Gambia, West Africa, Europe
Legal Gun Trade is 'Source of All Weapons' as Europe Profits from Africa
The Point (Banjul), Editorial
1 July 2008
Many of our readers will be shocked by the announcement made by the Secretary of State for Interior, Honourable Ousman Sonko, that there are an estimated ten million (10,000,000) firearms in the West African sub-region. This is an extraordinary number and has the potential to wreak havoc and mayhem in our sub-region. It is very heartening however to see that the government is taking the issue so seriously. We must be very alert... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
High Cost of Ammunition Hinders US Police Departments, Gun Owners
Dayton Daily News (Ohio)
30 June 2008
Depending on whom you ask, the price of ammunition has gone up 25 percent, 50 percent, or has even doubled in the past several years. The cause, like the price, seems to vary, from the soaring cost of commodities metals, like the brass, copper and lead used to make ammo, to the Iraq war and the need for more production of small-caliber ammunition to supply U.S. troops. Distribution has also been a problem, affecting police... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Proposal to Enlist Gun Makers to Work Out How to Reduce Shootings
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
29 June 2008
This year, about 12,000 Americans will be shot to death. It's a staggering figure, and even though lawmakers have continued to pass gun-control laws to try to bring the number down, they have not significantly reduced the murder rate. Indeed, for the last decade, guns have steadily remained the cause of about two-thirds of all homicides. Gun manufacturers insist that these deaths are not their fault, preferring to pin the blame... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Makers Hail 'Moral Victory for Beleaguered Industry, Gun Owners'
Boston Globe / AP
26 June 2008
HARTFORD, Connecticut -- New England's prominent gun makers said Thursday's landmark Supreme Court ruling that affirms the right to keep guns at home for self-defense is a moral victory for their beleaguered industry and law-abiding gun owners. The 5-4 ruling affirms gun ownership at home as an individual right for self-defense. It overturned a 32-year-old ban in the District of Columbia, letting governments continue to set rules... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gunmaker FN's US Plant Thrives as Wars Drag On, New Rifles Designed
State (South Carolina) / AP
8 June 2008
Tucked behind the Village at Sandhill shopping center, a factory pumps out hundreds of machine guns and rifles every day for U.S. forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since the United States went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, gunmaker FN Manufacturing almost has doubled its Columbia work force while investing millions to upgrade its plant. The company's bread and butter is the M-16 rifle, carried by almost every G.I.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia, Iraq
Serbia Begins Exporting Another 18,000 Handguns to Iraqi Security Forces
B92 Radio (Belgrade)
2 June 2008
KRAGUJEVAC, Serbia -- The first consignment of CZ 99 handguns destined for the Iraq market will be shipped out of the Zastava factory three weeks ahead of schedule. Even though the first shipment was first planned for July, according to CEO Rade Gromovic, the weapons are ready and the permits necessary for exporting them have been secured, so the date has been shifted to June 11. This will mark the official beginning of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, China, Southern Africa
Outrage Lingers Over Chinese Shipment of Guns, Ammunition to Zimbabwe
Arms Control Today (USA)
1 June 2008
In April, South African dockworkers refused to unload a Chinese cargo ship carrying more than 70 tons of small arms destined for Zimbabwe. The refusal set off international reactions that led to the recall of the shipment and calls for stronger international arms trade measures, such as a global arms trade treaty. The shipment, including three million rounds of ammunition for AK47s and 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades, was meant... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Illegal Gun Makers in Phillipines Now Want to Export Hand-made Firearms
Philippine Sun Star (Cebu) / DME
29 May 2008
A Congressman has recognized the potential of the firearms industry in Danao City to cater to the international market. Rep. Roilo Golez (Para-ñaque), in an interview with news reporters yesterday, said he also believes that legalizing gun manufacturing in Danao will deter the presence of illegal manufacturers. "The firearms (manufactured) in Danao City can substitute the imported ones," he said. He also said... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Gun Enthusiasts Angry at Proposed Bylaw to Ban Firearms in Toronto
Reuters
27 May 2008
TORONTO -- Firearm enthusiasts slammed Toronto's proposed anti-gun measures on Tuesday, which would see shooting ranges, gun clubs and firearm manufacturers banned from Canada's largest city. Toronto Mayor David Miller announced on Monday he will support staff recommendations contained in a new report that recommends restrictions on land use for the manufacture, distribution, assembly, warehousing and discharge of guns as part of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Toronto's 'Demagogue' Mayor Redirects Public Anger to Lawful Gun Owners
National Post (Toronto), Editorial
27 May 2008
Let's see if we have this right. Toronto has a problem with young gang members using smuggled handguns to kill one another in rave clubs and warehouses -- and in order to fight this trend, mayor David Miller wants to ... take away target pistols from Olympic shooters and close down law-abiding gun clubs. Mr. Miller's logic is so bizarre, it's hard to know where to begin to dismantle it. He either completely misunderstands the causes... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Toronto's Mayor Wants All Gun Clubs, Sport Shooting Ranges Shut Down
Toronto Star (Ontario)
27 May 2008
Mayor David Miller wants to close recreational shooting ranges in Toronto, along with giving the city power to block gun manufacturers and wholesalers from opening new plants or warehouses. "Nobody can deny that hobby directly results in people being shot and killed on the streets of our city," Miller said of sport shooting yesterday, amid debate on a possible gun bylaw. Canadian Olympic pistol shooter and downtown resident... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Toronto's Gun Clubs Under Fire: City Could Shut Down Sport Shooting
Global TV (Ontario)
26 May 2008
A new report on solutions to gun violence says Toronto should shut down all firing ranges, and change zoning laws to ban businessess from making or distributing the weapons. The report was ordered after the shooting deaths of several innocent bystanders in the city. It outlines what are considered the city's most concrete measures for addressing the problem. Mayor's release: "Toronto Mayor David Miller today announced his... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Toronto Mayor Plans Bylaw to Ban All Private Guns, Anywhere in the City
Toronto Star (Ontario)
25 May 2008
