Gun Policy News
Glock handguns mentioned in mass media
Gun Trafficking from US to UK Increasing
12 August 2020
New York Times
Handguns are quietly being smuggled into Britain, despite tough gun-control laws. The police fear that the illegal weapons are contributing to a rise in gang-related crime.
NORTHAMPTON, England — Josh Bains was 28 when he was killed after an argument over a drug debt of about $50 just a few miles from the English village where he grew up — with a gun that had traveled thousands of miles from America.
His was one of a rising number of gun deaths in recent years... (GunPolicy.org)
The Underlying Trends of the Korat Mall Massacre
17 February 2020
Channel News Asia
BANGKOK: The mass shooting at the Terminal 21 mall in Thailand's Nakhon Ratchasima (or Korat) over the weekend is unprecedented in Thailand.
It raises serious questions about the security of arms in the Royal Thai Armed Forces. It also sheds light on corruption in the armed forces and on Thailand's gun culture in general.
The assailant killed at least 29, including civilians, soldiers and police responders and wounded scores more with a staggering amount of firepower... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe's Flourishing Gunmakers
23 February 2018
Economist
It was a blunder by Heckler & Koch, a giant German gunmaker. On February 15th the agency apologised for a "mistake" after its American subsidiary posted a Valentine's picture exhibiting a handgun surrounded by ammunition organized within the form of a coronary heart. The picture went out to social media shortly after a lethal college capturing in Florida.
The put up was additionally a reminder that though Europeans typically criticise lax firearm-ownership legal... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Investigate Hack of Guns Database
18 November 2017
Age (Melbourne)
Police are investigating the hacking of a gun club database that may have exposed where more than 1500 semi-automatic handguns are stored.
The private details of 540 members from the Port Melbourne club, including the types of weapons they owned, is believed to have been compromised this month, potentially exposing them to the theft of guns worth at least $5000 each on the black market.
Most members own multiple guns, and store them in their homes.
One Melbourne... (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)
Arms Dealers Say Trump Election Will Likely Slow Gun Sales
22 November 2016
USA Today
On Nov. 9, the day after Donald Trump had been elected president, a customer walked into the Phoenix Tactical gun shop here not to make a purchase but to cancel one.
The customer had put a Glock pistol on layaway, but wanted to void the purchase because Hillary Clinton had lost the election and a pro-gun Donald Trump had emerged victorious, Phoenix Tactical owner Bryan Bryner said.
"He said: 'The threat is gone,' " Bryner said.
That change of heart reflects a new... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Man Charged With Smuggling Handgun Parts by Mail
17 November 2016
Sydney Morning Herald
A Mildura man has been charged with importing handgun parts in the mail.
Australian Border Force officers intercepted seven packages from the US and Hong Kong addressed to 34-year-old Hanh Truong between November 6 to November 9.
The packages were labelled as toys or model parts, but X-rays at the Australia Post gateway facility in Tullamarine revealed they actually contained firearm parts and handgun frames, a Border Force spokesman said.
Border Force and police... (GunPolicy.org)
French Groups Advocate for a Right to Possess Guns [FR]
15 November 2016
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated summary: Following the attacks targeting France after Charlie Hebdo, several groups are advocating for the right of civilians to arm themselves. Membership of shooting clubs also continues to increase. Currently it is forbidden for a civilian to own a firearm without a hunting permit or a licence from the French Shooting Federation.]
Avec la longue liste d'attaques ayant visé la France depuis Charlie Hebdo, des voix se font entendre pour permettre aux... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Deaths in Uruguay Spark Ammunition Calibre Debate [ES]
14 November 2016
Espectador (Uruguay)
[Translated summary: Uruguay has registered 604,678 firearms since 1944 and is considered one of the most armed countries in the world. Recent deaths and injures caused by shots in the air generated a debate about which ammunition the police should use. The Interior Ministry advocates for the use of bullets with greater destructive power and less rebound, while the Ministry of Defence thinks it's better to use "full metal jacket" ammunition.]
Un joven murió por una... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras,États-Unis,Amérique du Sud
Firearm Trafficking Soaring in Honduras - Customs [ES]
11 November 2016
La Tribuna (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Every month, Honduran customs seize an average of 35 to 40 firearms of US and South America origin. Among the seized arms are pistols, shotguns, hunting rifles and ammunition. Police say the increase in crime is the reason Hondurans want to arm themselves, and trafficked guns cost one fifth of legal guns.]
