The purpose of requiring a background check before a person can purchase a firearm from a licensed gun dealer is to make it more difficult for convicted criminals and select others to purchase a gun to be used for illegal means. In recent years, a few background check loopholes have been found in the rules for purchasing a firearm, prompting authorities to enact legislation to close these loopholes and prevent people that should not have guns from purchasing them.

One important gun background check loophole that many people are concerned about was the loophole that allowed the Virginia Tech shooter to purchase the handguns that were used in the massacre. Individuals with a history of psychiatric issues are not allowed to purchase firearms in the United States, but information about a person's psychiatric treatment are not generally reported to the authorities that would place the information in the federal background check database. By closing this loophole, it is believed that more guns will be kept out of the hands of people that are mentally unstable.

Many background check loopholes are closed easily by additional legislation once the problem is found. The bad news is that many of the loopholes are not discovered until something tragic happens to expose that the loophole in the law is there. Once discovered, most loopholes are closed quickly to prevent other tragedies from occurring.