"Von Brunn has a racist, anti-Semitic Web site and wrote a book titled "Kill the Best Gentiles."
In 1983, he was convicted of attempting to kidnap members of the Federal Reserve Board and served more than six years in prison. He was arrested two years earlier outside the room where the board was meeting, carrying a revolver, knife and sawed-off shotgun. At the time, police said Von Brunn wanted to take the members hostage because of high interest rates and the nation's economic difficulties."
So, he had committed a felony- and thus could not legally get a gun.
BillD is wrong- he had to break the existing laws to get the gun.