Title: Va. Data Show Drop In Criminal Firepower During Assault Gun Ban

Publication Date: January 22, 2011

What does it say?

During the federal Assault Weapons Ban, the prevalence of crime guns equipped with assault clips recovered by police declined to 10 percent, according to Virginia police records analyzed by David Fallis and James Grimaldi of the Washington Post.  After the ban was allowed to sunset in 2004 during the Bush Administration, the percent of assault clips rebounded, reaching 22 percent by 2010.   An assault clips holds 11 or more rounds of ammunition.

Two-thousand of the 15,000 recovered guns equipped with assault clips could hold 30 or more bullets.

How can I use it?

The decline in police recovery of assault clips in Virginia during the federal Assault Weapons Ban indicates that the ban was starting to work to dry up the supply of assault clips when it was allowed to sunset.   Advocates can use this analysis to advocate for new legislation to ban assault clips.

Citation

Fallis, David S., and James V. Grimaldi, “Va. Data Show Drop in Criminal Firepower During Assault Gun Ban,” Washington Post, January 23, 2011