Gun Policy News
Gun dealers mentioned in mass media
Dominican Gun Dealers Scoff at Import Ban
25 July 2022
Dominican Today
Santo Domingo -- In four years, the Ministry of the Interior and Police issued 57 permits to import firearms, although a decree prohibits doing so.
The entity does not know how many weapons have been introduced into the national territory despite the that the law empowers it to establish the maximum and amount that must be imported by each gun shop.
With an unreliable database, as admitted by the deputy minister of weapons, Aníbal Amparo García, the institution... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina,Brazil,Chile,Colombia,Mexico
Gun Laws in Latin America's Largest Economies
26 August 2021
Council of the Americas (COA)
Countries may adopt stringent gun control laws, but their efforts are complicated by international arms smuggling. We explore policies in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.
For government across Latin America, reducing violence and providing security are top agenda items. AS/COA Online looks at gun-related legislation in Latin America's largest economies, identifying regulations for arms licensing. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, gun... (GunPolicy.org)
PNG Gun Dealer's Licence Cancelled for False Declarations
22 November 2019
Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
Acting Police Commissioner David Manning has cancelled a PNG dealer's license [sic] for making false declarations in the end user certificate.
Documents held by the Royal PNG Constabulary indicated that the PNG firearms dealer had imported high powered firearms specifically for the exclusive use of the Royal PNG Constabulary and not for sale or transfer to a third party.
However, a review recently carried out by the Royal PNG Constabulary and international partner... (GunPolicy.org)
9 June 2019
Bangkok Post
"If you have a gun, shoot me," shouted Preecha Kunthong before he was hit with several bullets between the eyes and killed on May 19 in Saraburi's Muang district while buying a packet of instant coffee.
The 59-year-old man, who had that morning gone to breakfast with a friend at the local market, allegedly fell into an argument with the shooter as he stood in line at a convenience store opposite Saraburi Hospital.
This story isn't an unusual one in the country with... (GunPolicy.org)
Ex-Firearm Dealer Gets 11 Years for Smuggling 'Mass Kill' Guns
14 May 2019
Australian Associated Press
A Victorian man who imported "mass killing machines" has had years added to his prison sentence after an appeal.
Paul Robert Munro, 65, was originally ordered to serve at least six years behind bars for importing a dozen Thureon machine guns, capable of firing 1000 rounds a minute.
But on Tuesday the Court of Appeal revealed it had increased his non-parole period to 11 years.
The maximum 10-year sentence handed down by the County Court last May was also increased to... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Dealer Accused of Trafficking
11 April 2019
Sporting Shooter / SSAA
Shane Simpson, gun shop owner and presenter on Hunting The Menu, is accused of being a major underworld weapons supplier and of selling firearms used in crimes across Australia, including the executions of two of Sydney highest-ranking organised crime figures.
The Daily Telegraph reported police allege arms dealer Shane James Simpson operated out of a gun shop in Port Kembla near Wollongong and sold guns which were used in the murders of two of Sydney's most... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Firearms Dealer Charged, Hundreds of Guns Seized
11 April 2019
ABC News (Australia)
Key points:
- NSW Police seize 300 firearms from licensed gun dealer, who has been charged with 40 offences
- Dealer accused of being a 'professional facilitator' of organised crime networks across three states
- Accused has not applied for bail or entered a plea in court
A licensed firearms dealer in New South Wales has been charged with more than 40 firearms offences and had more than 300 guns seized from his business in what NSW Police have described as one of the... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Gun Dealer Arrested for Selling Guns Illegally
10 April 2019
Illawarra Mercury
A Port Kembla firearms dealer has been arrested, and more than 300 weapons seized from his business, after he allegedly sold guns police say were used to shoot dead at least one Sydney underworld figure.
Shane Simpson was taken into custody after officers raided his firearms and hunting store - Simpson Sports, on the corner of Wentworth and Fitzwilliam streets - about 8.30am on Wednesday.
The Mercury understands police arrested the 46-year-old licensed firearms dealer... (GunPolicy.org)
Tasmanian Gun Dealer Charged With Gun Trafficking
4 December 2018
The Advocate
Police laid more than 80 firearms charges against a 58-year-old Ulverstone man on Tuesday.
In a release, police said a "lengthy criminal investigation" led to the charges being laid, along with a suspension of the man's firearms dealer's license and his personal firearms license.
He has been charged with 12 counts of unregistered firearm possession, 54 counts of a licensed firearms dealer failing to keep records in an approved form and four counts of possessing... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
2017 Australian Gun Amnesty Results by Jurisdiction - SSAA
9 November 2017
Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia
The inclusion of gun dealers and an option to register or sell legal firearms has paved the way for high participation rates in the national firearms amnesty. The SSAA successfully lobbied the Federal Government to base the three-month amnesty on the successful Queensland version, with most states and territories adopting this proven model.
From the available data, it is clear the jurisdictions that allowed dealers to process firearms at gunshops and enabled licence... (GunPolicy.org)
397 Charges for Former Sydney Gun Dealer
2 June 2017
Australian Associated Press
A former Sydney firearms dealer has been charged with almost 400 firearms and explosives offences including charges related to unregistered and unsecured weapons.
The 71-year-old man was charged on Wednesday after a two-year multi-agency investigation into a former dealership in Terrey Hills, during which a number of firearms and explosive material, including gunpowder were seized, although 78 firearms remain unaccounted for, police said.
The man has been charged with... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Shop Loses 130 Handguns to Thieves in Western Australia
24 March 2017
ABC News (Australia)
Western Australia's Police Commissioner is calling for tighter regulations affecting gun stores and owners following the "highly organised" theft of 130 handguns from a Perth store.
But gun lobby groups have dismissed his comments, saying WA is already the most regulated state in Australia and any further controls would be overkill.
It comes after police revealed 130 handguns including revolvers and semi-automatics were stolen from Barry and Son Firearms in Beckenham... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Dealer Theft Worth $650,000 on Black Market - ABC News
22 March 2017
ABC News (Australia)
More than 100 handguns have been stolen from a firearms store in Perth's southern suburbs, with police describing the theft as a highly organised heist and saying there could be "disastrous" consequences.
Police said 130 handguns including revolvers and semi-automatics were stolen from Barry and Son Firearms in Beckenham on the night of March 11.
The guns are valued at about $5,000 each on the black market, taking the total value of the stolen firearms to... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Boom in America's 'Black Friday' Shopping Spree
25 November 2016
CNN
The Black Friday weapon sales are not driven by the Christmas spirit since gun laws in many states prohibit buying guns for someone else. The sales are driven by sharp discounts.
Not far from New York City, hundreds of shoppers packed into RTSP, a gun shop and firing range in Randolph, New Jersey, lured by Black Friday discounts of 5% to 10% for guns, ammunition and accessories.
Dr. Joseph Feldman, a surgeon from neighboring Montville, was buying a $500 Sig Sauer... (GunPolicy.org)
Trump's Victory Has Fearful Minorities Buying Up Guns - NBC
23 November 2016
NBC News (USA)
After Donald Trump's win, Yolanda Scott is upgrading the crowbar she keeps in her purse to a small-caliber pistol.
Scott, an African-American, is one of many minorities who have been flocking to gun stores to protect themselves, afraid Trump's victory will incite more hate crimes.
"You feel that racists now feel like they can attack us just because the president is doing it," one gun shop owner told NBC News.
Gun store owners told NBC News that since November 8... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Background Checks Work, May Hamper Suicide Prevention
17 November 2016
Channel News Asia (Singapore), Reuters
Gun control laws that mandate a background check before a gun can be temporarily transferred to a friend or family member may interfere with suicide prevention efforts, researchers say.
The research team looked at what happens when people want to temporarily remove firearms from their home because they fear someone in the house might be considering a suicide attempt. In some states, they found, gun control laws may actually hamper the ability to easily transfer a gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Background Checks on All Gun Sales Now to Be Law in Nevada
9 November 2016
Las Vegas Review Journal (Nevada)
Nevadans voted in favor of expanded background checks for private gun sales by the thinnest of margins Tuesday.
The "Yes" vote on Question 1, which would require in-person background checks for all guns sold among friends, online and at gun shows, was approved by a 50.45 percent to 49.55 percent margin, which amounted to less than 10,000 votes statewide.
Starting Jan. 1, Nevadans looking to conduct a private sale or transfer of a gun will have to go to a federally... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 100 Controversial Adler Shotguns Registered in Tasmania
6 November 2016
Mercury (Tasmania)
More than 100 five-shot Adler shotguns are registered in Tasmania, Police Minister Rene Hidding has divulged.
And a simple "do it yourself" kit available online can see the five-shot 12 gauge converted into an 11-round rapid fire shotgun.
It follows concerns by anti-gun advocates about the number of firearms in Tasmania and the proliferation of small arsenals across the state.
The Adler lever-action shotgun rose to notoriety after its Turkish manufacturer released a... (GunPolicy.org)
Sudden Spike in US Gun Sales Down to 'Fear of Clinton Victory'
2 November 2016
Independent (UK)
One of the biggest manufacturers of hand guns and assault rifles in the United States is reporting soaring sales in the run-up to the presidential election as enthusiasts fear that a Hillary Clinton victory over Donald Trump could lead to restrictive new gun-control measures.
Sturm, Ruger, maker of AR-type assault rifles as well as an array of other rifles and pistols, said in an earnings call that sales rose by one third, to $161.4 million, in the quarter that ended 1... (GunPolicy.org)
900 Firearms Stolen from Gun Shops in US Carolinas This Year
31 October 2016
WSOC/TV (USA)
CHARLOTTE -- There have been 900 guns stolen from stores in the Carolinas in 2016 and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials said it's the fastest rate in the U.S.
Federal agents are working around the clock to solve the cases but the connection between the crimes isn't clear.
Guns have been stolen from 81 firearms shops in the Carolinas since January.
"We've had approximately 900 that have been taken through burglary, larceny or robbery," ATF... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Weapons Seized from Trafficking Group in Philippines
15 October 2016
The Standard (Philippines)
A shipment of about 6,700 rounds of ammunition for high-caliber arms and assault rifles from Metro Manila to Mindanao was intercepted by police and military agents at a port in Cagayan de Oro Thursday, law enforcement officials said Friday.
Two handlers of the cargo and a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front were arrested after the shipment—thousands of M60 caliber bullets and four rounds for the M203 grenade launchers—was seized.
This was the second... (GunPolicy.org)
One Great Way to Reduce Gun Violence? A Whole Lot of Data
15 October 2016
Wired (San Francisco)
At their core, data tell stories. They reveal patterns, show changes over time, and confirm or challenge our theories. And in cities across the country, mayors, police chiefs, and other local leaders are turning to data to help them understand and address gun violence, one of the most persistent crises they face.
Innovative, data-driven programs are showing encouraging results. To keep high school students on the right track, the city of Chicago scaled up a... (GunPolicy.org)
Ten Essential Facts About Guns and Suicide - Myths Cost Lives
6 September 2016
The Trace (USA)
Despite an alarming uptick in homicides in some urban areas in the last few years, violent death rates are significantly lower than they were in the 1990s. There is one notable exception to this trend. Suicide rates for men and women have steadily increased for the past 15 years.
The statistics are bleak. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S. From ages 10 to 34, it is the second leading cause. Last year, at least 40,000 people in the U.S. died by... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Sale Background Checks Rise to Record Number
6 September 2016
CNN
Guns are selling at unprecedented levels this summer, which means 2016 is well on its way to breaking the all-time record for background checks.
Background checks conducted by the FBI totaled 1,853,815 in August 2016, a 6% increase from August 2015.
That's the most checks ever in the month of August since the FBI started conducting background checks in 1998. In fact, every monthly tally this year has hit an all-time high, meaning that 2016 is on track to be the record... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Dealers, Health Experts Combine to Curb Gun Suicide
3 September 2016
Christian Science Monitor
HOOKSETT — As the longtime owner of a gun store, Ralph Demicco is passionate about his firearms. At the modest ranch house he built himself outside this rural New Hampshire town, he keeps a collection of rifles, shotguns, pistols, and antique weaponry, including two cast-iron cannons that he stores in the barn beneath an oval wooden wall plaque inscribed with the Second Amendment.
On special occasions, he wheels out his beloved cannons – replicas of Dutch and... (GunPolicy.org)
Police in Australia Seize Guns Linked to US Crime Syndicate
2 September 2016
ABC News (Australia)
Police in Victoria and New South Wales have seized 300 weapons and gun parts in a haul they say has cracked down on a major crime syndicate importing weapons from the United States.
The international operation has led to firearms charges being laid against two men.
Police said there might be further arrests as their investigations continue.