Un promedio de 35 a 40 armas de fuego o municiones provenientes de Estados Unidos y de Suramérica decomisan al mes funcionarios de Aduanas de... (GunPolicy.org)
US Coroner Leads Local Push to Remove Guns, Curb Suicides
10 November 2016
Public Source (USA)
Ken Bacha is no foe of the Second Amendment.
As coroner for Westmoreland County, he carries a Glock 23 pistol in a protective hip holster, almost casually, like an oversized smartphone.
He's fond of hunting. He enjoys shooting sports, gun bash fundraisers, and has about 15 guns at home. He shoots, his wife shoots, his daughters shoot.
That's pretty typical in the county, where gun sales are among the highest in the state, where hunting is a way of life and gun permit... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Raid Illegal Gun Makers in Moscow, 24 Russian Regions
25 October 2016
Tass (Russia)
MOSCOW -- Operatives of the Russian Interior Ministry's Main Criminal Investigation Department have liquidated a workshop of illegal arms producers in southwest Moscow, the ministry's press office told TASS on Tuesday.
"Operatives of the Russian Interior Ministry's Main Criminal Investigation Department and the Federal Security Service have carried out searches in Moscow and the Moscow Region at the places of residence of four lawbreakers to find and seize 22 pistols... (GunPolicy.org)
Spain Licences 8,000 Civilians to Carry Hidden Handguns
25 October 2016
El País (Colombia)
Sitting on a terrace having breakfast, Fernando glances around, and then opens his jacket to reveal a small pistol in a brown leather holster. It is a Glock 9mm and he carries it for protection. A jeweler by trade, he was the target of a number of violent attacks several years ago, and was subsequently declared "at risk" and issued a B license by Spanish police – a license that allows him to carry a firearm for self-defense.
Fernando is not particularly pleased to be... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe's Pro-gun Lobbies Dilute Planned EU Gun Control Law
21 October 2016
Deutsche Welle
The European Commission's attempts to ban the most dangerous semi-automatic weapons, such as AK-47 assault rifles, are being watered down thanks to pressure from a pan-European alliance of gun associations, according to documents leaked to "Der Spiegel" magazine.
The Commission's proposal, drawn up in the wake of last year's terrorist attacks at the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, is due to be finalized over the coming weeks by the European Parliament, the Commission,... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'National Dialogue Has Changed' on Guns - 130 of the Worst
21 October 2016
New York Times
John R. Houser was dangerously mentally ill, too ill to carry a gun. Of that, there is little doubt.
Over 16 years, Mr. Houser, 59, had been charged with hiring a man to burn down a lawyer's office and named in a domestic violence complaint. In 2008, after Mr. Houser threatened to kill his daughter's fiancé, a judge issued a temporary restraining order and ordered him hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation. In 2014, he threatened to shoot law enforcement officers who... (GunPolicy.org)
German Arms Maker to Release Second Smart Gun in US
20 October 2016
Computer World (Singapore)
German firearms manufacturer Armatix LLC is planning to release its second smart gun in the U.S. next year after sales of its first model -- the .22 caliber iP1 -- were quashed by pressure from some gun owners and gun rights advocates who saw it as a threat to Second Amendment freedoms.
Unlike the iP1, which used RFID technology, the new iP9 9mm semi-automatic pistol will have a fingerprint reader. The iP9 will be available in mid-2017, according to Wolfgang Tweraser,... (GunPolicy.org)
Spain Has 3 Million Guns Among 1.1 Million Citizens [ES]
17 October 2016
El País (Spain)
[Translated summary: Spain has 3 million registered firearms in the hands of 1.1 million citizens, most of them for hunting, sport or collecting. Only 8,000 people have type B licences that allow them to carry concealed guns. Since obtaining this licence is complicated, most people who fear for their safety tend to own guns for sport; they only have to attend a shooting club regularly to keep their licences.]
La población española es una de las menos armadas, pero... (GunPolicy.org)
One US Gun's Journey: 42 Bullets Fired, 2 Killed, 5 Wounded
7 October 2016
Chicago Tribune
The young woman arrived home to find a footprint still visible on her front door.
