"I think the common ground clearly exists from a policy standpoint when talking about background checks, " said DanGross, president of the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence.
An estimated 40% of all gun sales are private and therefore exempt from any background check, offering prohibited buyers a ready avenue to obtain guns, said DanGross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Some of the weakness was tied to several analysts downgrading expectations of forthcoming U.S. fourth-quarter gross domestic product after the release of monthly trade data, said Dan Pavilonis, senior commodities broker with RJO Futures.