The joint federal, state and international operation was sparked 15 months ago in Victoria when a military-style assault rifle... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Seizure in US Prevented Illegal Trafficking to #Australia
2 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
A cache of illegal guns has been seized by state, federal and US authorities as part of an investigation to tackle an international weapons operation.
Investigations began after an armed robbery at a western suburbs McDonald's 15 months ago, where a Thureon AR-15 assault rifle was used.
That weapon was then "backtracked" by police, which helped prevent a large consignment of weapons being imported to Australia.
In June, US officials seized six fully automatic assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Admirable People at US Federal Bureau of Way Too Many Guns
30 August 2016
GQ (USA)
Say there's a murder. Blood everywhere, a dead guy on the floor. The cops come in with their yellow tape, chalk line, the little booties, cameras, swabs, the fingerprint dust. One of them finds a gun on the floor. The gun! He lifts it with his pinkie, examines it, takes note of the serial number. Back at the station, they run a trace on the gun. A name pops up. It's the wife! Or: It's the business partner! It's somebody's gun, and this is so exciting because now they... (GunPolicy.org)
Number of Small-time Gun Makers Swells in Florida, and in US
27 August 2016
Washington Times, Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Florida -- At FrogBones Family Shooting in Melbourne, you'll find rows of handguns, rifles and shooting accessories.
You'll also hear the constant "thud" of guns being fired in the indoor range.
Many probably would be surprised to know that FrogBones also is considered a gun "manufacturer," meaning it has the same license as other gun makers like Kel-Tec in Cocoa, Knight's Armament in Titusville or I.O. Inc. in Palm Bay.
"It's 1/100th of a percent of our... (GunPolicy.org)
Another US Startup Designs a Low-Tech 'Smart Gun' Pistol
28 July 2016
Forbes (USA)
On first glance, it looks familiar to anyone who has seen a version of the Glock 17 pistol, the sleek handgun popularized by law enforcement around the country. But behind the trigger is a multi-colored, six-digit keypad that looks more like something you'd find on a door alarm than a gun.
The keypad stands out on the otherwise black pistol, a visual cue that the SMART 2 is not your ordinary handgun. It's also the reason why, according to the weapon's makers, it isn't... (GunPolicy.org)
US Shop Sells 30,000 AR-15 Assault Rifles in Just One Week
22 June 2016
News (Australia)
Just when you thought you couldn't be any more dismayed by America's gun crisis, comes this depressing nugget of information.
Despite the fight for gun control making waves across the world in the week since a terrorist attack in an Orlando nightclub that left 49 dead and 53 wounded, one online gun shop has sold a whopping 30,000 AR-15 rifles.
Let me repeat that: 30,000 guns sold in ONE WEEK.
Hunter's Warehouse owner Tom Engle told Fox Business' Stuart Varney that... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Men Accused of Selling 100 Illegal Assault Weapons
21 June 2016
New York Times
Three New York men were accused on Tuesday of selling over 100 illegal assault weapons from a shop near Rochester in what the authorities said was the largest gun seizure made by the state attorney general's office since the SAFE Act was passed by the State Legislature after the 2012 mass shooting at a Connecticut school.
The owner of the gun shop, Kordell Jackson, 40, of West Henrietta, was arrested on charges including three counts of first-degree criminal sale of a... (GunPolicy.org)
Central America,Germany,El Salvador
El Salvador Accuses Its Own Ambassador of Gun Trafficking
6 June 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Prosecutors in El Salvador have asked Congress to strip the country's ambassador to Germany and former Defense minister of immunity so they can pursue charges against him related to an alleged arms trafficking ring.
The Attorney General's Office is accusing Gen. Jose Atilio Benítez of fraud, illegal possession of weapons, and illegal arms trafficking, La Prensa Grafica reported. The prosecutors alleged that Benítez ordered subordinates to fraudulently register... (GunPolicy.org)
US 3rd-Party Gun Sales Don't Require Background Checks
25 May 2016
WKRN TV Nashville
NASHVILLE – If you buy a hand gun from a gun shop in Tennessee, you need to pass a background check.
But if two private citizens buy and sell a gun, that transaction doesn't require a background check—and it is legal.
News 2's Andy Cordan was offered a chance to buy a gun on the street the other day from a man who first tried to pawn it.
It happened Monday about 5 p.m. when the man left the shop in South Nashville carrying a gun he later identified as a TEC-9, a... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Dealers Lose 12,000 Firearms to Thieves in Two Years
19 May 2016
News Max
More than 12,000 handguns, shotguns, and rifles were stolen from gun stores between 2013 and 2015, an increase of 28 percent, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
More than 1,100 federally licensed gun dealers were robbed, according to ABC News.
"We know from experience that as soon as those guns are stolen, we have a very short period of time between when those guns go from the legal market into criminal hands and then are being... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Dealer Founds Movement to Prevent Firearm Suicides
18 May 2016
Scientific American
Ralph Demicco feels as though he has watched the 53-minute surveillance video 100 times, searching it for clues to preventing tragedy. He sees a young man walk into his gun shop in Hooksett, N.H. The man asks about buying a handgun. "He engaged the clerk in small talk, totally disarmed the clerk," Demicco says. "No way in heck that clerk would suspect that three quarters of an hour after the conversation that person would take his life."
And yet the 24-year-old man did... (GunPolicy.org)
Sandy Hook Gun Lawsuit Can Learn From 'Big Tobacco' Fight
14 May 2016
CNN
Families of the victims in the 2012 massacre by shooter Adam Lanza in Newtown, Connecticut, are no longer united only in their grief. Some of them are also now part of a potentially precedent-setting lawsuit seeking accountability from the gunmaker, Remington.
At issue are what the families allege are the manufacturer's marketing strategies and other trade secrets on military-style weapons.
Although the trial is not set to begin until April 2018, the case is moving... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Rising Sharply in Czech Republic
4 May 2016
Radio Prague
Gun sales in the Czech Republic have been rising fast in recent months, while the number of Czechs applying for licenses is also growing. Experts suggest this is a response to worries over terrorist attacks and the migrant crisis.
In the last five years over 100,000 guns have been sold in this country, bringing the total number owned by private citizens to more than 800,000, according to the newspaper Hospodářské noviny.
After a period of decline, applications for... (GunPolicy.org)
Tracking Flow of US Guns Used in Crime Is Inexact Science
28 April 2016
New York Times, Associated Press
SMYRNA — Adventure Outdoors is an 80,000-square-foot store with walls lined with long guns, cases packed with handguns and aisles jammed with all the accessories an avid outdoorsman would need: coolers, clothing, ammo. At the customer service counter is a government-issued poster that warns: "Don't lie for the other guy."
Store founder Jay Wallace said his staff is diligent about making sure buyers are legitimate and not fronting for someone who is legally prohibited... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Dealer Subverts Ban on Rapid-fire Shotgun
28 April 2016
ABC News (Australia)
An Adelaide gunsmith has attracted controversy after his decision to legally modify a shotgun to match the ammunition load of a higher capacity version which was banned from importation last year.
Importation of the eight-shot Adler lever action shotgun was suspended for 12 months in July because it could fire up to eight shells before needing to be reloaded.
Nik Halliwell runs a gun modification workshop in the Adelaide suburbs and is one of the few people in... (GunPolicy.org)
Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs Race to Develop More Smart Guns
12 April 2016
Newsweek (USA)
In the 2012 movie Skyfall, James Bond brandishes his trusty sidearm, but with a high-tech twist: There's a sensor in the grip that reads palm prints so only he can fire it. The souped-up firearm saves the secret agent's life, and in the real world, similar technology could do the same for thousands. Or so says Ron Conway, an avuncular Silicon Valley billionaire trying to disrupt the gun industry.
Speaking at the International Smart Gun Symposium in San Francisco in... (GunPolicy.org)
Critics Say Seattle's Gun Violence Tax is not Working
11 April 2016
Examiner (USA)
Today's Seattle Times carries an update of sorts on the city's controversial gun violence tax, against which plaintiffs in a lawsuit to overturn the tax just filed an appeal brief with the state Court of Appeals, and the story quotes one retailer who squarely nails common sense.
Mike Coombs, owner of the Outdoor Emporium, one of two retail plaintiffs in the case against the tax puts it bluntly: "If they want to help with safety they should help me pay for safety... (GunPolicy.org)
France,Slovakia,Germany,Eastern Europe,United Kingdom
East Europe's Shadow Gun Market Fuels Terrorism in West
18 March 2016
Black Sea, Der Spiegel, Le Soir
The trafficking of Communist-era weapons leads from a Slovakian website to last year's ISIS terror attack in Paris and new regulations have failed to stop the sale of deadly weapons to criminals, we can reveal.
7 January 2015. Chérif Kouachi and his brother Said leave a bloodbath in the newsroom of magazine Charlie Hebdo. Two days later, Kouachi's close contact, Amedy Coulibaly, assaults the kosher supermarket Hyper Cacher in Paris.
When Coulibaly takes the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand: Police Have No System to Track Stolen Guns
11 March 2016
Stuff (New Zealand)
Thousands of guns stolen each year in New Zealand are ending up in the arms of gang members but police have no systems in place to track guns or what has been stolen.
Owner of Timaru's Gun City Wayne Golightly said police have told him that more than 100 firearms have been stolen in South Canterbury in the past year and about 2000 across New Zealand.
But police were unable to supply information under the Official Information Act about the number of burglaries... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico's Gun Dealers Are Unfazed by Obama
26 February 2016
Global Post (Boston)
MEXICO CITY — Javier scoots onto a plastic stool in a courtyard. He reaches beneath his shirt and pulls out a shiny Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol. He deftly spins it through his hands, ejects the magazine, and holds it out for inspection.
"This one's new, straight from its packaging," he says.
It will cost 15,000 pesos with a box of ammo, around $810.
Javier, who only gave his first name, operates this illicit little gun mart in Tepito market, a famed... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippine Police Firearms Chief, 14 Others Sacked Over Gun Licenses
24 February 2016
Philippine Star
MANILA – The chief of the police Firearms and Explosives Office and 14 others have been relieved and are under investigation after being implicated in the issuance of License to Own and Possess Firearms (LTOPF) for P15,000 even without the required documents.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ricardo Marquez yesterday approved the relief of FEO head Chief Supt. Elmo Francis Sarona and 14 other policemen and civilian employees linked to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Raid Sydney Gun Dealer, Seize 180 Firearms
28 December 2015
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Police have raided a well known Sydney gun business which has built a reputation as a major supplier of "theatrical" weapons to popular TV shows and movies.
Officers from the NSW Police Firearm Registry seized 180 real pistols and rifles from The Stockade gun shop at Terrey Hills, on the northern beaches.
The shop has supplied replica weapons for about 50 TV series and movies, including Water Rats, Australia's Most Wanted and Superman Returns.
The registry — which... (GunPolicy.org)
Most Guns in US Mass Shootings Were Legally Obtained
5 December 2015
NBC News (USA)
The weapons used in this week's massacre in San Bernardino, California, were purchased legally, raising questions about how preventable gun violence is under current U.S. firearm laws.
Eighty-two percent of weapons involved in mass shootings over the last three decades have been bought legally, according to a database compiled by Mother Jones magazine that defines a mass shooting as taking the lives of at least four people in a public place. Using that criteria, Mother... (GunPolicy.org)
Military-Style AR-15 Rifles: 'The Market is Saturated' in USA
3 December 2014
USA Today
ASHEVILLE — Two years ago, in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in which a mentally unstable man killed 20 students and six adults with a military-style rifle, such weapons seemed to be in deep trouble.
After the Dec. 14, 2012, tragedy, President Obama and Congress called for reform and restrictions on the guns and their high-capacity magazines. Fearing an outright ban, gun buyers stampeded stores, cleaning out shelves and driving prices up to nearly... (GunPolicy.org)
Duo Jailed for Plotting Shooting Spree at University of Helsinki
29 June 2014
Helsinki Times
The District Court of Helsinki on Thursday sentenced a 24-year-old man and woman to prison terms for a conspiracy to carry out a killing spree at the University of Helsinki.
The male defendant was sentenced to a prison term of three years and one month for the preparation of an aggravated offence against the health and life of others, and the possession of sexually obscene pictures depicting children following the discovery of 28 videos on his computer of minors... (GunPolicy.org)
Rebel Dealer Jailed, Lost Licence, Guns: Agrees Fight Was 'Foolhardy'
3 June 2014
Toronto Sun (Ontario)
Bruce Montague was a northern Ontario firearms dealer so opposed to Canada's licensing laws that he stopped registering his guns in protest and dared the government to come after him.
