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While the vast majority aren't obtained through legal means, a surprisingly large percentage can be connected to the individual who committed a crime with one.
by Aloisius 1y ago
While the vast majority aren't obtained through legal means, a surprisingly large percentage can be connected to the individual who committed a crime with one.
According to the BJS, of those in prison in 2016 who had a firearm during the offense they were in for, 7.5% purchased it legally under their own name and 25.3% obtained it from family or friends. An older 2004 Survey of Inmates of State Correctional Facilities showed 12% obtaining them from retail and 41% from family/friends.
Criminals don't file down serial numbers not because there's no reason, but criminals don't think they'll be caught. Most simply don't think very far ahead.
Micro-stamping isn't perfect, but again, it is better. If it can lead to arrests in even a small percentage of the thousands of unsolved murders ever year, it would be a huge win with little downside.
- LorenPechtel 1y agoAnd the evidence that those family/friends obtained it legally? And how many of those "purchased it legally" were in private party transactions that didn't require a background check?
- Aloisius 1y agoI don't believe the study asked how many family/friends obtained the firearm legally. It seems unlikely that it would be 0%. Overall, 6.7% of prisoners reported gone through a background check when obtaining a firearm at a retail source (that's not 6.7% of the 7.5%, but rather 6.7% of all prisoners). A "retail source" includes the 7.5% number above which is just licensed firearm dealers, but there were other retail sources I didn't include (pawn shops: 1.6, flea markets: 0.4%, gun shows: 0.8%). Of course, the background checks doesn't really matter given that those 7.5% reported giving their actual name to a licensed firearm dealer which is what one would need to track them down.