Mayor David Miller wants guns out of Toronto -- and he's backing a tough new bylaw that would ban the manufacture and warehousing of guns in the city. And while Miller says handguns are the particular target of the proposed bylaw, a staff report doesn't distinguish between handguns and rifles and shotguns used in hunting. The bylaw, proposed in a staff report, would give the city zoning powers to restrict or ban the manufacture... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pro-gun Campaign Targets New Wal-Mart Policies to Curb US Gun Running
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
13 May 2008
Is America's largest retailer getting out of the hunting and fishing business? If not, it certainly seems to be cutting back. Earlier this year, Wal-Mart told fishing tackle suppliers that their gear -- like fabrics and other "rural products" -- might be removed from some stores altogether, or at least be stocked only seasonally. That doesn't mean Wal-Mart is getting out of the fishing business, company executives said.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Courts, Congress Side with Gun Lobby: 'Shameful' Lack of Allies for NYC
New York Times, Editorial
4 May 2008
It is remarkable how many people are willing to help illegal gun sellers. Congress all too often takes the side of the gun lobby over victims of gun violence. Last week, in a particularly wrongheaded ruling, a federal appeals court threw out New York City's longstanding lawsuit intended to rein in illegal gun sellers. In 2000, New York City sued gun manufacturers and wholesalers claiming that they had knowingly flooded illegal markets... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York's 8 Year-old 'Public Nuisance' Lawsuit Against Gun Industry Fails
Reuters
30 April 2008
NEW YORK -- A U.S. federal appeals court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by New York City against gun makers the city targeted in a bid to stop the flow of illegal weapons. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the city's claims against the manufacturers and wholesale sellers of firearms, ruling a federal law granted them immunity. The decision overturns a lower court ruling. The city claimed firearms makers... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Appeals Court Tosses Out New York's Lawsuit Against Gun Makers
Associated Press
30 April 2008
NEW YORK -- A federal appeals court Wednesday tossed out New York City's lawsuit accusing the gun industry of selling firearms with the knowledge they can be diverted into illegal markets. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a federal law provides the gun industry with broad immunity from lawsuits brought by crime victims and violence-plagued cities. A federal judge had allowed the lawsuit to proceed, though it had... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Dealers Could See Their Chief Accuser, New York's Mayor in Court
New York Sun
30 April 2008
Nearly two years after Mayor Bloomberg launched his legal battle against 27 out-of-state gun salesmen, the city is being forced to prove that it targeted the right ones. Most of the gun dealers, whose businesses stretch between Ohio and Georgia, have agreed to let the city pay to monitor their business practices in return for the dismissal of the lawsuits. A few went out of business shortly after being sued. Three of the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Industry Can Learn from Scuba Divers: Certify Firearm Owners
Christian Science Monitor, Opinion
29 April 2008
DALLAS -- The Supreme Court will issue a major interpretation of the Second Amendment in coming weeks. But even as both sides in the gun debate await the D.C. v. Heller ruling, the gun industry should set its sights on a different target: certification. It should develop and adopt a private licensing and certification program fashioned on the highly successful scuba diving industry model to provide safety, legal, and marksmanship... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, China
Arms Cargo to Zimbabwe Exposes Mugabe's Link to Chinese Gun Maker
Sunday Times (UK)
28 April 2008
The boycott of a Chinese ship laden with weapons for Zimbabwe has cast new light on the connections between the African country's president, Robert Mugabe, and a secretive Chinese arms-trading firm with a controversial track record from the Congo to Darfur. The ship steamed towards China last week after dock workers in Durban refused to unload it and a South African court blocked the transit of its cargo of mortar and small arms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Million-rounds-a-minute Gun May Need a War to Get Going
Sydney Morning Herald
26 April 2008
The wannabe ballistics concern Metal Storm still appears to be holding out for the day when people will get serious about packing more fast-firing grenade launchers and M16s. In the eight years since the company listed, the market has failed to recognise the allure of Metal Storm's three-shot grenade launcher and "high explosive, enhance blast and airburst" 40 millimetre munition technology. Sadly, as a consequence, Metal... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, Europe
Canada Lifts Restrictions, Will Sell Assault Rifles to East European Nations
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
23 April 2008
OTTAWA -- The Harper government is lifting restrictions on exports of automatic firearms to 11 countries, most of which are relative newcomers to NATO, a move that should be a boon for Canadian arms makers and signals greater trust in Ottawa's smaller European allies. This move expands by 50 per cent the number of countries to which defence firms can sell automatic firearms. Currently, the Automatic Firearms Country Control List... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Dealer Armed Campus Shooters, Touts More Guns to Make US Safer
Green Bay Press Gazette (Wisconsin)
23 April 2008
A Green Bay-based online gun dealer linked to deadly shooting rampages on two college campuses today announced he'll sell guns at cost for two weeks in an effort to arm citizens and prevent future tragedies. Eric Thompson said his company TGSCOM will offer guns to customers April 23 through May 7 for the same price he pays for them. That could mean a savings of $100 on a $500 gun purchase, he said. "I'm not making a dime... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Colt's Exclusive Grip on US Military M4 Assault Rifle Under Fire from Critics
Associated Press
20 April 2008
HARTFORD, Connecticut -- No weapon is more important to tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan than the carbine rifle. And for well over a decade, the military has relied on one company, Colt Defense of Hartford, Conn., to make the M4s they trust with their lives. Now, as Congress considers spending millions more on the guns, this exclusive arrangement is being criticized as a bad deal for American forces as well... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
M4 Assault Rifle Does Poorly in US Army's Own 'Iraq Dust Storm' Test
Associated Press
20 April 2008
HARTFORD, Connecticut -- When the dust finally settled, Army officials sought to put the best face on a sandstorm test that humbled Colt Defense's vaunted M4 carbine. The tests were conducted at an Army laboratory in Maryland last fall. Ten M4s and 10 copies each of three other carbines -- the SCAR from Belgium's FN Herstal, and the HK416 and the XM8 from Germany's Heckler & Koch -- were coated in heavy layers of talcum-fine dust... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Army M4 Combat Rifle Faces Stiff Competition from European Designs
Associated Press
20 April 2008
