As many here know my views on firearm ownership

That's a popular misconception but its incorrect, Monty is right on this score. Most guns used in crime are in fact bought legally. According to this ATF report done in 1994.

1. The Most common guns used by criminals in US are bought legally in straw purchases. I.E. people with no criminal record buying guns on behalf of criminals.

2. The second most common method is through dishonest gun dealers, most commonly legally licensed dealers working from home. These rogue dealers only represent 8% of all licensed dealers, but unfortunately they do exist. You might recall a big ATF arrest a few months ago of a dealer in AZ who was supplying Mexican Drug Cartels with the large majority of the assault rifles used in the ongoing war with the Mexican police.

3. The study showed that only 10-15% of guns used by criminals are in fact stolen.


Article here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/guns/procon/guns.html

I take a moderate position on guns, I oppose a ban (except on extended magazines) but recognize that are some very serious problems with the distribution of guns. Its far too easy for criminals and the mentally ill to get legally purchased firearms.

The problem I have mmarsh, the study is nigh on 20 years old, a lot can happen and change in 20 years. Trying to get information on recent and accurate studies is extremely difficult, I've been doing it for 13 years and know how difficult it can be.
 
1. The Most common guns used by criminals in US are bought legally in straw purchases. I.E. people with no criminal record buying guns on behalf of criminals.
Straw purchases aren't legal, so those have to be excluded from the "legally bought" list.
 
Straw purchases aren't legal, so those have to be excluded from the "legally bought" list.

I mean't legally bought from the dealer, and that's the problem; legal guns going into the wrong hands because the laws aren't strong enough to stop it.

Often the criminal goes to the gunshop together with his mule, the criminal picks the gun he wants and the mule buys it.

But there are ways straw purchases can be tracked...with a universal background check database system and waiting period to make sure that a gun purchase doesn't wind up in the wrong hands.

BritinAfrica

The study is old, but I would wager that the conclusions still hold true today. I mean what has changed since then? Gun laws have loosened in the US since 2004, they haven't gotten any stronger at all. Stealing a gun is both hard and risky. Furthermore most guns are stolen only one at a time, making it difficult for a blackmarketer to have a large stock. Coupled with the fact that guns have become a status symbol amongst gangs. They don't want the junk, they want Glocks, AKs, S&W, 45s, etc. Again much easier to have access to an actual source to procure such merchandise than to rely on thieves that will generally grab whatever they can find in 2-4 minutes.
 
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I mean't legally bought from the dealer, and that's the problem; legal guns going into the wrong hands because the laws aren't strong enough to stop it.

Often the criminal goes to the gunshop together with his mule, the criminal picks the gun he wants and the mule buys it.

But there are ways straw purchases can be tracked...with a universal background check database system and waiting period to make sure that a gun purchase doesn't wind up in the wrong hands.
It's illegal to go buy a gun for a criminal. Says right on the form that you can't buy guns for someone who is banned, therfore the sale is illegal by falsefying the form. It's like the MSM talking about "Unlicensed Dealers". No such thing, you're either a Licenced Dealer or your a trafficer. You can legally sell one gun a year, you can be charged for selling two guns a year & will be if you sell ten & ATF finds out.
 
I mean't legally bought from the dealer, and that's the problem; legal guns going into the wrong hands because the laws aren't strong enough to stop it.

Often the criminal goes to the gunshop together with his mule, the criminal picks the gun he wants and the mule buys it.

But there are ways straw purchases can be tracked...with a universal background check database system and waiting period to make sure that a gun purchase doesn't wind up in the wrong hands.

BritinAfrica

The study is old, but I would wager that the conclusions still hold true today. I mean what has changed since then? Gun laws have loosened in the US since 2004, they haven't gotten any stronger at all. Stealing a gun is both hard and risky. Furthermore most guns are stolen only one at a time, making it difficult for a blackmarketer to have a large stock. Coupled with the fact that guns have become a status symbol amongst gangs. They don't want the junk, they want Glocks, AKs, S&W, 45s, etc. Again much easier to have access to an actual source to procure such merchandise than to rely on thieves that will generally grab whatever they can find in 2-4 minutes.

I would wager that most gun crime is as I have said, linked to the drug trade and drugs wars, gang bangers killing each other over turf, including the illegal sale or purchase of firearms. Clap down hard on the drug lords/dealers/mules and include the death penalty with no appeal.
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi6gZU01yF8"]Senator Ted Cruz not only Swept the floor on the Gun Control Hearings..he took out the trash - YouTube[/ame]
 
Really he strikes me as the classic B.S. politician.

On one hand he is spouting on that laws to restrict weapons are affecting the right of "law abiding citizens" to own weapons and defend themselves and then on the other hand he is telling us that people don't need to own machine guns.

Tell me how dangerous is a machine gun in the hands of a law abiding citizen?

All firearms have exactly the same capacity to kill in the hands of those who wish to kill with them and are perfectly safe in the hands of law abiding citizens.

He is right in his argument that MSSA bans are idiotic just as magazine size limitations are because all firearms are equally dangerous in the wrong hands but what he and all of your politicians refuse to address is how you stop weapons getting into the wrong hands.

I hate to break it to you but the American system is flawed and it is the 2nd Amendment that makes it flawed, the refusal to address the problem of "shall not be infringed" is why you have the issues you have today because any attempt to stop guns moving into the criminal and mentally dangerous community always ends up with the likes of this clown and the NRA whinging on about their rights "shall not be infringed".

The reality is that it is not the gun that is the problem good people can own ANY weapon and it is not a threat the problem is you have absolutely no way to prevent guns ending up in bad hands and any attempt to stop it happening is stopped by fanatics like the NRA and its supporters.
 
I realise that the issue at hand is not about owning guns, but what the owner of those guns can do to others... perhaps a review of those owning the guns needs to be in the spotlight rathwer than gun ownership?

Just a thought...
 
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