Be careful what you wish for. Ten years later, the 54-year-old's act of what he saw as "civil disobedience" has resulted in an 18-month jail sentence, a lifetime ban from operating his trade and now he's just been ordered to hand over his $100,000 gun collection — his life savings —... (GunPolicy.org)
Fearing Rising Backlash, NRA Urges US Gun Activists to Stand Down
2 June 2014
Mother Jones (USA)
The last couple of months have been rough for proponents of open-carry gun laws. No fewer than seven restaurant chains have taken a stand against firearms being brought to their businesses, after activists in Texas conducted provocative demonstrations in which they toted semi-automatic rifles into various eateries. Texas law allows rifles (though not handguns) to be carried on display in public, but some patrons and employees were unnerved and angered by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Dealers' Fee Have Risen 100% in Jamaica
22 May 2014
Jamaica Gleaner
There is to be a 100 per cent increase in the cost for a firearm dealer's licence as Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips has signed a ministerial order approving greater charges for firearm licences, certificates and payments.
But retired assistant commissioner Errol Strong, who chaired the board of the Firearm Licensing Authority until 2010, said the increase "will not break the back of the dealers".
The ministerial order, dated May 2, which was laid in the House of... (GunPolicy.org)
Luxembourg,United States,Germany
Ten Things the Gun Industry Won't Tell You – Wall St Journal
20 May 2014
Wall Street Journal
1. "Owning our product may be hazardous to your health."
In the U.S., there are now somewhere between 270 million and 310 million guns, according to the Pew Research Center — that's almost one gun for every person in the nation. Judges and legislators across the political spectrum recognize the constitutional right to bear arms. And gun and ammunition sales to private citizens are a significant part of a nearly $15 billion industry that's seeing plenty of growth: On... (GunPolicy.org)
Hundreds of Guns Missing from Official Storage in Philippines
16 May 2014
ABS-CBN News (Manila)
MANILA, Philippines - At least 63 short firearms imported by a private gun dealer and kept in the storage facilities of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) at Camp Crame in Quezon City have been confirmed to be missing, an official said yesterday.
FEO chief Senior Superintendent Roberto Po said at least 10 FEO personnel were placed under investigation after the loss was discovered on Wednesday.
An employee of Juavi Gun Store, who... (GunPolicy.org)
Spitting, Stalking, Rape Threats: How Gun Extremists Target Women
15 May 2014
Mother Jones (USA)
As Jennifer Longdon steered her wheelchair through the Indianapolis airport on April 25, she thought the roughest part of her trip was over. Earlier that day she'd participated in an emotional press conference with the new group Everytown for Gun Safety, against the backdrop of the National Rifle Association's annual meeting. A mom, gun owner, and Second Amendment supporter, Longdon was paralyzed in 2004 after being shot in her car by unknown assailants, and has since... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Laws in America Are Not So Smart
6 May 2014
Economist
Since January 1st 3,551 people have been killed by gun violence in America, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The victims include Endia Martin, a 14-year-old girl, who was shot in the back in Chicago last week after an argument with a former friend over a boy. The weapon that was used to kill Martin, a .38 special revolver, began as a legal gun, reports the Chicago Tribune, but somehow it made its way to into this adolescent tussle, turning a flare up between young... (GunPolicy.org)
Death Threats Stop US Gun Store From Selling 'Smart' Gun. Why?
3 May 2014
Christian Science Monitor
ATLANTA - Andy Raymond, a Rockland, Md., firearms dealer, found out how much some people who love guns and the Second Amendment really hate some guns, causing the owner of Engage Armament this week to reverse his plan to sell the Armatix iP1, the nation's first "smart" gun.
The German-made Armatix iP1 won't fire unless it's in proximity of a special watch, thus making it useless if stolen. Gun control advocates, including Attorney General Eric Holder, have cited such... (GunPolicy.org)
Maryland Gun Dealer Drops Smart Gun Sales Plan After Gun Lobby Pressure
2 May 2014
Washington Post
A Rockville gun store owner who said he would sell the nation's first smart gun — even after a California gun store removed the weapon from its shelves to placate angry gun-rights activists — backed down late Thursday night after enduring a day of protests and death threats.
Andy Raymond, the co-owner of Engage Armament, a store known for its custom assault rifles, had said earlier this week that offering the Armatix iP1 handgun was a "really tough decision" after... (GunPolicy.org)
County Gun Shop May Have Been Worst in US, Missing Guns and Illegal Sales
26 April 2014
Seattle Times
BURLINGTON, Skagit County — For more than 65 years, Kesselring Gun Shop has been a firearms fixture in the Northwest, arming hunters, target shooters and police from one of the largest inventories on the West Coast.
Until surrendering its federal firearms license last October, the family-owned gun store also may have been the worst gun retailer in America.
It was nearly a decade ago when inspectors with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)... (GunPolicy.org)
Lawsuit Against US Gun Dealer Settled After Straw Purchase Results in Death
22 April 2014
Republic (Indiana)
CHICAGO — The parents of a slain Chicago police officer and a Mississippi gun shop they sued for selling the gun used to kill their son to a straw buyer said Tuesday that they reached a settlement.
Carolyn and Thomas Wortham III and Ed's Pawn Shop & Salvage Yard in Byhalia, Mississippi, said in a joint statement that they resolved the dispute "to the satisfaction of all parties."
The pawn shop agreed to increased vigilance on gun sales.
"The agreed policies will... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel,Europe,Austria,Germany,France
84 Arrested in France Over Suspected Arms Trafficking
18 March 2014
Radio France Internationale
Eighty four people were taken into custody on Tuesday morning, suspected of illegally buying arms via internet.
1,600 illegal online transactions were registered by police investigators.
According to an initial report, more than 330 handguns, 50 shotguns, dozens of spare parts and thousands of cartridges were seized.
The arms mostly came from Central Europe, Austria and Germany.
The investigation started in 2012 when French customs authorities intercepted a package,... (GunPolicy.org)
Oscar Pistorius Knew Gun-Safety Laws, Says South African Gun Dealer
17 March 2014
Wall Street Journal
PRETORIA, South Africa — A gun dealer told the South African court trying Oscar Pistorius on murder charges that the sports star knew the country's gun-safety laws and what is permissible in dealing with intruders, as prosecutors attempted to show that he was a trigger-happy man with an overzealous interest in firearms.
Before the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, the model and aspiring television star Reeva Steenkamp, Mr. Pistorius bought an LM6 semiautomatic rifle,... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Asks: Where's Our Debate On Gun Control?
17 March 2014
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
"Guns, ammo and shooting are as much a part of everyday life [in Pretoria] as a trip to the dentist," an Australian journalist recently reported. It's a narrative we've been hearing a lot of from our international colleagues lately. South Africa, the gun-mad land of fear, where citizens hole up with firearms to defend themselves against any threat.
It's true for some. It's clearly true for the Pistorius family, with Beeld reporting last year that Oscar's father, three... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Athlete Accused of Murder had 'Great Love' for Guns
17 March 2014
CBS News (USA)
PRETORIA, South Africa - Months before he killed his girlfriend, Oscar Pistorius said he drew his gun and went into "combat mode" after thinking he heard the noise of an intruder at his home, which turned out to be a washing machine, a South African gun expert testified Monday at the athlete's murder trial.
Sean Rens also said Pistorius wanted to buy seven more guns in 2012 - to add to the 9 mm pistol he already owned for self-defense - and asked the firearm trainer to... (GunPolicy.org)
US Has More Guns, Fewer Owners: 5% Own Most of the Firearms
15 March 2014
Economist
WARRENTON, Virginia - Live fire crackles from the range at Clark Brothers, a gun shop in Virginia. Inside, the most striking things are the enormous gun safes. Some of these metal boxes, which cost over $1,000, can withstand hours of exposure to wildfires and being dropped from 200 feet.
They are the result of a shift in gun ownership. Surveys suggest that the proportion of American households that own guns has declined from about 50% in the early 1980s to about 35%... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Press, Arms Dealers Talk Up US/Russia 'Ammo Shortage' Sales Panic
11 March 2014
Washington Examiner
American gun owners are gobbling up cheap Russian ammunition in huge quantities, worried that President Obama's tussle with Vladimir Putin over Moscow's grab for Crimea will result in new trade sanctions cutting off imports of bullets.
"We've seen an ammo-hoarding effect," said Larry Hyatt, owner of Hyatt Gun Shop in Charlotte, N.C., one of the nation's biggest gun stores. "It's almost like milk and bread when it gets ready to snow: It's just a mass of people running... (GunPolicy.org)
Swiss Assault Rifle Fuss: Gun Lobby Aims to 'Americanise' Canada
9 March 2014
CBC News (Canada)
Both gun owners and gun control advocates say they're confused by the government's handling of a ban on a class of military-style rifles.
Gun owners say they don't know what the government's five-year amnesty on the Swiss Arms Classic Greens means.
The guns are semi-automatic rifles called Classic Greens and they've been available in Canada for about a dozen years.
Last week the RCMP changed the guns' classification from "non-restricted" to "prohibited" on its... (GunPolicy.org)
Kentucky 'Outreach to Rednecks' Converts to Christ with Gun Giveaway
3 March 2014
USA Today
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — In an effort its spokesman has described as "outreach to rednecks," the Kentucky Baptist Convention is leading "Second Amendment Celebrations," where churches around the state give away guns as door prizes to lure in the unchurched in hopes of converting them to Christ.
As many as 1,000 people are expected at the next one, on Thursday at Lone Oak Baptist Church in Paducah, where they will be given a free steak dinner and the chance to win one... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Club Owner Found with Machine Gun, 13,000 Rounds of Ammo in Ireland
1 March 2014
Irish Examiner (Dublin)
Gardaí found more than 13,000 rounds of ammunition and a rifle that had been modified to fire like a machine gun, when they searched a man's home in Co Limerick, a court heard yesterday.
A vast array of ammunition and guns, as well as an army helmet, gunpowder, night vision scopes, crossbows and arrow heads were discovered in the home of gun club operator David O'Dea, aged 48, on June 20, 2011, Kilmallock District Court was told.
Gardaí said they also discovered a... (GunPolicy.org)
Outlaw California Gun Shop Made, Sold Unmarked Machine-Guns
28 February 2014
Reuters
Two Mexican nationals were indicted on Thursday on charges of running an outlaw weapons-supply shop in northern California that assembled and sold unmarked, illegal firearms and accessories, including machine-guns and silencers.
A federal grand jury in Sacramento indicted brothers Luis Cortez-Garcia, 44, and Emiliano Cortez-Garcia, 37, on one count each of unlawful manufacturing and sales of firearms, conspiracy to unlawfully manufacture and sell firearms and multiple... (GunPolicy.org)
Rumoured Ban of Swiss Assault Rifle Reignites Gun Debate in Canada
27 February 2014
CBC News (Canada), Video
The gun debate may be flaring up again over what appears to be the imminent ban of a semi-automatic military-style weapon that has been legal in Canada for a dozen years.
Gun enthusiasts got word of the ban Wednesday evening, although the RCMP has made no official announcement.
According to Solomon Friedman, a lawyer for the National Firearms Association, the PE-90 rifle, made by SAN Swiss Arms AG, a Switzerland-based small arms manufacturer, is about to be... (GunPolicy.org)
New Caledonia Stocks Up on Private Guns Ahead of Independence Vote
25 February 2014
Global Post (Boston) / Agence France Presse
In the green hills of Grand Terre, New Caledonia's main island, duck farmer Christophe Puesh is dodging the large puddles which have formed after the latest tropical downpour.
A descendant of French settlers who came to these Pacific islands after their colonisation in the 19th century, Puesh is hunting deer and wild pigs.
Here, hunting is entwined in the lifestyles of both indigenous Kanaks and more recent arrivals - but a debate on gun control in the islands is... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales in US Plunging But Female, First Time Buyer Numbers Up
14 February 2014
CNN
Sales of guns and ammo are losing steam after a frenzied run-up sparked by fears of greater restrictions in the wake of the Newtown shooting and other massacres.
Background checks by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, considered to be the most accurate means of tracking gun sales, plunged by a third in January compared to the year before. There were about 1.66 million background checks last month, and nearly 2.5 million in January the year before.
In the past two... (GunPolicy.org)
Canada: Buying a Gun Like Buying a Fridge, Gun Lobby Linked Academic Says
12 February 2014
Maple Ridge News (Canada)
A Maple Ridge gun shop claims to be the first in Canada to offer selling firearms on yearly financial terms.
"Take your dream gun home today and pay it off in six or 12 months," is the advertisement from Wanstalls, noting that a Core 15 assault rifle can be had for $118 per month.
