Its just in Illinois, and probably also in Massachusetts, as both states require law abiding firearm owners to obtain a Firearm Owner Identification Card( FOID) and present it to all dealers to purchase a firearm. Background checks are still required under Federal law, and in Ilinois, it is required by State law. Until recently, even though the Ill. State Police issued the FOID cards, they were telling merchants not to accept them as identification for cashing checks. The police were miffed because the Legislature would not require FOID card holders to submit fingerprints with the application. Now, the ISP issue the card using the same picture that is on your driver's license, as they now have access to that data from the Ill. Sec. of State. You are still required to submit a current photo with your application or renewal, but they will use the photo from your most recent DL if you have one. I am hoping the ISP will now tell people that the FOID card is credible Identification and stop the little war they have had going against us taxpayers. Actually, I want to see the whole FOID law repealed, and close down the ISP division that haraasses people about their FOID cards, delays issuing them and threatens to arrest people if they don't have a current FOID card on their person because of the ISP delays. Bureaucracy for Bureaucrats, not for the people! That is the silliness of Illinois law.
There is only one case I have ever heard of that involved someone holding up someone armed with a percussion revolver. Its not even clear that it was loaded, as it was not recovered. But, on that single case, the ISP changed Illinois rules to require an FOID card for purchasing all black powder firearms, and they are treated the same as cartridge guns as far as waiting periods, Form 4473 requirements, etc. Out of state firms, like Mid-South, have been scared off from selling guns directly to Illinois residents, even if they are sent a valid FOID card, because of threats made by our wonderful Ill. Attorney General, whose father is the current majority leader in the Illinois House. ( She is Lisa Madigan, daughter of Speaker Mike Madigan-D, of Chicago area.) Both are notorious anti-gunners, and venture out of Chicago only rarely to attend to business in Springfield. Both have their body guards when they come to town, I am told. If they have ever stayed overnight here in central Illinois, I have not heard about it.
There are a lot of FFLs still in southern and central Illinois. If you contact one, and front the money, they will normally only charge you a small cost to cover shipping and their fees charged to do the background check to run such a purchase through their books, and let you buy the gun basically at dealer's prices. They will even process the paperwork for the background check and waiting period when you order the gun, so the waiting period is complete when the gun arrives. The ISP tried to say that the waiting period could only begin when full payment was made, but that has been rejected( Yea!) by our courts.