One of the biggest differences between Colt's M4 carbine and its competitors is the way the bullets are fed through the rifles. The HK416, XM8 and SCAR use a gas piston system to cycle the bullets automatically. The M4 uses "gas impingement," a method that uses a tube to push hot gas through key parts of the gun. This leaves residue behind, detractors say, and makes the M4 more prone to jamming. But Army officials and Colt executives say... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Shock, Anger, City/Rural Conspiracy Seen in Wal-Mart Gun Sale 'Blindside'
Outdoor Wire (USA)
16 April 2008
Across the shooting industry, a universal expression of shock, anger and surprise at Wal-Mart's announcement yesterday that it had agreed to a 10-point code of business conduct called the Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership. The responsible-sounding Partnership is a creation of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns organization, the group founded and co-chaired by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In signing the document,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian State Bans 'Military Style' H&K Rifles Convertible to Semi-auto Fire
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
15 April 2008
Guns that can be easily modified to become lethal semi-automatics will be banned under laws to go before State Parliament today. Ministers believe some military-style weapons are being "detuned" abroad to beat import laws -- then converted back on arrival here. Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon will get the power to declare such guns as category D and E, for use by the military and police only. The State... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, United States
London, Ontario Police Say Most Crime Guns Come from Canada, Not USA
London Free Press (Ontario)
15 April 2008
One of the world's largest arms merchants is funding a new program to get illegal guns off London's streets. Meanwhile, Londoners are again urged to take advantage of a federal amnesty for handing over unregistered guns. General Dynamics Land Systems, maker of military vehicles, helped launch a new "cash for guns" Crime Stoppers program with city police. "London is our home -- it's where we live, work and raise... ( gunpolicy.org )
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Former Soviet States Plan Database of Gun Runners, Illicit Arms Dealers
BBC Monitoring Service / Interfax, Transcript
11 April 2008
A joint CIS database of transnational criminal groups involved in illegal arms trafficking will be created, the press service of the Minsk-based CIS Executive Committee has told Interfax. "This is stipulated by a draft agreement on cooperation in combating the illegal manufacturing and sale of firearms, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices, which has been discussed by the committee's expert group," the press service said.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Maker Sturm Ruger Recalls SR9 Pistol, Cites Trigger Safety Worry
Outdoor Wire, Media release
10 April 2008
Sturm Ruger & Company, Inc. has issued a recall notice for their SR9 pistols manufactured between October 2007 and April 2008. The recall notice was issued yesterday, citing concerns that the SR9 can, under certain conditions, fire if dropped with their manual safeties in the 'off' or 'fire' position and a round in the chamber. The pistols will not fire if the manual safety is in the 'on' or 'safe' position." Ruger... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New York Rifle Maker Slips Up, Ships Guns Loaded with Live Ammunition
Associated Press
4 April 2008
NEW YORK -- A rifle manufacturer asked arms dealers nationwide to make extra safety inspections after discovering it had accidentally shipped four guns loaded with live ammunition. Henry Repeating Arms, a maker of lever-action rifles like ones used in the 1860s and 1870s, said a thorough round of inventory checks revealed no other loaded weapons. "We would never want anybody to get hurt," the company's president, Anthony... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Major US Gun Dealer Risks Losing Licence Amid Security Lapse Allegations
Daily Record (New Jersey)
1 April 2008
LONG HILL -- Sarco Inc., one of the nation's largest wholesale and retail suppliers of firearms and parts, is in danger of losing its state license to sell weapons because of alleged lax security measures. Sarco's state license to operate was supposed to expire on Monday, but a Superior Court judge in Morristown last week extended the license until this Friday, when he said he would hear arguments on whether Sarco owner Charles... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Afghanistan
22yr-old Miami Gun Dealer Had $200m US Army Deal for Afghan War Ammo
Associated Press
28 March 2008
MIAMI -- Efraim Diveroli was barely old enough to buy alcohol. His MySpace page talked about mundane issues of youth like how he was "basically just working and chilling with my boyz when im not." Despite his age, the 22 year old from Miami Beach was also building a military weapons business with more than $200 million in U.S. government contracts. The Army now says he illegally provided Chinese-made ammunition to the Afghanistan... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Afghanistan, Iraq, China
US Army Accuses Miami Gun Dealer of Fraud in $200m Afghan Ammo Deal
New York Times
28 March 2008
When the United States Army decided this week to suspend the main supplier of munitions to Afghan security forces from future federal work, it did so after a field investigation documented what it called an act of fraud. Last Nov. 25, the president of the company, Efraim E. Diveroli, signed papers certifying that 28 pallets of ammunition for Afghanistan had been manufactured by MFS 2000, a Hungarian company, according to the investigators'... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Afghanistan
US Congress Probes Miami Gun Dealer Over Suspect $200m Ammo Deal
CNN
28 March 2008
Efraim Diveroli's father hoped his son would become a doctor or lawyer. What he got instead is a 22-year-old international arms dealer who faces a congressional inquiry for allegedly selling old Chinese ammunition to the U.S. military to equip allies in Afghanistan. Diveroli is president of AEY Inc., a South Florida company which, according to U.S. government documents, has done more than $10 million of business with the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Afghanistan, China
US Suspends Miami 22yr-old in $200m China-Afghan Guns, Ammo Ripoff
CNN
28 March 2008
WASHINGTON -- U.S. investigators are looking into accusations that a company hired by the U.S. military supplied corroded and decades-old Chinese ammunition to the Afghan Army and police. The U.S. government has suspended AEY Inc. of Miami, Florida for violating its contract, according to U.S. Army documents obtained by CNN. And the House Oversight Committee plans to hold a hearing into the matter on April 17. "The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Albania, Afghanistan, United States
US/Afghan Ammunition, Gun Trafficking Scandal Implicates Albanian PM
Balkan Insight (Sarajevo)
27 March 2008
TIRANA -- Albanian leaders are accused of profiting from a murky arms deal with a company whose contract with the U.S. Army was suspended this week. The allegations implicate politicians as high as Prime Minister Sali Berisha and former Defence Minster Fatmir Mediu, with corruption. The allegations were the subject of a heated debate in Parliament on Thursday. "You are thwarting our integration into NATO and should resign,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Afghanistan, China, Albania, Iraq