Matthew Mendel, a spokesman for the store on the Lougheed Highway in downtown Maple Ridge, said gun stores have offered layaway plans for a long time. However, customers might have had to... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Policy No Longer Domestic as Weapons are Smuggled to Mexico
1 February 2014
National Catholic Reporter (Kansas City)
Mexico, a state with highly restrictive gun laws, minimal arms manufacturing, and only one gun shop in the entire country, is awash in firearms, many of them from the United States. A study published last year by the Trans-Border Institute at the University of San Diego estimates that upward to a quarter-million weapons are purchased in the U.S. and smuggled into Mexico annually.
Amid the hyperviolence of Mexico's war on drugs, this southward flow of illicit arms has... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Prices, Sales Up in Jordan Over Syria War Fears
15 January 2014
New Straits Times (Malaysia) / Agence France Presse
AMMAN - Firearm prices in Jordan have soared tenfold since the war in neighbouring Syria erupted in 2011 but more people than ever are buying guns for protection against a possible spillover of the violence.
The number of licensed weapons stands at 120,000 but there are more than one million unlicensed guns in the kingdom of seven million people, according to interior ministry estimates.
According to a study by the Jordanian Society for Political Sciences, 25 percent... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Straits Times (Malaysia) / Agence France Presse
Florida's Largest Gun Dealer Bans Gun Rentals in Wake of Suicides
10 January 2014
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
Shoot Straight, Florida's largest independent gun-shop chain, has stopped renting guns to prevent its eight Florida ranges from becoming suicide parlors.
Khaled Akkawi, founder of the Apopka-based chain, made the decision last month after the latest suicides at one his gun ranges.
"We've had enough," Akkawi said Friday. "They've been increasing real fast and the one common denominator — everyone is done with a rental gun."
Shoot Straight joins a growing number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Dealer Linked to Gangs, Breaches of Gun Permits
9 January 2014
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
EXCLUSIVE - An arms dealer who supplies high-powered guns to the Australian Defence Force has been questioned over weapons permit breaches and suspected underworld connections.
The dealer, who has been allowed to import lethal weapons for more than a decade, has links with a group of ex-soldiers whose associates include underworld figures and bikies.
For six years, the dealer's firm has been the subject of multiple probes by state and federal authorities, including... (GunPolicy.org)
American Gun Running: A Lot of Canadians Want Smuggled Handguns
17 December 2013
Windsor Star (Ontario), Blog
Riccardo Tolliver pulled up to the Ambassador Bridge customs booth, his pulse quickening, his nerves rattling, firepower on his mind. But he dared not show anxiety – not with almost 40 handguns hidden in door panels of his black Hummer H2.
He had hired a friend to drive, it being the first time Tolliver personally smuggled guns across the Canadian border. He figured as a passenger he would not be flagged.
He was wrong.
Border officers noticed a drunk-driving... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Endorse New Law on Military Firearms, 'Restricted' Air Guns
6 December 2013
Scoop (New Zealand), Media release
Police welcome new laws coming into effect next week that place import restrictions on some airguns and clarify the definition of military style semi-automatic firearms.
The Arms (Military Style Semi-automatic Firearms and Import Controls) Amendment Act was passed in 2012 and comes into effect on 11 December 2013.
It creates a new category of airgun – the restricted airgun. A restricted airgun is an airgun (with or without any of its attachments) that either:
- has... (GunPolicy.org)
Child Gunshot Wounds Most Likely in Homes With Firearms, US Study
26 October 2013
Medical Daily (New York), Video
Even among rural Americans, parental attitudes run heterogenous on the topic of gun safety and children: Locked or unlocked, loaded or unloaded, and just how close should kids be to firearms? Whereas some parents in multiple-gun households teach firearm safety to toddlers, others forbid their children from playing with toy guns, or even pointing an index finger to mimic one.
Christi Parenteau Martin, a 36-year-old mother of four from Cabot, Vt., says she supports... (GunPolicy.org)
US Photo-Sharing App Instagram Now an Open Market for Guns
22 October 2013
Daily Mail (UK)
With people increasingly using social media websites to sell all kinds of stuff, Instagram is growing in popularity as a digital marketplace for people trading in firearms.
Traditionally the photo-sharing app, which was bought by Facebook last year for $1 billion, was a forum for people to show off their glamorous lifestyles but that's changing as users realize it can be just as effective for more shady dealings.
With no stated policy barring firearm sales - unlike... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gangs Use 'Antique' Guns as Police Crack Down on Suppliers
9 October 2013
Evening Standard (London)
Crime gangs are resorting to old-style handguns used in historic conflicts such as the Second World War after the success of police raids on gun suppliers, a Scotland Yard detective said today.
Gangsters are exploiting a "grey area" which means antique or old weapons owned by legitimate firearms dealers are being passed on to street gangs.
Detective Inspector Paul Dorey, of the Yard's Trident Gang Crime Command, said police had seen an increase in seizures of older... (GunPolicy.org)
Black Children in America Top Targets for Gun Violence
7 October 2013
Miami Herald
In the weeks since the Washington Navy Yard shooting, the city of New Orleans reached a tragic milestone.
All told, 108 people have been murdered in the Crescent City so far this year. In September two black girls, one 11 years old and the other age 2, were shot and killed. And earlier this year a national organization advocating for stricter gun control told the story of a black 10-year-old New Orleans boy who has been shot and seriously injured twice in his short... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gang Armourer Jailed Over Banned Handgun, Homemade Ammo
7 October 2013
Daily Mail (UK)
An illegal armourer has been jailed for a raft of firearms and drugs offences, including possessing two handguns and hundreds of bullets.
Today at Maidstone Crown Court, Thomas Keatley, 28, of Sussex, was sentenced to nine years and four months after he was found with two handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, gun-making equipment and a large quantity of cannabis.
Keatley, arrested as part of an investigation by the Metropolitan Police Service's anti-gun Trident... (GunPolicy.org)
ATF Head Still Boxed in by Politics, Low Resources in America
6 October 2013
Minnesota Public Radio / Associated Press
WASHINGTON - When President Barack Obama picked B. Todd Jones to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, it looked like the moment had arrived when the beleaguered ATF would reassert itself as an agency with teeth.
It was January, and the nation was embroiled in a rare debate on gun control, the result of the massacre at a Connecticut elementary school the previous month. The White House pushed for tougher gun laws and Congress seemed unusually... (GunPolicy.org)
War Means Profit for Gun Dealer in Syria
25 September 2013
France 24 / Agence France Presse
While most Syrians get poorer with every day of war, Aleppo's main gun seller Abu Mohammad is doing just fine by selling firearms, including rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and even swords.
"War is great business," said the northern city's only gunshop owner, as he laid several hand grenades out on a counter.
"I wanted to help the rebels because they had no arms or ammunition," the 39-year-old told AFP, adding that he makes an astonishing 50,000 Syrian pounds... (GunPolicy.org)
How the NRA Tried to Stop a Member From Doing Gun-Control Research
25 September 2013
al Jazeera (America)
The National Rifle Association reportedly advised its members against participating in a study released this week that shows a majority of gun sellers want tougher background checks for gun buyers.
The NRA apparently was unaware that the University of California professor behind the study - himself an NRA member - received the email discrediting his research.
Garen Wintemute, director of the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, conducted a survey of 1,601... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Maltese Gun Dealer Charged with Illegal Gun, Ammo Sales
23 September 2013
Tripoli Post (Libya)
A 31-year-old Libyan citizen from Tripoli married to a Maltese woman and residing in Malta, was Monday morning arraigned in court along with a Maltese man after 40,000 bullets were found in the Libyan's car on Saturday following weeks of surveillance by the Malta police.
The Libyan, Feraj Issa Ali Yacoob, and Michael Azzopardi, a 55-year old Maltese, appeared in court on charges of illegally selling ammunition to Libyan organisations when they knew or could suspect... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear of Obama, Gun Control Panic Continue to Drive US Ammo Hoarders
8 September 2013
Maine Sun-Journal / Bangor Daily News
BANGOR — Ammunition and gun experts at the 36th annual Bangor Gun Show said there are a lot of rumors floating around about why there is an ammunition shortage, but they say it simply comes down to supply and demand.
"People are concerned they won't be able to get it, that our Second Amendment is under attack, so they're buying all they can," ammunitions dealer Jeff Holt, who with wife, Nancy, are the owners and operators of Farmington-based Appalachian Ammunition... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales Drop in Costa Rica, Authorities Attribute to Tough Laws
28 August 2013
Costa Rica Star
Less guns, more bullets: According to figures recently reported by Ronny Rojas of news daily La Nacion, there is a clear interest among people in Costa Rica in purchasing firearms of higher round (ammunition) capacity. In 2012, gun dealers in Costa Rica imported 4,540 semiautomatic pistols, double the annual rate since 2010. Revolvers, on the other hand, are losing favor; only 367 were imported in 2012, compared to 7,471 in 2007.
Revolvers usually hold up to eight... (GunPolicy.org)
In Thailand: Gun Laws Strict But Ownership High
8 August 2013
Straits Times (Singapore)
"Call me Dev," he said.
He looked straight out of a Bollywood film - stocky, confident, with a shaven head and a pink open-necked shirt. Dev is a salesman at a shop on Thailand's gun row, Wang Burapha road, which features a string of shops selling a range of guns and accessories.
The guns are two to three times more expensive than those in the United States. "Only rich people buy guns here," said Dev.
Rich people, and The Royal Thai Police. In what has long been a... (GunPolicy.org)
Greek Police Find Suspected Gun Dealer During Hunt for Missing Girl
30 July 2013
Ekathimerini (Greece)
Police searching for a missing 16-year-old girl in the Athens neighborhood of Dafni stumbled upon an arms cache and arrested a 44-year-old man they believe may be a weapons dealer.
Officers searched an apartment block in the area on suspicion that the teenager had been there with a 29-year-old convicted murderer and rapist who escaped recently from Grevena Prison.
They found traces that the fugitive and the 16-year-old had been in the building's underground... (GunPolicy.org)
In Washington DC, Even More Gun Control Cowardice
25 July 2013
Bloomberg (USA), Opinion
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a new administrator. The director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is finally official, as is the secretary of the Department of Labor. The president of the all-important Export-Import Bank is safely enjoying his second term.
Notably absent from this list of presidential appointees is a new director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Need we expend much energy wondering why?
Since 2006,... (GunPolicy.org)
Syria,Sudan,South Africa,Kenya
South Africa: Gun Dealer Sold Arms to Conflict Zones
20 July 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa) / Saturday Star
JOHANNESBURG - A director of a Joburg gun shop was allegedly involved in importing military weapons for "special forces" and then selling them to countries in conflict.
This emerged in a state affidavit placed before the Lenasia Magistrate's Court on Friday.
In the bail application of Gareth De Nysschen, a director at Dave Sheer Guns, the State indicated that the business had been investigated by military intelligence for two years.
De Nysschen was arrested last week... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa) / Saturday Star
Police/Gun Dealer Corruption Scandal Widens as Dam Breaks in S Africa
19 July 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - A private investigator has come forward to say his company was also aware of investigations into Dave Sheer Guns, which have been continuing for a number of years.
Chad Thomas, an independent organised crime investigator from IRS Forensic Investigations, said he had been aware of enquiries into employees of Dave Sheer Guns conducted by senior investigators.
He said they were from several elite units, including Crimes Against the State, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Cops Arrested in South Africa Over Gun Licence Scam
15 July 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - Two police brigadiers were suspended on Sunday for their alleged involvement in a gun scandal in which allegations of bribery, dealing in stolen military ammunition and forging export permits have emerged.
Brigadier Mathapelo Merriam Mangwane, section head of the Central Firearms Registry (CFR), and Brigadier Hlamane Elias Mahlabane, section head of firearm compliance, were suspended from duty without pay "for their involvement in corrupt... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa Suspends Two Firearms Officials Over Registry Scandal
15 July 2013
SouthAfrica.info
Two senior police officers have been suspended following a wide-ranging investigation into corruption in South Africa's Central Firearm Registry, the police confirmed on Monday.
The suspensions follow recent media reports alleging corruption after an ex-employee at a gun shop said that he bribed officers at the registry in order to fast-track the issuing of gun licences.
South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesman Solomon Makgale said that Mathapelo Mangwane, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Cops, Gun Registry Boss Accused of Taking Bribes in South Africa
9 July 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - The Central Firearms Registry (CFR) head in Pretoria has been accused of accepting bribes from an employee at a Joburg gun shop in exchange for securing gun licences.
This is according to a state witness in an upcoming case, who claimed that as an employee of Dave Sheer Guns – a leading distributor of firearms and accessories on the continent – she paid Brigadier Mathapelo Miriam Mangwani R5,000 and R10,000 twice a month in cash for four years.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
25 High-Powered Guns Stolen from New Zealand Gun Store
4 July 2013
Stuff (New Zealand)
High-powered firearms have been stolen from an Auckland shop.
