It is widely-known that background checks are being conducted more and more by companies and the government with every passing year. This of course is necessary if one is applying for a sensitive job like the ones which will put them in connection with the elderly or small children. Another reason for a background check to be done is if someone is looking to purchase a gun, whether it is a pistol or a rifle.

Federal law "prohibits firearm possession by or transfer to prohibited persons including those who are under indictment for or convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year." But criminals, with their complete disregard of the law would not be deterred by this federal law. Good thing for law-abiding citizens, background checks can help law enforcement agencies to clamp down on the illegal transfer of guns to crooks.

Under the Brady Act, a background check is a step necessary to be taken before a gun is sold to an individual. Initially, there is a five-day waiting period but with the advent of the World Wide Web, it only takes minutes to do a background check on an individual looking to purchase a gun.

With the Brady Act in place, it has become harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun from a gun dealer duly licensed by the Treasury Department. Although there are still some criminals who can get a gun through illegal ways, the Brady Act and its mandatory background check is a good step towards keeping any community safe.

According to the Bureau of Justice, last year (2007), there were more than 8.6 billion background checks done for individuals looking to purchase a gun or secure a concealed carry permit. That number shows how many guns are out there in the country and if even a little less than half of that goes to the wrong hands, it would be a disaster waiting to happen.

Ever since the inception of the Brady Act in 1994, there were more than 87 million requests for background checks regarding transfer of firearms. Bureau of Justice reports that of these, more than 1.5 million shows that the applicant is not cleared to own a firearm.

Furthermore, last year, 39 percent of the rejected firearms transfers were caused by the individuals having felony convictions. This number shows that the risk posed by criminals owning a gun has been controlled thanks to the Brady Act and background check.