US Offers 22yr-old Miami Man $300m for Old, Often Dud Afghan War Ammo
New York Times
27 March 2008
Since 2006, when the insurgency in Afghanistan sharply intensified, the Afghan government has been dependent on American logistics and military support in the war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. But to arm the Afghan forces that it hopes will lead this fight, the American military has relied since early last year on a fledgling company led by a 22-year-old man whose vice president was a licensed masseur. With the award... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Caribbean, Central America, South America
US Senate Stalls Hemispheric Arms Control in the Americas - NACLA Report
NACLA Report on the Americas Vol. 41, No. 2
19 March 2008
In 1997, President Bill Clinton, standing beside Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo in the Organization of American States' flag-bedecked Hall of the Americas, declared: "Gun trafficking is an issue of national security for our governments, and a matter of neighborhood security for all of us in the Americas." The presidents had joined together to sign an OAS treaty known as the Firearms Convention, or by its Spanish initials as CIFTA, designed... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Gun Makers Arrested in Danao City, Hub of Philippines' Illegal Weapon Trade
Cebu Daily News
17 March 2008
DANAO CITY, Philippines -- Two gun makers were arrested and 11 high-powered guns were seized by policemen in Danao City, known as the gun-making capital in Central Visayas. Marlou Luga and Rene Caputolan, both of Barangay (village) Manlayag, were caught in the act of making guns by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7). Seized from Luga's shanty were two improvised shotguns,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Makers Say Ammunition Microstamping Law Will Kill Handgun Sales
Connecticut Post
17 March 2008
HARTFORD -- Connecticut gun manufacturers said Monday they could not sell their weapons here if the General Assembly approves legislation to require that new firearms stamp tiny serial numbers on each shell casing when fired. The makers said the cost of weapons could increase by as much as $200 per gun and that such a tracing system would not be an effective aid to law enforcement in solving crimes. But proponents of the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Glock Pistols Under Fire for Explosions, Police Injuries in Florida, Oregon
Ledger (Florida)
13 March 2008
WINTER HAVEN -- The Police Department is ditching $38,000 worth of guns after two .45-caliber GAP Glock Model 37 pistols exploded in separate training incidents a year a part, causing minor injuries to an officer and a cadet. "I've been around 34 years in law enforcement, and we've seen malfunctioning with guns, but never seen it explode," Police Chief Mark LeVine said. "When I've got two guns out of 90 mess up, something's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, Africa, Middle East, World
Arrest of Notorious Gun Runner Highlights Need for Global Arms Trade Treaty
Guardian (UK) / Comment is Free, Web Page
10 March 2008
Viktor Vassilyevich Bout began his career transporting flowers and frozen chickens across Africa. He quickly moved on to diamonds, mining equipment, Kalashnikov assault rifles, bullets and helicopter gunships. Having evaded an international arrest warrant for more than five years, the notorious Russian arms dealer was finally arrested this week in Thailand. Dubbed the "merchant of death", Bout is regarded as one of the most prolific arms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria, Germany
German Gun Makers Profited from Decades of Armed Violence in Nigeria
Guardian (Lagos), Opinion
10 March 2008
On New Year's Day 2008, 18 people died in a shooting scene in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt, amongst them civilians who were caught up in the crossfire. Just like in Kenya -- where massacres were raging at the same time -- there was a German weapon at the centre of the violence: according to Nigerian press reports, the police confiscated one Heckler & Koch (H&K) G3 assault rifle from the attackers. However, German media only reported... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia, Iraq
Serbian Arms Industry Expects to Thrive on Major Gun Making Deal with Iraq
SEESAC (Belgrade) / BBC Monitoring Service, Beta News Agency, Transcript
10 March 2008
The contract on exporting weapons and military equipment to Iraq, worth 236m dollars, which the Serbian arms trading company Jugoimport SDPR signed with the government of Iraq, is the most significant deal the Serbian military industry has made since the end of 1990, when a contract was signed with Kuwait about the exports of 175 domestically produced M-84 tanks. The first instalment, adding up to 20 per cent of what the deal is... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Indian Gun Culture: Craft Manufacture, Psychology Behind Buying a Firearm
Times Now TV (Mumbai)
26 February 2008
In a shocking revelation, Times Now's Jagori Dhar uncovers mushrooming of gun culture in Bihar and unravels as to how easy it is to procure an arm in Bihar. Our reporter visited an undisclosed location near Patna where fire arms were available at throw away prices. The place appeared like any other cowshed, however, on closer look it was unveiled that the undisclosed location was the heart of the gun culture in Bihar. Our investigation indicated... ( gunpolicy.org )
Sudan, China, Chad, Austria
Guns, Grenade Launchers in Chad, Darfur Traced Back to China, Austria
Mother Jones (USA)
22 February 2008
My first glimpse into the flow of small arms into Darfur began at 4:45 on a February morning in 2006. The lights were off in the first-class Sudan Airways lounge at Khartoum International Airport. Sitting to my left was Abdallah, resplendent in white robes, sporting spectacles and a sharply trimmed goatee. Back then, Abdallah's younger brother, Mahamat Nour, was the leader of an 8,000-man rebel force sworn to overthrow the government of... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, Russia
Kalashnikov Faces Tough Fight Rebuilding Gun Sales in India, World
Telegraph (Calcutta)
22 February 2008
NEW DELHI -- Mikhail Timofeyevich's terrible legacy spawned a culture that changed the face of war forever. But now the Avtomat Kalashnikov assault rifle that bears his surname is struggling to recreate a culture in which everything Russian was the preferred choice for the Indian armed forces. The makers of the Kalash, arguably the best-known name in small arms, were tucked away in a five-foot-by-five-foot prefab stall... ( gunpolicy.org )
Germany, United States, Iraq, Afghanistan
German Gun Maker H&K Dumps 'Unique Partnership' with Blackwater USA
Deutsche Welle (Germany)
19 February 2008
Weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch said it would end its relationship with Blackwater after German media reported that the controversial US-run military firm was using its guns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Blackwater, a private security company which has been contracted to protect high-profile US officials and foreign dignitaries in Iraq, had been using Heckler & Koch machine guns in both Iraq and Afghanistan, German broadcaster ARD's... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, Russia
