I was in a conversation with a particularly ardent "2nd Amendment Defender" ...

[Lizzie Poppet]

6. "Ardent 2nd Amendment defender" here, too.

And I strongly support universal background checks...

I don't think it's necessary to prohibit private sales, though. For one thing, this is analogous to the military maxim taught to young officers: never give an order you know will be disobeyed. A complete prohibition on private firearms sales would receive massive non-compliance, a scenario with multiple negative effects.

I think it's better to open ip the NICS system to individual use, via a simple webpage. I particularly like the idea another DU'er has proposed as a possible tie-in to such a system: a national "Firearms Operator's License." This would indicate that the person has passed a background check, possibly that they have undergone at least basic instruction and familiarization with the laws regarding use of deadly force, instruction on proper firearms security, etc. The seller could use this ID to verify that the person was still in compliance.