Title: Factors Affecting a Recently Purchased Handgun’s Risk for Use in Crime

Publication Date: March 2010

What does it say?

This study analyzes California handgun sales records to identify risk factors for the trafficking of handguns.

Trafficked handguns were defined as handguns with a short “time-to-crime” of 3 years (from purchase to recovery in crime) that were recovered in the hands of someone other than the original buyer.

The risk factors identified were:

• same-day purchase of multiple handguns
• new handguns sold for less than $150
• handguns purchased by a woman
• an elevated background check denial rate at the licensed dealer
• guns sold by manufacturers and importers (as opposed to dealers).

Handguns purchased by individuals who bought multiple similar guns were 58 percent more likely to be used in crime than were handguns purchased by individuals who purchased only one handgun.

Multiple handguns purchased over the course of a month (as opposed to in a single day) were not at higher risk of becoming trafficked handguns recovered in crime.

How can I use it?

Use the results of this study to advocate for comprehensive policies to help law enforcement prevent gun trafficking such as new legal authority for ATF to crack down on corrupt gun dealers and passing effective laws that make sense: requiring Brady criminal background checks on all gun sales, not just those by licensed dealers; banning military-style assault weapons with high capacity magazines, and limiting the number of handguns that can be bought at one time.

The results can also be provided to local and state law enforcement officials to support their current efforts to reduce gun trafficking.

Citation

Wright, Mona, Wintemute,Garen J., and Webster, Daniel W., “Factors Affecting a Recently Purchased Handgun’s Risk for Use in Crime Under Circumstances That Suggest Trafficking,” Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, Online First, March 31, 2010

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