce the number of unlawful firearms purchases. The “gun show loophole” is a myth and interstate transfers of firearms are already regulated under existing law - it is generally illegal to purchase a firearm across state lines without conducting the transfer through an FFL. 

Not only is the consumer market shifting from brick and mortar to online but local firearms businesses are also increasingly dependent on the internet for fulfilling their inventory and equipment needs. If successful in banning online sales, Biden’s plan will effectively kill medium and small-sized online gun retailers in addition to your local gun shop. Practically speaking, this will increase costs for gun purchases, ammunition, parts, and accessories while decreasing the availability of all aforementioned items, making it generally difficult to access  what you need when you need it the most. The shortage of firearms and ammunition experienced during the COVID-19 epidemic will pale in comparison to the impact of an online sales ban. 

FPC opposes sales bans and regulations because they prevent people from exercising their natural right to keep and bear arms; individuals must first acquire arms in order to keep and bear them. Biden’s proposal will devastate small and medium-sized manufacturers and suppliers, impede the ability of law-abiding people to obtain arms needed for self-defense and other purposes, and will have no practical effect on criminal conduct that has been regulated by the federal government since 1968 - four years before Biden first joined the Senate.