During Tuesday's episode of America Live, Megyn Kelly referenced a common talking point used to justify the gun show loophole that allows people to bypass the criminal background check process. Speaking about New York City's recent investigation of an Arizona gun show that showed buyers purchasing firearms after they said they probably couldn't pass a background check Kelly said:

KELLY:That's his [New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg] real beef, Joey, with the gun show versus the gun shops because apparently the standard is more lax at a gun show. They're trying to make sure if you've got some old firearm that you know came from the civil war and you want to sell it you can do that at a gun show more easily then at a shop.

America Live's audience might come away with the impression that gun shows are typically stocked full of muskets and other antiques, while the purchase of modern weapons at such a show is unusual. In fact gun shows are filled with the full range of modern firearms. The Gun Show Undercover operation shows a wide variety of modern firearms on display and available for purchase at the gun shows they visited. At the Arizona gun show investigators purchased two semi-automatic handguns and the same gun used in the Tucson shooting, a Glock 17 with 3 high capacity magazines.

Reached for comment Josh Sugarman, Executive Director of the Violence Policy Center, said of Kelly's comment:

Gun shows in Arizona are a significant source of military-style firearms for Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations. The anchor's[Kelly] reference to Civil War guns isn't even relevant since any gun manufactured before 1898 is not a “firearm” under federal law.