India to Manufacture Kalashnikov Assault Rifles Under Licence to Russia
Times of India / TNN
19 February 2008
NEW DELHI -- With the 61st anniversary of the famed Kalashnikov AK-47 series around the corner, the Russian manufacturer of the world's best-known assault rifle announced that the latest AK-100 series will be manufactured in India. The Russian arms company, Izhmash, will shortly issue a licence to an Indian private arms manufacturer with whom negotiations are at an advanced stage. Company spokesperson Alexander Xavarzin said assembling... ( gunpolicy.org )
India, Russia
Kalashnikov Assault Rifles May Be Made in India, Under Licence to Russia
Daily News & Analysis (Mumbai)
19 February 2008
NEW DELHI -- The legendary Assault rifle Kalashnikov (AK) is set to make a 'legal' entry into India. The Russian firm making the AK rifles, Izhmash, is in advanced talks with a reputed Indian industry group to start manufacture in India of the latest AK-100 series. This is the lighter, though deadlier version of the assault rifle born a few months after World War II ended. "We are carrying on negotiations with one major... ( gunpolicy.org )
Ghana
Ghanaian Researcher Suggests Legalising Illicit Small Arms Production
Joy Online / Daily Graphic (Ghana)
14 February 2008
A Research Fellow at the Africa Security Dialogue and Research (ASDR),Mr Emmanuel Addo Sowatey, has reiterated the need for the legalisation of smallarms manufacturing in the country in order to minimise their illegal production, as well as track and control their movement. He said because the manufacture of small arms was illegal, many manufacturers had gone underground to produce the weapons which, invariably end up in the hands... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia, India
Russia to Showcase New Assault Weapons, Handguns at Indian Arms Fair
RIA Novosti (Russia)
11 February 2008
MOSCOW -- Russia plans to showcase its range of new small arms and light weapons (SALW) at an International arms exhibition in India, defense industry officials said on Monday. The Defexpo India-2008 exhibition and conference is due to take place at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi February 16 through 19. State-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport said it would showcase advanced Kalashnikov AK-101, AK-102 (5.56 mm), AK-103 and AK-104... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Eager to Lure Gun Makers, Oklahoma Touts 'Worst in US' Gun Law Ranking
Durant Daily Democrat (Oklahoma)
5 February 2008
LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- A recent ranking by a gun-control group gives a timely boost to an effort to attract firearms manufacturers to Oklahoma, according to the lawmaker who initiated the endeavor. Last Thursday, the Brady Campaign, a group that advocates gun-control measures, said Oklahoma was tied with Kentucky having the fewest gun-control "points" in a national study. Out of a possible 100 points, the two states scored a two.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Pakistan
Heavy Gunfight Closes Notorious Pakistani Arms Bazaar, Darra Adam Khel
Washington Times
5 February 2008
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- A notorious arms bazaar that provides a source of weapons for al Qaeda-backed fighters in Pakistan's northwestern areas faces closure after heavy fighting between government troops and Islamic militants late last month, reports from the area said. The fighting erupted Jan. 25 when militants loyal to South Waziristan insurgent commander Baitullah Mehsud blocked the strategic Kohat Tunnel, 30 miles south of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Control Policies of Leading US Presidential Candidates - AP Update
Associated Press
4 February 2008
The stands of these 2008 presidential candidates on a selection of issues: New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, Democrats; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Republicans. (Snip) GUN CONTROL: Clinton: Voted for ban on assault-type weapons and to require background checks at gun shows. Favored leaving gun-makers... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya, Germany
German Gun Maker Heckler & Koch Supplied Weapons Used in Kenya Crisis
African Executive (Nairobi)
1 February 2008
Hundreds of people have been killed during the recent post-election unrest in Kenya, many of them from bullet wounds. The UN-news-agency IRIN reported that in Kisumu alone, 44 people were shot dead, some of them apparently in the back on escaping. Many pictures from the fighting scenes carry the G3 assault-rifle of Heckler & Koch (H&K), the standard weapon of the Kenyan army and police for more than thirty years. According to the well-informed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Hunting Falters, Budgets Fall: State Weighs School Gun Lessons for All
Associated Press
31 January 2008
CHARLESTON, West Virginia -- A significant drop in the number of hunters in West Virginia has left a hole in the state's budget, and one lawmaker thinks he has a solution: Allow children to receive hunter training in school. Children as young as 10 years old are already eligible for hunting licenses in the state, but training courses are typically offered outside of school. Proponents of the plan hope embedding training during school... ( gunpolicy.org )
Singapore, United States, Germany
German HK416 Assault Rifle Could Replace US M-16, Claim Its Promoters
Electric New Paper (Singapore)
20 January 2008
It's no joke to say that the arms race between gun manufacturers is deadly serious. After all, a successful deal could translate into millions of dollars, especially when the weapon for an entire army force is replaced. This is where the Heckler & Koch 416 comes in. Talk is rife that this state-of-the-art assault rifle is touted as the possible weapon that may replace the ubiquitous M16 rifle -- some 8 million... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Maker Slammed for Naming Handgun After 'Killer' LA Police Unit
Los Angeles Times
12 January 2008
LOS ANGELES -- To the dismay of some city leaders, a gun company is marketing a line of high-end pistols named for the LAPD's Special Investigation Section, an elite group of plainclothes detectives with a history of fatally shooting suspects. The guns for the undercover unit were created at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department. Kimber, a Yonkers, N.Y.-based gun maker, is marketing a slightly modified version to the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Singapore
Petite 'Singapore Girls' Wowed US Machine Gun Buyers, Export Arms Trade
Straits Times (Singapore)
6 January 2008
She was one of Singapore's first weapons salesmen and had her audience of seasoned weapons buyers awestruck by the time she finished her firing demonstration. The year was 1983. Local weapons maker Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS) had made its first light machine gun, the Ultimax 100, and wanted to introduce itself to the global arms market with a bang. Pitted against reputable weapons makers who had been in business... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Remington USA Buys Marlin Firearms in Rifle, Shotgun, Ammunition Merger
Newsday (New York) / AP
27 December 2007