Police are warning anyone who is offered a powerful weapon at a discount price to call them.
Twenty-five firearms were stolen during a burglary at a Mt Roskill gun shop shortly before 10pm yesterday.
They comprised four Rizzini 20-gauge shotguns, six 12-gauge shotguns, seven Tikka bolt-action rifles with silencers and scopes and eight 12-gauge Beretta semi-automatic shotguns, police said.
Investigators... (GunPolicy.org)
South African Cops Allegedly Involved in Gun Scandal
3 July 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa) / Star (Johannesburg)
Johannesburg - A popular Joburg gun shop is at the centre of a police investigation into allegations of large-scale police corruption, bribery and creating fraudulent export permits.
An employee who worked at the gun dealer alleges that she paid bribes to police officers and lied to clients as part of her job as a sales manager.
She cannot be named as she is a State witness.
The Star has learnt that the Hawks and forensic consultants Paul O'Sullivan and Associates... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa) / Star (Johannesburg)
South African Soldiers Arrested for Selling Stolen Ammo
28 June 2013
Independent/IOL Daily News (South Africa)
JOHANNESBURG - More than 200,000 rounds of ammunition have allegedly been stolen from the military and sold off to a gun shop - which exported the ammunition to a country in conflict.
Two soldiers and a civilian have been arrested and have appeared in the Lenasia Magistrate's Court on charges of theft of ammunition and fraud.
The Star has reliably learnt that more warrants of arrest have been issued, with more arrests imminent.
Sergeant Peter Motaung, 49, a storeman... (GunPolicy.org)
Recovered Guns Form a Sea of Steel in US
29 May 2013
Washington Post
Every few hours, in a routine that is sometimes grim but more often mundane, local police take a gun off the streets. Since 2000, nearly 50,000 guns have been recovered by authorities in the District and Prince George's County. That is enough to arm every law enforcement officer in Maryland, the District and Virginia, with a couple of thousand guns to spare.
Police confiscate guns after drive-bys, drug raids and traffic stops. They find them tossed on roofs and thrown... (GunPolicy.org)
New Detail from US Lawsuits Shows Industry Rejects Blame for Gun Crimes
29 May 2013
Newcastle Herald (New South Wales) / New York Times
The Glock executive testified that he would keep doing business with a gun dealer who had been indicted on a charge of violating firearms laws because "this is still America" and "you're still innocent until proven guilty".
The president of Sturm, Ruger & Co was not interested in knowing how often the police traced guns back to the company's distributors, saying it "wouldn't show us anything".
And an executive for Taurus International Manufacturing said his company... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Newcastle Herald (New South Wales) / New York Times
US Pediatricians Take on Gun Lobby – Carefully
13 May 2013
NBC News (USA)
To pediatricians, gun control is a public health issue, not a political one. But they're treading a fine line, and they know it.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has begun a renewed push to try to get Congress to pass gun control measures, sending more than 100 pediatricians to Capitol Hill earlier this month. But others who have taken on the issue over the past decade have a warning for them: they can run afoul of the National Rifle Association and other pro-gun... (GunPolicy.org)
One Stolen Gun Blazes a Violent Path – A Typical Tale from Any City
22 March 2013
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul)
Thomas Allen Hoffman was looking for a "cheapie."
In the spring of 2007, he browsed a North Mankato gun dealer's collection for a Hi-Point pistol, one of the least expensive handguns on the market.
Hoffman wanted the gun for personal protection.
He paid $150 to the Red Bear Hunting Emporium and took home a Hi-Point C-9 9mm semiautomatic pistol, serial #P1352366. But soon the gun was stolen, changed hands, then changed hands again, spiraling beyond the bounds of... (GunPolicy.org)
Trinidad & Tobago,South Africa
Trinidad Official Thinks Gun Laws Don't Go Far Enough
20 February 2013
Guardian (Trinidad and Tobago)
As the Government battles unbridled gun violence, national security adviser Gary Griffith says guns don't kill people, people kill people. On Friday, Olympic blade runner Oscar Pistorius appeared before the court in South Africa charged with the murder of his 29-year-old girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp who had been shot four times with Pistorius' licensed gun.
In South Africa where levels of crime are extremely high, many private citizens have licensed guns. But the... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa's Oscar Pistorius Applied for Six Restricted Guns
19 February 2013
Independent (South Africa)
Pretoria - Oscar Pistorius applied for six separate firearm licences in January. Less than a month later, he stands accused of fatally shooting his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The killing took place during the early hours of Thursday at his luxury home in Pretoria.
On Tuesday, as the Paralympian prepares to show compelling reasons why he should be released on bail, The Star can reveal that Pistorius applied for licences for the following firearms:
- A Maverick... (GunPolicy.org)
A Stale Claim: 40% of US Gun Sales Lack Background Checks
21 January 2013
Washington Post
"The law already requires licensed gun dealers to run background checks, and over the last 14 years that's kept 1.5 million of the wrong people from getting their hands on a gun. But it's hard to enforce that law when as many as 40 percent of all gun purchases are conducted without a background check."
--President Obama, remarks on gun violence, Jan. 16, 2013
"Studies estimate that nearly 40 percent of all gun sales are made by private sellers who are exempt from this... (GunPolicy.org)
Interactive Display: US Gun Laws by State
16 January 2013
Guardian (UK)
President Obama has indicated a move towards strengthening federal gun control measures, but the reality is that the majority of gun legislation in the US is enacted at the state level. That has brought broad variations across the country, with states taking different approaches to issues ranging from sales, permits, licensing, self-defence and carry laws.
Carrying firearms: open and concealed
Open-carry and concealed-carry laws determine how public citizens can carry... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Venezuela,Mexico,Chile,Brazil,Argentina
Gun Laws in Six Latin American Nations Explained
11 January 2013
Americas Society/Council of the Americas
Following a mass school shooting in Connecticut in December 2012, policymakers in the United States began engaging in a renewed debate about gun control. AS/COA Online looks at gun-related legislation in Latin America's six largest economies, identifying regulations for arms licensing. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela, gun possession is legal for civilians, though restrictions tend to be stringent. …
Argentina: Gun ownership in Argentina... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkey's Gun Regulation Remains Lax, Mental Health Checks a 'Formality'
6 January 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
"Things just aren't what they used to be," may seem like a knee-jerk truism in Turkey, but few seem to say it with more conviction than Fatih Demirok, a counter clerk at a gun store in İstanbul's old banking and warehouse district of Karaköy.
"Things have changed quite a bit in the gun industry. You can't just walk in and buy a gun these days," the 25 year old says from behind a counter of neatly arrayed shotguns and hunting rifles. "There's a detailed process with... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun, Ammo, Bulletproof Gear Sales Rocket in US Due to Fears of Ban
28 December 2012
CBS News (USA) / Associated Press
The phones at Red's Trading Post wouldn't stop ringing. Would-be customers from as far away as New York wanted to know if the Twin Falls, Idaho gun shop had firearms in stock. Others clamored to find out if their orders had been shipped.
Overwhelmed, gun store manager Ryan Horsley had to do what no employee would ever think of doing just days before Christmas: He disconnected the phone lines for three whole days.
"We had to shut everything off," says Horsley, whose... (GunPolicy.org)
We Know Several Ways to Reduce, Prevent Gun Violence - Wintemute
26 December 2012
New England Journal of Medicine
We are learning how to watch the news through tears. All those children, and the adults protecting them. With an assault rifle. Up close. The survivors, eyes averted, are led to safety in daisy chains. Ambulances rush to the scene, but nearly all return empty. Loved ones go home empty, too.
We pore over the details, searching for the clues that will bring order to chaos and help us predict and prevent the next one. But these catastrophes are all different. We have... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gun Dealer Jailed for Unlicenced International Weapons Trading
5 December 2012
New York Times / Associated Press
LONDON — A British arms dealer who helped ship thousands of assault rifles and millions of rounds of ammunition from China to Nigeria has been sentenced to seven years in jail.
Gary Hyde was convicted on two counts of breaching U.K. trade controls and concealing criminal property for moving the weapons without a license and hiding more than 620,000 pounds ($1 million) in commission payments.
While the 2006 deal between the Chinese and Nigerian governments was... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize 1400 Firearms From NSW Gun Dealer
30 November 2012
Australian Associated Press
A licensed firearms dealer on the NSW central tablelands has had more than 1400 firearms and four tonnes of ammunition seized by police, but was released without charges.
The 64-year-old dealer from Oberon had his firearms dealer's licence suspended and has been released without charge pending further investigations, police said on Friday.
Operation Thornett, formed to look at regulatory issues surrounding the dealer, saw officers audit his property over three days... (GunPolicy.org)
Proliferation of Illicit Firearms in Thailand
18 November 2012
Bangkok Post
With firearm crime on the rise and the amount of illegal locally produced and smuggled weapons growing, there are concerns that a programme giving officials discounts in the name of self-protection is worsening the situation.
In recent years Thailand has been flooded with illegal firearms and the misery they cause is plain for all to see. Every day there are media reports of shootouts and homicides that begin with domestic quarrels, school rivalries and traffic... (GunPolicy.org)
Czech Republic,Austria,Thailand,United States
Thai Authorities Concerned Over Easy Access to Guns
18 November 2012
Bangkok Post
In recent years Thailand has been flooded with illegal firearms and the misery they cause is plain for all to see. Every day there are media reports of shootouts and homicides that begin with domestic quarrels, school rivalries and traffic accidents, and quickly escalate. Law enforcement officials say the root cause is the easy availability of guns, and this is true for teenagers as well as adults. People prefer to buy weapons outside of legal channels because they are... (GunPolicy.org)
Trinidad Police Seize Ammo, Assault Weapon from Alleged Gun Dealer
18 November 2012
Guardian (Trinidad and Tobago)
Arouca Police yesterday seized more than 300 rounds of ammunition, a mini AK-47 rifle and a quantity of drugs at a house in Bon Air. The seizure was followed by the arrest of a 36-year-old man said to be a firearms dealer. Assistant Commissioner of Police Wayne Dick of the Northern Division sent a stern warning to the criminals that they would have to bow to the police as they try to rid the streets of illegal guns and drugs.
"Keep out of Trinidad and Tobago," Dick... (GunPolicy.org)
America's Gun Industry Thrives Under Obama, Gun Lobby Remains Alert
19 October 2012
Newser (USA) / Associated Press
President Barack Obama has presided over a heyday for the gun industry despite predictions by the National Rifle Association four years ago that he would be the "most anti-gun president in American history." The president hasn't pressed such an agenda, but gun owners still are afraid that, if re-elected, an Obama who wouldn't have to face voters again would try to restrict firearms purchases.
An analysis by The Associated Press of data tracking the health of the gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Loophole Allows Felons, High-risk Americans Easy Access to Guns
27 August 2012
Chicago Sun-Times
Presidential candidate Barack Obama was resting in his Kenwood home on the morning of Sept. 23, 2008, after a fund-raiser the night before in Chicago.
Outside, a drama was unfolding as police stopped a BMW at the security barriers protecting his house. Officers found a Fabrique Nationale Herstal .40-caliber handgun and a bulletproof vest in the car.
They learned the man behind the wheel was a felon barred from owning a firearm. And when federal agents conducted an... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Firearm Dealer Arrested, Police Seize 500 Guns
17 August 2012
Newcastle Herald (New South Wales)
A Maryland gun dealer was behind bars last night, charged with offences related to about 500 firearms that were found at his home, including several that police allege were secreted in various hiding spots, Newcastle Local Court heard.
Police warned there was an "extreme risk" that such firearms could find their way into the hands of criminals to be used in "major crime" or violent crime, a police statement said.
Warren William Howard's licences to deal with firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Greeks Buy Weapons to Fight Crime During Economic Austerity
16 August 2012
BBC News
Greece's faltering economy has put many people out of work and cut support for illegal immigrants. Now Greeks are facing a rise in crime their police seem unable to stop.
It probably never occurred to Niki Yanakopoulou that she might be in danger as she let herself into her central Athens apartment building in the middle of the day.
The 75-year-old had just been to the bank and police say the man who followed her home most likely chose her at random, hoping she would... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Sales to Women, Elderly Jump in Colorado After Mass Shootings
9 August 2012
CBS News (USA)
AURORA, Colorado - Gun shops in the Denver area report seeing more and more people buying guns and taking gun safety classes after the Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin on Sunday, close on the heels of the Colorado theater shooting last month, according to CBS Denver.
Applications for conceal carry permits have doubled and tripled in the surrounding counties since the shootings, the station reports.
