--- description: The Islamic State has urged its adherents to buy weapons in the United States to take advantage of the country's gun control laws. title: ISIS Tells Followers It's "Easy" To Get Firearms In The U.S. image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6238d62379cbb994/6988cc24bc6cfc0ddc3e1394/islamic-state-magazine-steers-followers-gun-shows-easy-access-weapons.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [ISIS](/tag/isis/) ## ISIS Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # ISIS Tells Followers It's 'Easy' to Get Firearms From U.S. Gun Shows ## Video: 5 Biggest Moments from House Sit-In [Watch (HLS stream): 5 Biggest Moments from House Sit-In](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GNdvwBp3.m3u8) (1:43)  _Published 2016-06-23. Democratic lawmakers attracted protesters, angry Republicans and a swarm of social media posts with their day-long hold of the House floor._  by [Tessa Berenson](/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 5, 2017 3:05 PM CUT  A visitor holds a pistol at a gun display during a National Rifle Association outdoor sports trade show on February 10, 2017 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A visitor holds a pistol at a gun display during a National Rifle Association outdoor sports trade show on February 10, 2017 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.Dominick Reuter—AFP/Getty Images  by [Tessa Berenson](/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 5, 2017 3:05 PM CUT The Islamic State has urged its adherents to buy weapons from gun shows in the United States to take advantage of gun control laws. “The acquisition of firearms can be very simple depending on one’s geographical location,” says a new piece in Rumiyah, ISIS’s propaganda magazine, [the Washington _Post_ reports](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/05/05/islamic-state-magazine-steers-jihadists-to-u-s-gun-shows-for-easy-access-to-weapons/?utm%5Fterm=.85d23eb9b8a6 "undefined"). “In most U.S. states, anything from a single-shot shotgun all the way up to a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle can be purchased at showrooms or through online sales — by way of private dealers — with no background checks, and without requiring either an ID or a gun license.” “With approximately 5,000 gun shows taking place annually within the United States, the acquisition of firearms becomes a very easy matter,” the article continues. A photo caption says, “Gun conventions represent an easier means of arming oneself for an attack.” Gun control advocates worry that there are loopholes in U.S. law over firearm sales at [gun shows](http://time.com/4168465/obama-gun-control-gun-show-executive-actions/?iid=sr-link7 "undefined") and on the Internet, which can allow people to buy guns from unlicensed dealers without presenting identification or going through a [background check](http://time.com/4512255/charleston-loophole/?iid=sr-link2 "undefined"). ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4768837/isis-gun-shows-firearms-america/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4768837/isis-gun-shows-firearms-america/"},"headline":"ISIS Tells Followers It's 'Easy' to Get Firearms From U.S. Gun Shows","datePublished":"2017-05-05T15:05:31.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:46:43.360Z","description":"The Islamic State has urged its adherents to buy weapons in the United States to take advantage of the country's gun control laws.","url":"https://time.com/4768837/isis-gun-shows-firearms-america/","keywords":["ISIS","Guns","Islamic State","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6238d62379cbb994/6988cc24bc6cfc0ddc3e1394/islamic-state-magazine-steers-followers-gun-shows-easy-access-weapons.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tessa Berenson","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6238d62379cbb994/6988cc24bc6cfc0ddc3e1394/islamic-state-magazine-steers-followers-gun-shows-easy-access-weapons.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"islamic-state-magazine-steers-followers-gun-shows-easy-access-weapons","caption":"islamic-state-magazine-steers-followers-gun-shows-easy-access-weapons","creditText":"Dominick Reuter—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/isis/","name":"ISIS"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4768837/isis-gun-shows-firearms-america/","name":"ISIS Tells Followers It's 'Easy' to Get Firearms From U.S. Gun Shows"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"5 Biggest Moments from House Sit-In","description":"Democratic lawmakers attracted protesters, angry Republicans and a swarm of social media posts with their day-long hold of the House floor.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/GNdvwBp3/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-06-23T18:53:08.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GNdvwBp3.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4768837/isis-gun-shows-firearms-america/","duration":"PT1M43S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4768837/isis-gun-shows-firearms-america/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```