HARTFORD, Connecticut -- Remington Arms Co. Inc. will acquire Marlin Firearms Co. in a deal that brings together two firearms companies founded in the 19th century that serve a range of customers from police to hunters. Remington, bought by Cerberus Capital Management in April, manufactures guns and ammunition for hunting, law enforcement, security, government and the military. The privately held Remington reported third-quarter... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Smith & Wesson Stock Down 70%, US Hunting Traders in Low-profit Spiral
Newsweek (USA)
20 December 2007
This fall should have been an excellent time for companies that cater to well-heeled hunters and fishers. The farm-based economies of the Great Plains and Midwest are roaring. And the onset of the presidential campaign season, during which you often find city slickers posing as big-game hunters, usually provides a boos -- for retailers and comedians alike. President Bush, in what now looks like foreshadowing, went out to shoot for doves... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada
Canadian Government Opens Wallet Wide to Buy Guns, Ammunition for Iraq
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario) / CanWest News Service
20 November 2007
KITCHENER, Ontario -- The gleaming steel cylinder is almost half as long as the average billiard cue but feels 10 times heavier. It will be dulled to black when it is transformed into an essential component of the basic weapon of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan -- the barrel of the C7 assault rifle, through which some 20,000 bullets will flash before the weapon outlives its usefulness. Canadian soldiers in southern Afghanistan... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Maryland Pols Override Governor's Veto, Trade Police Guns Back Into Shops
Baltimore Sun (Maryland) / AP
13 November 2007
Police departments will be able to dispose of their guns by selling them to a manufacturer, after the House voted 135-4 today to override a veto by Gov. Martin O'Malley. The Senate voted unanimously to override O'Malley's veto of the measure last week, so both chambers easily came up with the three-fifths vote needed for a veto override. Current state law requires police departments to either destroy the guns or sell them... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Kingdom, World
Brief Guide to the World's Best Known Guns and Major Gun Makers - BBC
BBC News
12 November 2007
The global trade in small arms is big business -- 1,250 companies in at least 92 countries produce weapons, parts or ammunition. But who are the big players? ARMALITE Makers of the M4 and M16 assault rifles, which are popular with the US armed forces and soldiers from many other nations. The design was quickly bought by Colt. Armalite weapons were also popular with the IRA, hence the republicans' long-time policy of... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Assam's Illegal Gun Makers Run 'Thriving' Firearm Manufacturing Industry
India Times / Times Now TV
11 November 2007
The manufacture of country-made guns is an illegal industry that is thriving in the jungles of Assam and has turned into a cottage industry here, finding a market from poachers to militants. As part of a special investigation, TIMES NOW followed a dirt track through Assam's Barpeta district to a jungle hideout. What looked a picnic tent, but was in fact a workshop for country-made guns. Two men were busy at work crafting some deadly... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia, United States
Serbian Gun Maker 'Back to Old Glory' In Deals with US Remington, Others
B92 Radio (Belgrade) / Beta, EM Online
6 November 2007
KRAGUJEVAC -- Zastava Arms plans 2008 exports to reach USD 20mn, the best result for the Kragujevac-based company in more than a decade. The factory has, according to Danas newspaper, made deals to export infantry armaments, including rifles, automatic rifles and military equipment worth USD 15mn. However, a new business arrangement is expected this month, worth some USD 3 to 4mn. A part of this contract will be with the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Indiana City's Lawsuit Against State Gun Makers Bypasses Federal Law
Post-Tribune (Indiana)
30 October 2007
INDIANAPOLIS -- The city of Gary won an appeal Monday to allow its quest to make gun manufacturers liable for selling guns to criminals. The ruling in the Indiana Court of Appeals could have national implications, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said. The lawsuit names 16 firearms manufacturers. Washington, D.C.-based attorney Brian Siebel, representing the city of Gary, said the manufacturers knowingly... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Indiana Court Sidelines Federal Law: US City Can Sue Gun Makers, Dealers
Journal News (Indiana) / AP
29 October 2007
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday that a lawsuit by the city of Gary against several gun makers can proceed to trial. The court ruled 3-0 that a provision in the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005 does not bar the case from going forward in state court. The federal law grants the industry broad protections from municipalities and victims seeking damages for gun-related violence. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Smith & Wesson Down 25%, Profits 'Plateau' As Rifle, Shotgun Sales Slow
Reuters
29 October 2007
BANGALORE -- Smith & Wesson Holding Corp forecast second-quarter results below Wall Street's view, hurt by lower demand for its hunting rifles and shotguns, and cut its fiscal 2008 outlook, sending shares down 25 percent. "The company is reaching a plateau in terms of sales growth," Amit Dayal, an analyst with Rodman & Renshaw, said by phone. Smith and Wesson is now even more dependant on the consumer market than it was... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Industry Feels Unwelcome, Warns Factories Might Move to Idaho
Magic Valley Times-News (Idaho)
28 October 2007
When it comes to guns, Idaho economic development officials are starting to see green. The Gem State, eager to attract new jobs and industry, is positioning itself as the best possible home for the nation's 200 small arms manufacturers -- companies worth a collective $2 billion per year but unwelcome in many of the states that have long been their home. It appears that the attraction is mutual. "Like any smart... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Indiana Judges Seem Sceptical of Appeal to Exempt Negligent Gun Dealers
Times (Indiana)
2 October 2007
INDIANAPOLIS -- The stern remarks and sharp questions posed Monday by the Indiana Court of Appeals gave the city of Gary hope its 1999 lawsuit against gun manufacturers and dealers will go forward in spite of a federal law designed to shield the industry from liability claims involving criminal misuse of products. The three-judge appellate panel appeared to take umbrage at the industry's assertion that the federal Protection of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, United Nations, World
US Reaffirms Global Domination in Arms, Gun Sales - Congressional Report
Agence France Presse
1 October 2007
WASHINGTON -- The United States reaffirmed last year its leadership in world arms trade, cornering nearly 42 percent of the market as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan prompted a weapons shopping spree among neighboring nations, according to a congressional report set to be released Monday. But the overall volume of weapons trade shrunk almost 13 percent, dealing a blow to France and other Western European suppliers, which are facing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, United Nations, World