Although the sheriff's office says that some permits were already in... (GunPolicy.org)
Changes in Law Reduces Demand for Handguns in Finland
6 August 2012
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland)
New firearms legislation, which was prompted by two school massacres in Finland in 2007 and 2008, appears to have led to a sharp decline in applications for handgun licences.
"Many dealers still have guns acquired in 2009 in their storerooms, and that is where they will stay", says Timo Huikkala, vice chairman of the Finnish Association of Gun Dealers.
A new law took effect in June, placing strict conditions for handgun permits. Retailers say that sales of handguns... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,Philippines
Gun Makers Tool Up Illegal Production Lines for Philippine Election
28 July 2012
Reuters
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines - In the Philippines, they vote with their trigger fingers. Elections mean big business for illegal gunsmiths, who are looking forward to 2013 mid-term polls.
With election-related violence commonplace, the Philippines imposes a ban on the carrying of guns for six months, from campaigning to the proclamation of winners.
With legal access denied, Filipinos simply turn to the many illegal gunsmiths who ply their trade in back alleys and on the... (GunPolicy.org)
View of USA Looks Grim from Mexico's One and Only Gun Store
24 July 2012
New York Times
MEXICO CITY — Juan García relinquished his cellphone, walked through two metal detectors, registered with a uniformed soldier — and then finally entered Mexico's only legal gun store.
To anyone familiar with the 49,762 licensed gun dealers in the United States, or the 7,261 gun-selling pawn shops, the place looked less like a store than a government office. Customers waited on metal chairs near a fish tank to be called up to a window to submit piles of paperwork.... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Laws Prevent Purchase of US Mass Shooting Guns
24 July 2012
ABC News (Australia)
The awful shooting tragedy in Colorado last week happened in Aurora, 30kms from Bega's sister city of Littleton, in turn adjacent to the scene of the 1999 Columbine school massacre. The Bega-Littleton Exchange was the first Australia-US sister city relationship, developed from the two communities recognising shared characteristics and values. Over the fifty years of the relationship many things have changed, particularly in Denver's satellite communities like Littleton... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Murder and Powerful Firearms: Put Public Health, Safety First
23 July 2012
CNN, Opinion
Scenes from the mass shooting in an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater are horrific, but are all too familiar in the United States.
Some have argued that gun control is irrelevant to mass shootings because the perpetrators are typically so determined that they will overcome any legal hurdle to acquiring firearms. However, mass murderers often use assault weapons or guns with large ammunition capacity. …
One of the guns James Eagan Holmes allegedly used to shoot 70... (GunPolicy.org)
Govt Pistol Handout Backfires: Corrupt Thai Officials Sell Handguns to Thugs
25 June 2012
Bangkok Post
Shootouts involving hot-blooded youngsters are a common occurrence and the problem may be rooted in a government gun distribution policy gone wrong.
Police have been alarmed by the easy availability of firearms which have ended up in the hands of people who should not be carrying them, including youngsters.
They have found that arms smugglers are not the main suppliers of the weapons to the young people.
Rather, it is state officials and security personnel who are... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Couple Admit to 27,000-round Ammo Cache in Texas
15 May 2012
Reuters
Two illegal immigrants pleaded guilty in Texas on Monday to possessing 27,000 rounds of assault rifle ammunition along the U.S.-Mexico border, where cross-border weapons smuggling has increased in recent years, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Police in Laredo, Texas, discovered the ammunition after they stopped a Dodge Ram pickup truck that failed to stop at a stop sign in March, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson said in a statement.
Weapons traffickers along the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Obama Gun Rule Sparks 123 Gun Trafficking Probes in Texas Alone
25 April 2012
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
Federal agents in South Texas have opened 123 criminal investigations as a result of a new requirement that border-state gun stores report customers who buy two or more large caliber rifles in the same week, especially those preferred by Mexican drug cartels.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Wednesday that it is not looking at everyone who makes multiple purchases, but those who draw suspicion for other reasons, such as repeatedly... (GunPolicy.org)
Surge in Gun Violence in Australia as Criminals 'Tool Up'
22 April 2012
Age (Melbourne)
He affects the face of a tough guy, but the gun this twitchy young man keeps for protection looks like a novelty cigarette lighter. The .22 derringer can almost be concealed in his pudgy hand, save for the stumpy barrel that sticks out between his fingers.
The speed that he deals keeps him highly strung. But it's mainly the gun that makes him edgy. "If I get caught with drugs, I wouldn't go to jail. I don't hold enough and I haven't been caught before," he says. "But... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Under Fire for Renting Guns to Criminals in Trinidad & Tobago
17 April 2012
Guardian (Trinidad and Tobago)
Law enforcement officers will be placed under greater scrutiny as Government moves to clamp down on those who sell or rent state-issued weapons to criminals. Minister of National Security John Sandy made the announcement at the Police Academy, St James, yesterday while delivering the feature address at the opening of a sub-regional inter-training course on combating the illicit trafficking in firearms and explosives for the Caribbean states. "Let me state categorically... (GunPolicy.org)
US: We Need to Talk About Guns - Blog by Andrew Rosenthal
5 April 2012
New York Times, Blog
How many students have to be shot to death in their schools before this country has a serious discussion about guns? Are the 10 who have been gunned down just since Feb. 27 enough?
The question of the constitutional right to own guns is irrelevant here—even if you believe that the Constitution gives every last American the right to own a firearm (which The Times editorial board does not, but many other reasonable people do).
There is simply no defending the many... (GunPolicy.org)
US University Mass Killer Bought His Gun Easily, Legally - Police
3 April 2012
Mercury (San Jose)
OAKLAND -- An extensive search probed the depths of a local waterway Tuesday as authorities worked to find the gun used in a shooting spree that killed seven and wounded three at a private college in East Oakland.
Oakland police cordoned off a stretch of the Oakland Estuary in the 7200 block of Doolittle Drive for most of the day as they deployed a police boat and a robot borrowed from San Francisco police that can conduct underwater searches. A police helicopter... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Dealers Hire to Unlicensed Shooters, Guns 'Disappear'
1 April 2012
Age (Melbourne)
Gun dealers are hiring out shotguns and rifles indefinitely to shooters dodging registration requirements, with dozens of the guns disappearing, raising concerns they may be used for criminal purposes.
The guns are hired out at the full purchase price and are essentially de facto sales. The issue is of increasing concern given the recent spate of gang shootings in the northern and western suburbs.
By law, guns can be hired out only to licensed shooters, but the... (GunPolicy.org)
20 Licensed Dealers Struck Off, Supplying Crime Guns in Australia
1 April 2012
Age (Melbourne)
Gun dealers are hiring out shotguns and rifles indefinitely to shooters dodging registration requirements, with dozens of the guns disappearing, raising concerns they may be used for criminal purposes.
The guns are hired out at the full purchase price and are essentially de facto sales. The issue is of increasing concern given the recent spate of gang shootings in the northern and western suburbs.
By law, guns can be hired out only to licensed shooters, but the... (GunPolicy.org)
Multiple Shootings Highlight Growing Illegal Gun Trade in France
27 March 2012
Christian Science Monitor
France's strict gun laws sharply limit legal ownership. But illegal trafficking is on the rise – at prices that people like Toulouse gunman Mohamed Merah can afford.
PARIS - As the prosecutor listed the weapons gunman Mohamed Merah amassed before going on a shooting rampage in Toulouse, French citizens received a stark reminder that gun trafficking doesn't only affect unstable countries. It's happening in France, too – a nation that is anything but gun-friendly.... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico, Awash in Illegal Firearms, Has Just One Legal Gun Store
19 March 2012
Kansas City Star (Missouri)
MEXICO CITY — Mexico has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world. If any of the nation's 112 million citizens want to buy firearms, there's only one store where they can do it legally. It's on a sprawling military base and run by the army.
That, however, hasn't stopped Mexicans from acquiring firearms. The country is awash in illegal guns, many of them assault weapons in the hands of merciless criminal gangs. President Felipe Calderon says authorities have... (GunPolicy.org)
Mass Shooting Survivor Slams 'Outrageous' Lack of US Gun Sale Checks
15 March 2012
CNN
A man who survived the April 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech says not enough is being done to keep guns out of the hands of people like the shooter even as a jury found the university failed to warn students earlier that a gunman was on campus.
"As someone who lost a teacher and many friends as a result of the Virginia Tech massacre, I am gratified by the verdict," said Colin Goddard, who was shot four times during the rampage by Seung-Hui Cho.
A jury Wednesday awarded... (GunPolicy.org)
Southern Africa,South Africa,Swaziland,Angola,Congo (DRC),Mozambique,Namibia,Zimbabwe,Central America,South America,Caribbean,Central Africa,Europe,Asia,Africa,Americas,Oceania,Botswana,China,Czech Republic,Germany,Russia,United States,Philippines,Italy
High Gun Death Risk for Young African Men, Women at Home - UN Study
19 February 2012
Southern Times (Southern Africa)
WINDHOEK - Young men in Southern Africa are at the greatest risk of cold-blooded murder, while women in the region are more likely than others from around the world to be killed in domestic violence, a UN agency says.
The statistics from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) come as the region battles to contain the proliferation of gun-related crimes.
Experts have said gun-related crime is a major problem in South Africa and Swaziland, and is on the rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
Barbados Gun Dealer, Gun Lobby Leader Faces Illegal Firearm Charges
4 February 2012
Stabroek News (Guyana)
A gun dealer charged with not only failing to register his transactions but with possession of 21 guns – some of them high-powered weapons – without the proper licences was remanded after a late afternoon court appearance yesterday.
Michael Holder, 43, of Christ Church, had 25 charges, including 21 charges of possession of illegal firearms, read to him by Magistrate Graveney Bannister. Holder appeared in the District "A" Magistrates' Court.
The president of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Breast Cancer Foundation, US Gun Dealer Team Up to Sell Pink Pistol
3 February 2012
CBS News (USA) / AP
SEATTLE – The Susan G. Komen Foundation is teaming up with Seattle gun distributor Discount Gun Sales, LLC, to sell a pink handgun to help raise money for the breast cancer organization.
The gun, a Walther P-22, is already available for purchase at $429.99.
"Discount Gun Sales is proud to team up with the Susan B. Koman [sic] Foundation to offer the Walther P-22 Hope Edition in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month," the page reads. "A portion of each P-22... (GunPolicy.org)
China,United States,Ghana,Nigeria
Nigerian Civilians Hold 2 Million Guns, Security Forces 600,000
30 January 2012
Nation (Nigeria)
Members of the dreaded insurgent group, Boko Haram, armed robbers and hired assassins have done great havoc with guns acquired illegally. Where are they coming from? OLUKAYODE THOMAS and JOKE KUJENYA examine the sources of illegal arms into the country.
The ruins are still visible on the police zonal headquatres in Kano. The offices of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) testify to the Boko Haram bombing and armed assaults of... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Marine Gets 10yrs for Smuggling US Guns to English Crime Gangs
10 January 2012
News & Observer (North Carolina)
GREENVILLE -- A former U.S. Marine has been sentenced to 10 years in prison today for illegally trafficking dozens of handguns to the United Kingdom.
Steven Neal Greenoe, 37, a former Raleigh resident, pleaded guilty in federal court to the charges, which allege that the joint U.S. and U.K. citizen took nine trips from North Carolina – where he grew up – purchased handguns, and concealed a total of 63 pistols in his luggage before returning to England, where he... (GunPolicy.org)
Investigation: US Illegal Gun Buyers Have an Easy Time Online - Time
16 December 2011
Time (USA)
Easy firearm sales over the Internet, through classified sites like Craigslist, may be to blame for a significant amount of the nation's gun crime, thanks to a loophole in federal firearm regulations that some private arms sellers are taking advantage of, according to a new investigation released Wednesday.
In a probe of illegal online firearm sales conducted by the City of New York, undercover investigators found that 62% of private gun sellers they interacted with... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Sales Run Rampant on US Internet, Arm 'Craigslist Killers'
14 December 2011
Huffington Post (USA)
A New York City undercover investigation heralded as the first of its kind has found a "vast and largely unregulated market for illegal guns" on the Internet, and the worst offender is a website that has gotten mixed up with the law before: Craigslist.
In the report released Wednesday, entitled, "Point, Click, Fire: An Investigation of Illegal Online Gun Sales," investigators found that sellers on Craigslist agreed 82 percent of the time to sell guns to a purchaser who... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Gun Dealer Offers Machine Guns, Anti-aircraft Gun for Sale
9 December 2011
New Zealand Herald / APNZ
A Christchurch arms dealer is trading high-calibre weapons more associated with freedom fighters in Libya than librarians in Linwood.
