MONTREAL — When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. As if to put the dusty old gun lover's saw to the test, Canada this week created a huge new caste of criminals as North America's toughest gun law went into effect. After two years of court battles and political brawls, a sweeping federal gun control measure became the law of the north on Jan. 1, turning hundreds of thousands of gun owners into instant outlaws. The government and gun control advocates... (GunPolicy.org)

More guns seized during arrests in North Jersey are being traced as part of a growing federal effort to thwart firearms trafficking, officials said Thursday. Data released by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms show that 1,858 guns were submitted to the agency for tracing last year by local, county, and state law enforcement officials in 11 North Jersey counties, a 13-percent rise over 1999. Although traces were up in Bergen County, to 76 last year... (GunPolicy.org)

Federal authorities said yesterday they will immediately take steps to shut down a well-known Fells Point gun shop after a judge ruled that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms acted properly in revoking the store's license to sell firearms. Baltimore Gunsmith, long targeted by police as one of the most prolific sources of guns used in area crimes, will have about 30 days to sell its inventory and close its doors, said Special Agent Mike Campbell, a spokesman... (GunPolicy.org)

Gun-control advocates often forget one victim of gun violence: the suicide. How many fatal, impulsive decisions have been aided by the presence of a handgun in the home? Too many. And African-Americans are doubly at risk, given their rising suicide rate and an appalling availability of handguns in their communities. Handguns are the leading method of self-destruction, accounting for 57% of the more than 31,000 U.S. suicides in 1998. Homes with handguns are five times... (GunPolicy.org)

WASHINGTON — Seven gun makers and a firearms group dropped their lawsuit Friday against the Department of Housing and Urban Development and 39 other government officials and municipalities over a program favoring manufacturer Smith & Wesson. The gun makers said they were dropping the suit because a new Republican administration was about to take office and was thought unlikely to support the program. A HUD spokeswoman disputed that, saying the real reason the... (GunPolicy.org)