Her South Shore apartment had been broken into, and the small safe she kept under her bed was missing, along with the black .40-caliber Glock handgun she kept inside.
Over the next year, that Glock would fire 42 bullets, leaving shell casings scattered on walkways, porches and side streets. In the hands of a street gang, the gun was used in at least five separate shootings that left two... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Are Stolen in America As Often As Once Every Minute
21 September 2016
The Trace (USA)
ATLANTA — Landen Boyd parked his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at a construction site south of downtown Atlanta and went to work, leaving his black Smith & Wesson 9mm in a case underneath the center console.
It was the fall of 2006, and Boyd, a 37-year-old construction superintendent, was overseeing the development of an apartment complex across the train tracks from Mechanicsville, a high-crime neighborhood. When noon came, Boyd hitched a ride to eat lunch with... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Owners Lose Up to 60,000 Firearms a Year to Thieves
21 September 2016
Guardian
Landen Boyd parked his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at a construction site south of downtown Atlanta and went to work, leaving his black Smith & Wesson 9mm in a case underneath the center console.
While Boyd was eating lunch at a nearby rib joint, someone chucked a brick through his truck's back window, crawled inside, grabbed his weapon, and fled.
The Smith & Wesson vanished into Atlanta's underworld for more than two years. The handgun resurfaced when police... (GunPolicy.org)
Pink Pistols, the US LGBT Group that Embraces Guns [ES]
13 September 2016
Hoy Los Angeles
[Translated summary: In the days after 49 people were fatally shot at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, the LGBT gun group Pink Pistols started to receive more attention, with new locations opening across the US and Canada. Members believe that owning guns will make their community safer, while the vast majority of LGBT activists say becoming armed is not the answer.]
Jonathan Fischer nunca sabe quién se sorprenderá más cuando -como a él mismo le gusta decirlo-... (GunPolicy.org)
Pink Pistols: Gun-Toting Gay Americans, Trained and Armed
12 September 2016
Philadelphia Inquirer
Gwen Patton does not carry a gun specifically because she is a lesbian. She carries a gun because she believes random evil can put its hand on you at any moment - and gay people face additional danger.
"Yeah, because someone mugs you on the street, they want your wallet, they want your watch, they want money. A woman might also face a threat of rape," she says. "Another level is when they don't like you for what you are. There's a quantum leap in danger."
That's why... (GunPolicy.org)
Young, Dumb & Armed: How Melbourne Became a Gun City (1)
12 September 2016
Age (Melbourne)
Sunday at the south-side club is gangster night. The blokes in streetwear - G Star Raw, Adidas, Louis Vuitton man-bags - the women in not much.
It's an exhibition of murky trades: drug dealers, bikies, standover men, the underworld's rising stars and wannabes.
They come from across the city to party and be seen, sweeping into the sprawling neon-lit club like royalty.
The ones flush with cash can spend big to get a VIP booth above the action, while the up-and-comers... (GunPolicy.org)
Slovakia 'Main Supplier' of Guns to Terrorists in Europe [ES]
7 September 2016
Terra (Argentina)
[Translated summary: Slovakia has become one of the main suppliers of guns to the black market. Until last year, companies were allowed to sell old weapons that had been disabled. However, it was very easy to make the weapons operational again. New regulations ban online sales and demand companies to use other methods for disabling.]
Un agujero legal, la falta de controles y la búsqueda de beneficio económico han hecho de Eslovaquia uno de los principales... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Manufacturers' Profits Soar In Wake of Shootings [FR]
2 September 2016
La Tribune (France)
[Translated summary: In fear of violence, a growing number of Americans choose to purchase firearms for self-defence. This behaviour is particularly lucrative for the firearm industry. For example, Smith & Wesson has registered a surge of 226% in its profit in the last few months.]
L'américain Smith & Wesson a plus que doublé son profit net lors du dernier trimestre, tandis que les récentes fusillades ont fait grimper le cours de l'action des fabricants... (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)
Durable, 3D-Printed 'Glock' Fires 18 Shots, 1000s of Rounds
25 August 2016
Outdoor Hub (US)
One thing can be said about the firearms community as a whole: there is plenty of fascination with new possibilities. Whether it is the hot gun du jour, or another promising new trend, our curiosity is often piqued and many of us want a piece of the pie.
3D printed guns are no exception.