US, Russia Still Dominate Gun Sales, Arms Trade With Developing Nations
International Herald Tribune / AP
1 October 2007
WASHINGTON -- The United States and Russia dominate the trade in arms sales to developing countries, controlling over half of the global market between them, according to a report by U.S. congressional researchers. The report found that orders for arms by developing countries fell betweem 2005 and 2006 by 13 percent to $40.3 billion (28.3 billion), according to an annual report by the Congressional Research Service, a part of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
To Attract Women, Girl Shooters, Wisconsin Gun Shops Sell Pink Weapons
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin)
23 September 2007
WAUKESHA -- As Gary Goessner, his buddy and their two pre-teen daughters shopped the Gander Mountain store hunting department in Waukesha Friday afternoon, the two girls were immediately drawn to a rifle and a youth shotgun. Buy a link hereBut it wasn't the firepower of the guns that attracted the girls' attention. It was a color: Call it blaze pink. The .22-caliber Crickett rifle ($169.99) has a bright pink stock, and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gunmakers Ask US Appeals Court to Block NYC Lawsuit Against Industry
Newsday (New York) / AP
21 September 2007
NEW YORK -- New York City's lawsuit accusing gun manufacturers of turning a blind eye to illegal weapons trafficking faced one of its toughest tests yet Friday when the case went before a federal appeals court. The nation's biggest arms companies have asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a ruling that allowed the lawsuit to stay alive, despite the passage of a federal law in 2005 that was supposed to have been... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Rudy Giuliani's Recantation is Prime Focus at US Gun Lobby Convention
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul) / McClatchy News Service
21 September 2007
WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, who as New York mayor backed gun control and sued firearms manufacturers, sought a middle ground Friday with skeptical gun-rights activists. But his remarks left many at the National Rifle Association's "Celebration of American Values" conference uneasy, especially after he struggled to answer whether he still thought that gunmakers should be held liable for criminals'... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Appeals Court Hears Arguments on Letting NYC's Gun Suit Go to Trial
Law.com / New York Law Journal
21 September 2007
Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo insisted Friday that New York City should be able to go to trial in its efforts to force gun manufacturers and distributors to put a lid on the illegal sale of firearms. In arguments before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Cardozo said a law passed by Congress to limit suits against manufacturers and distributors whose guns end up in the hands of criminals was unconstitutional and, in any... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Candidate Rudy Giuliani's Statements on Gun Control, 1993-2007
New York Times, Transcript
21 September 2007
A look at some of Rudolph W. Giuliani's statements on gun control between 1993 and 2007: Dec. 12, 1993 "(Handgun licensing) is not going to stop crime, and there's no question that a lot more has to be done about it than gun control and gun licensing. What it will do is reduce some of the damage. In the 1950s in New York, 19 percent of the homicides were by firearm. That's now up to 75 percent, and the most-often-used weapon... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Apocalypse, Profit in 'Son of Rev Moon' Church/Gun Empire [Part 1 of 2]
Portfolio (USA), October Issue
17 September 2007
On a blustery night in December 1999, Danny Guzman left his house in Worcester, Massachusetts, and headed downtown to Tropigala, his cousin's nightclub. Tropigala occupied a bunkerlike, one-story brick building on Main South, a street that was home to shuttered storefronts, rooming houses, and a creeping underworld of drug dealing and prostitution, punctuated by the occasional shooting. Despite the upcoming holiday, Tropigala was packed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Apocalypse, Profit in 'Son of Rev Moon' Church/Gun Empire [Part 2 of 2]
Portfolio (USA), October Issue
17 September 2007
[Continued from Part 1 of 2] Exploring Reverend Moon's empire is a lot like embarking on an archaeological dig -- with the prospect of finding stuff that you'd never imagine and stuff that makes no sense at all. But Zilliox was diligent. He marshaled hundreds of pages of documents, business papers, press clippings, and government filings. He found that Moon's business world is one vast, byzantine, global network of cultural, religious,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Firearm Lobby Pushing US-style Youth Gun Culture in Australia, Says Group
ABC News (Australia)
10 September 2007
The National Coaltition for Gun Control has criticised moves to water down gun laws in Tasmania. It has been reported that a parliamentary committee has recommended the legal age for children to use firearms in the bush be lowered. The coalition's Roland Browne says it is a retrograde step. He says firearms' manufacturers have saturated the adult market and are now pushing guns onto children. "It's just... ( gunpolicy.org )
Serbia, United States
US/Serbia Gun Deal Under Cloud, Privately Funded by 'George Bush Himself'
Tanjug / B-92 Radio (Belgrade)
10 September 2007
KRAGUJEVAC -- Zastava Arms and U.S. gunmaker Remington may have to change their cooperation deal, it was annouced Monday. A recent change in the ownership structure of the U.S. company through whom Zastava Arms has been exporting hunting rifles for the past two years to the U.S., Canada and Mexico, might affect their partnership. Zastava Arms workers' union said it was not yet known whether the business cooperation contract... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
High Point 9-mm Pistol Once Again Crime Gun of Choice for US Criminals
Daily News (New York)
9 September 2007
The illegal handgun used by an ex-con in a firefight that left a transit cop wounded is the weapon of choice among New York City criminals, federal data show. Juan Calves brandished a High Point 9-mm. when plainclothes Officer Annmarie Marchiondo and her two anti-crime partners yanked him off the No. 4 train in the Bronx on Friday. The inexpensive pistol tops the lengthy list of guns seized from New York City criminals... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Indian High Court Orders Urgent Probe of Illegal Gun Manufacture, Trafficking
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
29 August 2007
Taking a serious view of proliferation of illegal firearms, the Allahabad High Court has directed the state DGP to file a reply, giving details about the factories or other units manufacturing illicit arms and ammunition which have been unearthed in the last three years. The HC also directed the DGP to mention the number of accused who had been found in possession of illegal arms in the past one year and the progress of investigations... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Jesse Jackson, Gun Control Protesters March on Illinois Firearm Factory
Chicago Tribune
28 August 2007