David Tipple of Gun City is selling for a bargain price of $1499 anti-aircraft cannons designed to shoot jet-fighters out of the sky.
Also available are German machineguns from the Battle of Stalingrad, MP5 9mm sub-machineguns starting from $14,999, as well as "very rare" 9mm UZI machineguns - down from $12,000 - Russian AK47s, .303... (GunPolicy.org)
Guatemala,Mexico,United States
Texas Gun Shop Sold 'Infantry Squad' Weapons to Mexican Cartel Smugglers
8 December 2011
Guardian (UK)
It was nothing more than a routine inspection for federal agents. But as they browsed the records of Carter's Country gun shop in Houston, investigators picked up on a series of big sales. For cash.
Federal agents were alerted not only by the number of guns involved – sometimes a dozen at a time – but the type. Time and again buyers walked out of Carter's Country clutching assault rifles, semi-automatic pistols with armour-piercing bullets and powerful sniper... (GunPolicy.org)
Civilians Have Easy Access to Illegal Guns in Kurdistan Black Market
3 December 2011
Kurdish Globe (Kurdistan)
Some see their firearms as further protection
Twenty years after the Kurdish uprising, civilians still keep guns in their homes.
Firearms remain widely accepted by people in a region where possession of unlicensed firearms is considered illegal.
A weapon that was once essential for their survival--especially in the 90s--still has not lost its appeal among civilians. Politicians gift guns as a tradition.
The gun market located outside of Erbil city is part of some 20... (GunPolicy.org)
Despite Police Protests, Blind American Man Legally Holds 12+ Handguns
25 November 2011
New York Times
ROCKAWAY, N.J. — Judging by what the authorities say about him, Steven Hopler has really been testing the limits of the Second Amendment.
Mr. Hopler, 49, who lives on a winding road here, is once again fighting for his right to keep and bear arms despite having been totally blind for most of his adult life. He has repeatedly persuaded judges to let him keep his collection of more than a dozen handguns, but doing so has been more complicated since 2008, when he was... (GunPolicy.org)
Alleged Gun Dealer, Illegal Firearm Manufacturer Charged in Nigeria
10 November 2011
This Day (Lagos)
The Nigerian Police Command in Bauchi State has arrested one Gambo Mohammed and his collaborator, Alhassan Mohammed, for allegedly manufacturing of illegal firearms and ammunitions.
The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, who disclosed this to newsmen in his office, yesterday, said the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) recovered from the suspects two firearms, ammunition fabricating apparatus, one oxygen gas cylinder, corrugated local implements for... (GunPolicy.org)
Four California Police Agencies Linked to Probe of Illegal Gun Sales
5 November 2011
Sacramento Bee (California)
The federal probe into suspected illegal gun sales by local law enforcement officers involves at least four major police agencies in the Sacramento region, officials confirmed Friday.
Two deputies from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, one Sacramento police officer and one Roseville police officer are the focus of the probe that spilled into the open Thursday, the Bee has learned.
In addition, a Sacramento firearms dealer allegedly involved with some of the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Canadian Law Would Allow Even Gun Dealer Sales to Escape Registration
5 November 2011
Montreal Gazette (Québec)
As tensions mount between Quebec and Ottawa over the federal government's proposed law to abolish the longgun registry, a wide-ranging group of activists and politicians gathered at Dawson College on Friday to urge the province to take legal action to save the registry and its vast database.
Heidi Rathjen of Poly sesouvient.ca, a group that has tracked gun laws since the massacre at the École Polytechnique that killed 14 women on Dec. 6, 1989, said Quebec should do... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama Voters, Muslims Need Not Apply for Texas Gun Course
28 October 2011
Reuters
SAN ANTONIO - A central Texas gun dealer ran radio ads advising "Socialist" liberals, those who voted for President Barack Obama, Arabs and Muslims that they need not apply for his concealed gun license class.
Crockett Keller, who owns Keller's Riverside Store, ran the ads on the radio station in his rural hometown of Mason, Texas, which is 120 miles west of the state capital of Austin.
"If you are a Socialist liberal and/or voted for the current campaigner in chief,... (GunPolicy.org)
Political Party Gives Bullets to Australian Gun Clubs in Return for Votes
28 October 2011
Australian (Sydney)
Bob Katter's Australia Party is giving bullets to gun clubs in return for their political support.
Gun dealer and party vice-president Robert Nioa yesterday confirmed the "sponsorship" scheme as Queensland Attorney-General Paul Lucas condemned the fledgling political entity's financial links to shooting interests.
Mr Lucas said he was seeking crown law advice over a loophole in electoral laws that spared the party from having to declare more than $500,000 in donations... (GunPolicy.org)
Cowboys, Gun Dealer Calling the Shots for Bob Katter's Political Party
27 October 2011
Australian (Sydney)
Little has been made of the links between Bob Katter's new political party and shooting interests but the website of the gun-dealing millionaire who is the party's senior vice-president gives an insight into the thirst for bloodsports of some of its backers.
For Rob Nioa and some of his like-minded friends who helped to finance Katter's Australian Party, including Queensland Gun Exchange owner David Auger, bagging a rare animal such as a scimitar-horned oryx is a... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Firearm Dealer, Offsider Jailed for Gun Trafficking
18 October 2011
Province (British Columbia)
The son of a cop who was arrested after police found 127 firearms in his vehicle was sentenced Monday to 61/2 years in prison.
Marc Gougeon, a native of Montreal who was living in Vancouver's West End at the time, was convicted in May of trafficking in firearms.
Gougeon, 33, the son of a Montreal police officer, was arrested in September 2006 in Burnaby while driving a rented vehicle with the handguns, all of them semi-automatic weapons with the serial numbers... (GunPolicy.org)
Second Bush Administration Gun-Trafficking Investigation
15 October 2011
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — A second Bush administration gun-trafficking investigation has surfaced using the same controversial tactic for which congressional Republicans have been criticizing the Obama administration.
The tactic, called "gun walking," is already under investigation by the Justice Department's inspector general and by congressional Republicans, who have criticized the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama for letting it happen in an operation called... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealer Trapped After UK Police Set Up Fake Shop in Manchester
4 October 2011
Manchester Evening News (UK)
A gun dealer was trapped after police set up a fake shop selling combat clothing.
Undercover cops posed as shop workers who were looking for lethal weapons in the elaborate sting.
The store was set up after police became concerned at the number of firearms on the streets of Manchester.
After weeks at the store on Princess Road, Moss Side, a gang member customer introduced the plain clothes officers to Marc Billingham, who supplied them with two working guns, an air... (GunPolicy.org)
Family Killings, Fear of Violence Prompt Lebanon to Tighten Gun Control
21 September 2011
Press TV (Beirut)
Lebanon has witnessed years of civil war and internal fighting. Lately, Lebanon is facing a phenomenon that surpasses any political agreement or even disagreement.
The ownership of personal guns has become something that many take for granted.
Three incidents in the last month led to the killing of several people in one family as a result of feuds, and others in mysterious circumstances. In one of those incidents a pump-action shot gun was used to kill a mother and... (GunPolicy.org)
Major Seizures of Guns Mainly Firearm Dealer Imports - Australia Customs
14 September 2011
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
December 23, 2008
Sydney
Huge haul of weapons including:
Assault rifles: Steyr F88, Norinco SKS, Marlin 60 and ADI SLR L1A1
Handguns: Beretta 92FS and Remington 870 Wingmaster
Shot guns: Mossberg 500A
Teargas
16cm rifle silencer
Pistol scope
Megatron Transformer
December 8, 2009
Sydney
980 rounds of FMJ green tip M855 Penetrator armour piercing bullets
July 25, 2006
Brisbane
Steyer tactical scout elite .308 calibre rifle, with telescopic sight
May 30,... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Arrests US Man Accused of Smuggling Arm Parts for Cartels
6 September 2011
Washington Post / AP
PHOENIX — Police have arrested an American man who allegedly smuggled parts for as many as 2,000 grenades into Mexico for drug cartels, more than a year after he was released by U.S. agents who stopped him at the Arizona-Mexico border for having more than a hundred grenade parts.
While a Department of Justice official said the case will be added to the investigation of Operation Fast and Furious, a flawed effort by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand $1 Father's Day Gun Sale Tactic 'Sick and Sad'
1 September 2011
New Zealand Herald
A Father's Day promotion at an Auckland gun shop offering a "mystery firearm" for $1 to the first person to spot it on the racks has been labelled sick, sad and irresponsible.
But the man behind the bargain stands by his offer and says the dad who gets the gun will be "God blessed".
As part of its annual Father's Day sale Gun City in Mt Roskill is offering a special deal to one lucky punter on Saturday. If they spot the gun with the $1 price tag - it's theirs to buy,... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize 600 Guns from Licensed Dealer in Victorian 'Drug Turf War'
30 August 2011
Star (West Melbourne)
Notorious warring crime groups in the North-West have been "lawful customers" of a St Albans gun dealership, where police seized 600 firearms last week.
On Monday 22 August, officers confiscated hundreds of guns from the Leslie St business.
The 79-year-old owner is expected to face charges of firearms offences, false accounting and using false documents.
The operation was launched three weeks after a tip-off and a police audit, which discovered bookkeeping... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize Hundreds of Firearms from Licensed Melbourne Gun Dealer
22 August 2011
ABC News (Australia)
Victoria Police have seized about 600 firearms and shut down a gun shop in Melbourne's north-west.
Police say officers raided the gun dealership at St Albans, after a two-week investigation.
Police say the investigation was sparked by an audit under an operation that focuses on the safe disposal and registration of firearms.
A 79-year-old St Albans man is being... (GunPolicy.org)
After Norway Attacks, Estonia Considers Reviewing Its Firearm Laws
18 August 2011
ERR Estonian Public Broadcasting (Tallinn)
In the wake of the attack by lone gunman at the Defense Ministry and the tragedy in Norway, Estonia is considering reviewing the country's firearms laws, which are fairly restrictive but do currently allow those with gun permits to purchase semiautomatic versions of deadly assault rifles.
As of the end of July, there were about 58,000 guns in Estonia in civil commerce, 40,000 of which are hunting weapons.
Gun shop proprietor and sportsman Martin Bahovski says that... (GunPolicy.org)
3 Men Charged with Production and Selling of Imitation Guns in China
15 August 2011
China Daily
XIAMEN, Fujian - Three men in East China's Fujian province have been charged with producing and selling imitation guns following a raid on a toy gun factory in Jinjiang city in July.
You Zhixian, a publicity officer with Jinjiang public security bureau, said the three suspects surnamed Huang, Ge and Chen had been arrested on suspicion of producing and selling imitation guns that could cause injury.
"More than 10,000 imitation firearms were discovered in the factory,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Inside the Controversial US-Mexico Gun Trafficking Investigation
30 July 2011
Associated Press
PHOENIX -- Ten days before Christmas, ATF agent John Dodson awoke, got his morning coffee, switched on the TV news – and heard the words he had dreaded every day of every month he had been a member of the gun-trafficking investigative team called the Group VII Strike Force.
A Border Patrol agent had been shot dead in a gun battle with suspected bandits. The agent was 40, only months older than Dodson himself, another ex-military man who chose to serve his country by... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Firearm Dealer Faces Gun Smuggling Charge in Philippines
28 July 2011
ABS-CBN News (Manila)
MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed smuggling charges and charges for unauthorized importation of 'weapons of war and parts' before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against a gun store owner who uses balikbayan boxes in allegedly illegally bringing in firearms and ammunition.
Mark Louie Mendoza, a resident of La Loma, Manila, and owner of Last Resort Armaments based in Makati City, was named respondent in the case. The BOC says he is a consignee... (GunPolicy.org)
Citing God's Word, Indiana Gun Shop Owner Sold Submachine Gun to Felon
20 July 2011
Indiana Daily Student
An Ellettsville gun shop owner was arrested for several serious weapons violations July 19, after a seven-month-long investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff's office.
Law enforcement received a tip in January that Donald Mullendore, 61 of Ellettsville, might be selling firearms in violation of federal law.
A criminal investigation then followed, according to a press release from the office of the U.S. District Attorney for Southern Indiana, Joesph Hogsett.
An... (GunPolicy.org)
US-Mexico Gun Tracking Program Comes Under Congressional Fire
16 July 2011
Christian Science Monitor
ATLANTA - Busting a major gunrunning ring on the New Mexico frontier – and netting a mayor, a police chief and a town councilor in the process – would normally be a huge feather in the cap of embattled federal agencies under pressure to stop cross-border arms smuggling and corruption.