As the possibility of a 3D printed gun hit the internet a few years ago, it was met with immediate attention. It was almost as if an electrically charged hush fell over the pro-gun... (GunPolicy.org)
US Lost Hundreds of Thousands of Guns In Iraq, Afghanistan
24 August 2016
New York Times
Early this year, a Facebook user in Baghdad using the name Hussein Mahyawi posted a photograph of a slightly worn M4 assault rifle he was offering for sale. Veterans of the latest war in Iraq immediately recognized it. It was a standard American carbine equipped with a holographic sight, a foregrip that was military-issue during the occupation and a sticker bearing a digital QR code used by American forces for inventory control. Except for one detail — an aftermarket... (GunPolicy.org)
At Mexico's Lone Gun Store, Even the Boss Discourages Sales
17 August 2016
Times-Union (Florida), Associated Press
MEXICO CITY — There's just one place in all of Mexico where you can legally buy a gun. It's tucked away in an anonymous building on an army base in the capital, staffed by soldiers.
Those who enter must surrender any cellphones, tablets or cameras, remove caps and pass through a metal detector. Weapons are kept in locked glass cases, unlike many of the 50,000-plus U.S. gun shops where used-gun racks on showroom floors allow easy access and clerks are happy to let you... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Times-Union (Florida), Associated Press
Germans Arrest Suspected Supplier of Mass Shooter's Gun
16 August 2016
New York Times
BERLIN — The police have arrested a 31-year-old German man suspected of selling a gun and bullets to a teenager who killed nine people in a rampage last month in Munich, which sent the city into a panicky lockdown amid fears of a terrorist attack.
The man was detained on Tuesday in the central German city of Marburg after being lured into a weapons deal with investigators and boasting that he had supplied the gun and ammunition in the Munich rampage, the authorities... (GunPolicy.org)
New Hampshire Woman Supplied Guns to Boston Gangs
12 August 2016
Union Leader (New Hampshire)
WARNER – A gun used to shoot a Boston police officer in January was bought by a New Hampshire woman whom police believe was supplying them to gang members in Boston, according to an affidavit unsealed Friday.
The Glock 27 that wound up in the hands of Grant Headley is one of an estimated 30 to 63 firearms purchased by Sara Johnson of Manchester, according to authorities.
"At least four of the firearms purchased by Johnson were subsequently recovered on the streets... (GunPolicy.org)
US Traffickers Export Illegal Guns via Global Web 'Darknet'
11 August 2016
CNN
One day, Michael Andrew Ryan sat down at a computer, hopped onto a hidden part of the Internet known as the dark Web, called himself "Gunrunner" and opened for business.
His international weapons operation offered anyone a virtual laundry list of weapons with brand names that have become disturbingly familiar:
- Glock
- Beretta
- Uzi
- Highpoint
- Walther
To make these guns hard to trace, Gunrunner took off their serial numbers and shipped them to countries where... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Makers See Rush in Demand, Production and Exports
10 August 2016
Guns (USA)
New data released this week by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives shows FFL numbers rebounding, over 9 million firearms produced and healthy import and export activity.
The statistics are part of the agency's 2016 Annual Statistical Update of Firearm Commerce in the United States.
The report includes data drawn from ATF's Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report (AFMER), which runs a year behind due to protections accorded under the... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Ranges Legally Rent Machine Guns to Customers
5 August 2016
Miami Herald
The instructor's face wore a frown, and I was worried that I'd committed some safety violation that was going to get me kicked out of the rifle range. When you're firing the same kind of machine gun that killed Osama bin Laden, a weapon that can spit out 900 bullets a minute, the rules are many, and strictly observed.
The instructor leaned closer. "Stop firing little bursts," he urged me. "You're not getting the real fun of the gun. This time, when you pull the... (GunPolicy.org)
One Million Illegal Guns, 6,700 Seized in Honduras [ES]
4 August 2016
Radio HRN (Honduras)
[Translated summary: Honduras confiscated 6,700 firearms in the last two years, most of them from gangs. Types include AK-47 and AR-15 rifles, .45, .38 and 9 mm handguns, shotguns and handmade guns. It is estimated that the cost of the arms seized since 2014 exceeds 100 million lempiras (4.38 million USD). About 1 million illegal firearms circulate in Honduras and 400,000 are legally registered.]
