Concern that handguns sold in multiple sales may be more likely than others to be used in crime has prompted some states to limit the number of handguns sold at one time. The "one gun a month law" limits a buyer to the purchase of one handgun in 30 days. At the federal level, a multiple purchase is defined by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) as the sale of more than one gun to one purchaser by one dealer within 5 consecutive business days. Using all handguns sold through licensed gun dealers in California in 1996 (approximately 300,000 firearms), we will identify those sold in single and multiple transactions. As a surrogate measure for gun use in crime, gun tracing information from the California Department of Justice and ATF will be searched to identify any gun purchased in1996 and recovered in a criminal context within 3 years of the purchase date. We hypothesize that handguns sold in a multiple purchase are more likely to be used in crime than are those sold in a single transaction. We will examine both definitions of a multiple purchase: one gun a month and that used by ATF. The main outcome measure will be the appearance of a gun in the crime trace data. Tracing rates (number of guns traced per 1,000 gun-years) and rate ratios will be presented. We will also examine the average "time to crime" (time between handgun sale and use in crime) for each type of purchase.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will: know whether multiple-handgun sales compared with handguns sold in a single transaction are more likely to be used in crime; know what percent of total guns sold within a year are sold in multiple- and single-purchases; know the major implications of these findings for public policy
Keywords: Firearms, Violence
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.