But instead, the resolution of the so-called Columbus 11 case in the historic border village of Columbus, N.M., has taken on a muted tone, primarily because of its potentially... (GunPolicy.org)
New Rules Announced Amid Criticism of Flawed US Gun-running Operation
12 July 2011
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — In an effort to stem the illicit flow of weapons into Mexico, the Justice Department announced Monday that all gun shops in four Southwest border states will be required to alert the federal government to frequent buyers of high-powered rifles.
The new policy comes amid criticism of a flawed federal probe aimed at dismantling large-scale arms trafficking networks along the Arizona border with Mexico.
In the probe, called Operation Fast and Furious,... (GunPolicy.org)
Stolen Guns Could Soon Be on Sale on Australian Black Market - Police
5 July 2011
Fraser Coast Chronicle (Australia)
An arsenal of stolen guns is in the hands of criminals and could soon be on sale to the highest bidder on the Fraser Coast.
Six guns were stolen in the early hours of yesterday morning along with a car belonging to the guns' registered owner, who was preparing to transport them to a gun dealer in Brisbane.
The weapons were locked in secure receptacles inside the car and were not visible, a police spokesman said.
The missing weapons join those stolen when a firearm... (GunPolicy.org)
After Mexican Scandal, Should US Feds Firearm Bureau Continue to Exist?
4 July 2011
New York Times
WASHINGTON — The last time the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was caught up in scandal, its director faced accusations of lavish spending on his new office. Before he resigned, Congress, flexing its oversight muscles, decided the Senate would confirm all future A.T.F. chiefs.
That was five years ago. Nobody has been confirmed, and the nation has been without a chief firearms inspector ever since.
Today, the bureau is again under... (GunPolicy.org)
Palestine,Libya,Chad,Sudan,Egypt
Smuggled, Stolen and Homemade, Guns Flood Egypt's Streets
27 June 2011
Al Masry Al Youm (Egypt)
A new conversation has been taking place around Egypt for the past five months, one that rarely came up before. How do you acquire a firearm?
With rising crime rates and an ongoing security vacuum since 28 January, the smuggling, manufacturing, and purchasing of weapons is on the rise.The insecurity has generated new clients and markets in a country where previously one rarely heard of civilians carrying personal weapons. The persistent security vacuum has sparked a... (GunPolicy.org)
Badly Flawed US Background Check System Fails to Contain Gun Sales
23 June 2011
Center for Public Integrity / iWatch News (USA)
Like many states, Maine depends on the FBI to conduct background checks of people who want to acquire firearms from the state's federally licensed gun dealers.
And like many states, Maine is a slacker in supplying the records that the FBI depends on to run those checks.
That's how Raymond Geisel got his guns, including a Glock Model 17 pistol and a semi-automatic version of the AK-47 assault rifle. Geisel had previously been committed to a psychiatric hospital in... (GunPolicy.org)
Tragic Sequel After Sydney Gun Dealer Sold Bullets to Unlicensed Shooter
6 June 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
The offence may sound trivial but the consequences proved fatal. When George Petas, a licensed firearms dealer and official with the Sydney Pistol Club, sold two boxes of ammunition to an unlicensed shooter, he did not realise he was breaking the law, his lawyer told the court.
Seventy of the 100 rounds he sold for $16 were used in a so-called training shoot at the La Perouse range one day last August. But the unlicensed shooter, Shamin Fernando, 43, walked out of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Unlawful Gun Dealer Faces a Sentence in US Federal Prison
30 May 2011
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
When Oliver King was arrested outside a storage locker packed with high-end, military-style weapons, he had, if cast in a particular light, all it would take to be a villain in a half-cooked terror thriller.
Instead, as the investigation rolled on, federal authorities found King to be an entirely different sort. Rather than some sort of jet-set gunrunner, they had collared an odd man with a failed business, a tendency toward exaggeration – records show he once... (GunPolicy.org)
Justifiable Killings by Police and Private Citizens Rise in Virginia and the US
29 May 2011
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
The number of justifiable killings committed by police and private citizens has been trending upward over the past decade, rising in 2009 to their highest levels in more than a dozen years in both Virginia and the nation.
There are no definitive answers to what is causing more law-enforcement officers and individuals to use deadly force in dealing with crime. But some criminologists say changing attitudes about the circumstances in which lethal force can be used in... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owners Set Up Trusts to Avoid US Machine Gun Background Checks
25 May 2011
CNN
PRESTONBURG, Kentucky -- For Benjamin Ferguson, the Dewey Lake Fish and Gun Club brings back memories. As a child, Ferguson came to the modest gun range in rural Floyd County, Kentucky, to learn gun safety so he could go deer hunting with his family.
Now, the Army veteran and drug counselor has children of his own, six in total. He passes along knowledge about gun operation and safety and encourages his children to explore the guns -- safely, of course.
"It's... (GunPolicy.org)
American Guns in Mexico, 2 Rival Perspectives: Government and US Gun Lobby
21 May 2011
Wall Street Journal
Late on the night of March 8, 2008, a Mexican military patrol in the northern city of Chihuahua responded to neighbors' complaints about armed men. The soldiers, part of Mexico's ongoing effort to curb narco-trafficking violence, were met with a fusillade of grenades and gunfire. In the end, six men whom officials described as members of a drug gang lay dead.
On the government side, five soldiers were injured and one, Capt. David Mendoza Gómez, was killed. Mexican... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Police Tracing Guns Used in Crimes: Home-sourced or Smuggled?
16 May 2011
Metro Halifax (Canada)
Guns used in crimes — like the 26 shootings in HRM so far this year — are overwhelmingly homegrown, police say.
Halifax Regional Police and Halifax RCMP say they seized 129 crime guns in 2010, and were able to track roughly half of them. They discovered 53 were from Canada and seven were smuggled across the border.
In many other areas of Canada it's the other way around.
Const. Brian Palmeter with HRP said several of those guns were stolen from legitimate gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealers: NZ New Laws on Imports of Imitation Guns Will Be Ineffective
14 May 2011
3 News (New Zealand)
The owner of the country's biggest gun store says new rules aimed at restricting imports of airguns which replicate the real thing will do little to reduce crime.
An amendment to the Arms Act will mean people who import replica airguns must first obtain a permit from the commissioner of police.
David Tipple imports around 10,000 airguns every year and he now fears around 20 percent or 2,000 of those guns will require a permit before he can bring them in.
"Under the... (GunPolicy.org)
Some Gun Owners in Mexico Defy the Law to Defend Themselves
13 May 2011
KHOU-TV (Houston, Texas)
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico – Despite strict gun-control laws in Mexico, crime scenes are riddled with bullet holes. Both drug cartels and common criminals have guns. Now more private citizens are arming themselves for protection, even if it means breaking the law.
"People are desperate," said Rogelio "Chief" Bravo, a private investigator in El Paso who has worked for clients just across the border in Ciudad Juarez too. "They're telling the government, if you can't protect... (GunPolicy.org)
Washington Woman Sues US Govt Over Delay in Buying a Handgun
11 May 2011
WTOP TV News (Washington DC)
WASHINGTON - Michelle Lane is tired of waiting to get her guns, so she's going to federal court.
WTOP was first to report that Lane and all D.C. residents are temporarily unable to register handguns. The reason: The only licensed firearm dealer in the District is temporarily out of business because he lost his lease.
Federal law prohibits individuals from buying handguns in one state and transferring them to another state. That can only be facilitated by a licensed... (GunPolicy.org)
US Appeals Court Shoots Down New York City Gun Shop Oversight Plan
4 May 2011
Reuters
NEW YORK - New York City suffered a setback on Wednesday when a federal appeals court ordered it to make changes to a court-ordered plan to crack down on illegal sales at two gun shops in the U.S. South accused of violating federal gun-purchase laws.
The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals threw out an injunction subjecting the shops to New York City's stringent monitoring requirements, saying the plan failed to give the stores a clear idea of what constituted a... (GunPolicy.org)
New York Appeals Court Tosses Scheme to Stop Illegal Gun Dealer Sales
4 May 2011
New York Post
A Manhattan appeals court today shot down orders that imposed outside monitoring on two out-of-state gun dealers accused of having "New Yorkers' blood on their hands."
The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals said "several portions" of the 2009 injunctions against Mickalis Pawn Shop and Adventure Outdoors were "insufficiently specific or overbroad" and ordered "further proceedings" to make them comply with federal rules.
The decision noted that the Brooklyn federal... (GunPolicy.org)
Life is Good for US Gun Lobby, Obama Now the Demon to Defeat in 2012
29 April 2011
National Review (USA)
PITTSBURGH - At first glance, life seems good for the National Rifle Association [NRA or US Gun Lobby] and its members.
While many conservatives bewailed the era of Democratic rule that began in January 2009, Obama actually signed several pieces of NRA-supported legislation, including bills allowing Americans to bring guns onto Amtrak trains and carry them in national parks. Now a largely pro–Second Amendment Democratic House majority has been replaced by a largely... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Dealer Boasts He can't Keep Up with Demand in Lebanon
22 April 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
The Beiruti arms dealer Abu Jihad is more than an hour late to our pre-arranged meeting.
"I'm very sorry for the delay," says the balding father of four when he finally appears. "On the way here I made an unexpected sale. Two M16s."
Wearing green camouflage pants and a black parka, Abu Jihad sits down and reaches for the Smith & Wesson revolver strapped to his ankle. "I normally carry three weapons," he says, emptying the revolver of its bullets and spinning the... (GunPolicy.org)
Fear Spurs Soaring California Gun Sales, But Many Guns Stolen, Misused
17 April 2011
Desert Sun (California)
Across Riverside County, gun sales are booming at a much faster rate than the population is growing.
A surge in recent gun violence and fatal shootings in the Coachella Valley points to the ubiquity of guns in the community, most of them legal and legally owned.
From 2000 to 2010, the county's firearm sales increased more than 154 percent, state figures show. The county's population, meanwhile, grew by 42 percent over the same time.
In all, more than 169,500... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Policing Agency Ignored Mexico Gun Running Warnings - Senator
15 April 2011
Reuters
U.S. federal agents encouraged an Arizona gun dealer to sell weapons to suspected traffickers for the Mexican drug cartels, even after the dealer warned they would end up in the hands of "bad guys," according to correspondence released by a U.S. senator.
Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, released excerpts from an e-mail from an unidentified Arizona gun dealer to a supervisory agent of a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives operation targeting... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealers Warned Feds US-Mexico Gun Running Sting Was Dangerous
15 April 2011
USA Today
Federal agents and prosecutors last year encouraged Arizona gun dealers to sell firearms to buyers for Mexican cartels even after the store owners fretted that weapons might be used to kill Border Patrol agents, according to e-mails obtained by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa.
Grassley, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder that the e-mails refute earlier Justice Department denials. The e-mails were exchanged... (GunPolicy.org)
Feds Urged Dealer to Continue Gun Sales Despite Concerns, Inquiry Finds
15 April 2011
Los Angeles Times
The investigation into a federal operation that allowed Mexican drug cartels to acquire U.S. weapons escalated Thursday with new revelations that an Arizona gun dealer repeatedly expressed fears that his guns were falling into the "hands of the bad guys" but was encouraged by federal agents to continue the sales.
A series of emails released by congressional investigators showed that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives encouraged the gun dealer... (GunPolicy.org)
Grassley Criticizes ATF's Conduct in Gun Probe
14 April 2011
Associated Press
PHOENIX — A licensed gun dealer in Arizona who was cooperating with federal agents in a gun smuggling probe told investigators that he was worried that firearms sold by his store could end up in the wrong hands.
The dealer's concerns are contained in a letter that Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa wrote on Wednesday to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as part of Grassley's inquiry into efforts to combat gun smuggling into Mexico. The Associated Press obtained... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Shop Owner Expressed Early Concerns in US 'Gunwalker' Scandal
14 April 2011
CBS News (USA)
Damning, newly-obtained emails show that a key gun shop owner made explicit concerns in writing last year in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms' "gunwalking" scandal.
Starting in late 2009, ATF allegedly directed an undetermined number of Phoenix-area gun shop owners to go ahead with sales of thousands of assault rifles and other weapons to suspicious buyers. Insiders claim ATF knew the buyers were connected to Mexico's drug cartels, but let the guns "walk"... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Gun Owners, Dealers, Gun Shows Fuel Minneapolis Gun Violence
22 March 2011
Minnesota Public Radio, Transcript
MINNEAPOLIS — In January 2010, three men were gunned down during an apparent robbery attempt at the Seward Market in south Minneapolis. One of the victims worked at the store. The second victim was the clerk's cousin who stopped by to chat. The third was a man who just happened to walk in at the wrong time.
The report from the police homicide investigation shows that five shell casings found at the crime scene likely match a test casing provided by the maker of a... (GunPolicy.org)