The plain gray building set back in a Lake Barrington industrial park never captured much public attention until Tuesday, when Rev. Jesse Jackson's entourage arrived aboard three buses. About 200 activists, who marched in front of D.S. Arms, called for the northwest suburban community to vote the assault-weapon manufacturer out of town. "Chicago is voted gun dry," Jackson said, his voice booming through a microphone. "We... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Iraq
US Police Run Short of Ammo as American Wars Consume Billions of Bullets
Washington Post
28 August 2007
The U.S. military's soaring demand for small-arms ammunition, fueled by two wars abroad, has left domestic police agencies less able to quickly replenish their supplies, leading some to conserve rounds by cutting back on weapons training, police officials said. To varying degrees, officials in Montgomery, Loudoun and Anne Arundel counties said, they have begun rationing or making other adjustments to accommodate delivery schedules... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Senator, NRA Board Member, Gun Lobbyist 'Solicited Gay Sex in Toilet'
New York Times
27 August 2007
Roll Call is reporting that Senator Larry Craig, Republican of Idaho, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge earlier this month after he was arrested in an airport restroom by a plainsclothes police officer investigating complaints of lewd conduct. It said Mr. Craig paid a $500 fine and is on one-year probation for the disorderly conduct charge. The police officer wrote a lengthy, detailed report about his encounter with Senator... ( gunpolicy.org )
China
Chinese Police Call for Greater Public Help to Stamp Out Gun Trade
People's Daily (China) / Xinhua
23 August 2007
China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has called for greater public cooperation in helping to crack down on illegal gun production and trade. Wu Dongli, director of the ministry's public order management bureau, said in an online interview on Wednesday that a handful of rural people in remote and backward areas were illegally producing firearms to make money. The guns were sold to criminals, putting the public at serious... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Police, Military Face Ammunition Shortage: Iraq War Uses a Billion Bullets
Associated Press
17 August 2007
Troops training for and fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are firing more than 1 billion bullets a year, contributing to ammunition shortages hitting police departments nationwide and preventing some officers from training with the weapons they carry on patrol. An Associated Press review of dozens of police and sheriff's departments found that many are struggling with delays of as long as a year for both handgun and rifle... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Law Enforcement Shut Down 200,000 US Firearm Dealers Since 1994
Kansas City Star (Missouri) / McClatchy Newspapers
15 August 2007
WASHINGTON -- Tougher laws and stricter enforcement cost nearly 200,000 U.S. gun dealers their licenses since the mid-1990s, a new study shows. Led by remarkably sharp declines in states including California, Florida and Washington, the number of federally licensed firearms dealers fell 79 percent nationwide since 1994. In that year, Congress adopted new gun-control measures that still spark fiery debate. "The sharp drop... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Ammunition Prices Soar: 'Must Have' Item Lists in Consumer Price Index
Dallas Morning News (Texas)
9 August 2007
The baby needs milk. The car needs gas. The gun needs bullets. Rising dairy and oil prices grab the attention of shoppers and motorists. But the increasing price of ammunition -- a consumer product the government considers when calculating the rate of inflation -- has largely gone unnoticed. The price increases began after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, then were compounded by a double whammy: the war in Iraq, which... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Firearms in Australia: a Parliamentary Library Guide to Electronic Resources
Parliamentary Library, Federal Parliament of Australia, Web Page
6 August 2007
Introduction On 28 April 1996, 35 people were killed and 18 others were wounded at Port Arthur in Tasmania by an assailant using a semi-automatic rifle. In response, The Australasian Police Ministers' Council convened a special meeting on 10 May 1996 and agreed to a national plan for the regulation of firearms -- the Nationwide Agreement on Firearms. This agreement banned self-loading rifles and self-loading and pump-action shotguns,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia, Venezuela
Russia to Build 2 Kalashnikov Assault Rifle, Ammo Factories in Venezuela
RIA Novosti (Russia)
6 August 2007
IZHEVSK, Urals -- Russia will build two factories for production of the famous Kalashnikov assault rifle and ammunition in Venezuela by 2010, a Russian arms manufacturer said Monday. The Urals-based Izhevsk Mechanical Plant (IMP) earlier fulfilled a contract to supply 100,000 AK-103 assault rifles to Venezuela, and signed a new contract licensing production of Kalashnikov rifles in the Latin American country. "We will begin... ( gunpolicy.org )
World
How the AK47 Became the Coca-Cola of Small Arms
Guardian (UK), Book review
28 July 2007
AK47: The Story of the People's Gun, by Michael Hodges, 226pp, Sceptre, £16.99 There was a hint, I thought, or wished, of a Russified Jack London in the childhood and adolescence of Mikhail Kalashnikov. The expanses of Siberia standing in for the Pacific north-west perhaps; there was an old rifle for hunting in the woods; the mysterious gift of an American Browning revolver, to be wondered at, taken apart and cherished; an artisan's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Ammunition Plants Make Billions of Bullets, Brace for Drop in Demand
Washington Post / AP
23 July 2007
WASHINGTON -- The Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo., produces nearly 1.4 billion bullets a year, a dizzying figure driven by the demands of war. "It's actually mind-boggling," said Karen Davies, Lake City's general manager. The question is, for how long? Although no one knows when the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will end, Davies and other ammunition industry executives understand the heavy orders won't last... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Indian Gun Owners Protest Low Quality, High Cost, Booming Black Market
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
22 July 2007
NEW DELHI -- Last year, when Delhi-based businessman Aman Dhamija managed to get a gun licence after months of running around, he couldn't believe his luck. Given the tedious gun licence procurement procedure, he was almost certain that his request would be turned down. Seven months on, the man who has got both the licence and the gun, is still frustrated. "In the last seven months, I have taken the weapon to the workshop three... ( gunpolicy.org )
Russia, United States, World
Russia Celebrates AK47's 60th, But Others Profit from 'Illegal' US Gun Trade
New York Times
15 July 2007
MOSCOW -- The automatic Kalashnikov, the world's most abundant firearm and a martial symbol with a multiplicity of meanings, turns 60 this year. In some places this is cause to shudder. In Russia it is treated as a milestone to celebrate, and a chance to cry foul. Once strictly Communist products, the AK-47 and its offspring are killing tools so durable and easy to use that they were heralded as achievements of state socialism and... ( gunpolicy.org )
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