En lo que va del año van más de 1,400 armas de fuego incautadas lo que... (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)
Germany Calls for EU-Wide Gun Control After Munich Shootings
24 July 2016
Telegraph (UK)
The German government has called for EU-wide gun controls in the wake of the Munich shootings, as it emerged the teenage attacker bought a gun on the "dark web".
One of the mysteries of the attack has been how Ali Sonboly managed to get hold of a Glock handgun and the 300 rounds of ammunition police found in his backpack.
Police now believe he bought the gun on the so-called "dark web", an area of the internet not accessible without special software, used by criminals... (GunPolicy.org)
États-Unis,Puerto Rico,Caraïbes
Florida a 'Massive' Gun-Smuggling Gateway to North, Caribbean
18 July 2016
News 4 Jax (USA)
JACKSONVILLE -- Across the state of Florida, Jacksonville had the most guns recovered last year that were tied to crimes -- more than 4,000 in 2014 and 2015 combined, the News4Jax I-TEAM learned.
Why here? The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives points to our open highways with access to JaxPort. Those interstates include I-10, even I-75, and the big one, I-95.
In fact, I-95 is so notorious for gun trafficking, it's called the "Iron Pipeline." Guns... (GunPolicy.org)
Seven Reasons It's So Easy to Buy a Gun In the US
20 June 2016
Teen Vogue
The monstrous shooting at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, Florida, two Sundays ago has brought America's lax gun laws back into tragic focus.
The killer, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, used a 9mm Glock 17 and a Sig Sauer MCX assault rifle that he purchased legally — despite investigations in 2013 and 2014 by the Federal Bureau of Investigations for his potential ties to terrorism.
The U.S. has the highest rate of gun ownership in the world, according to data... (GunPolicy.org)
Pink Pistols, the Pro-gun Group Arming Gay America
19 June 2016
Telegraph (UK)
Karen McCloud and her girlfriend fired round after round, the bullets hitting the human shaped silhouette down range in the head and chest.
A former soldier, Ms McCloud was a straight shot. Her hands steady, her breathing calm, she squeezed the trigger of her 9mm handgun, the hot casings falling to the floor.
"Bad people have guns, and the only people who can stop them are the good people with guns," she said, reloading her weapon. "And that's exactly what went wrong... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Rifle the Weapon of Choice in US Mass Shootings
13 June 2016
Malay Mail (Kuala Lumpur)
WASHINGTON — When Omar Mateen entered an Orlando, Florida, nightclub yesterday to carry out the deadliest mass shooting in US history, he wielded a weapon that has been used in massacres from California to Connecticut: a military-inspired semi-automatic rifle.
Though so-called assault rifles account for a small fraction of the United States' 30,000 annual gun deaths, they have been used in at least 10 mass shootings since 2011, according to a database compiled by... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Industry Shares Soar After Orlando Nightclub Massacre
13 June 2016
Guardian
Gun company shares soared on Monday as traders predicted that Americans will react to the Orlando massacre by rushing out to arm themselves with more guns.
Shares in the two biggest listed US gun manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Sturm Ruger & Co rose by 11% and 10% in early trading and ended the day up 6.8% and 8.5% respectively.
Gun companies shares have risen strongly after every recent mass shooting incident as investors speculate that the atrocities might lead to... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica's 'Get the Guns Campaign' Seizes 234 Firearms
13 May 2016
Jamaica Observer
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Police High Command is commending the St Catherine North Police for the seizure of several high-powered firearms in McCooks Pen, St Catherine on today. Nine people were taken into custody in relation to the seizure.
Reports are that following several months of intense investigations and intelligence gathering the police launched a special operation in an area called 'Gun Farm' in McCooks Pen, where the cache of weapons was seized.
The weapons... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Problem: Laws Weakened since Port Arthur
28 April 2016
Marie Claire
April 28 marks 20 years since the Port Arthur massacre and the implementation of Australia's groundbreaking gun legislation. But with gun ownership back to 1996 levels and firearm restrictions under threat, are our gun laws failing to protect us?
It was just after 5pm on a brisk winter Sunday in Sydney, and the sickening sense of worry was building in Michelle Fernando's stomach. She was due to meet her father, Vincent, that evening to attend a talk by a lawyer they... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia's Gun Numbers Climb as Imports Hit Historic High
28 April 2016
The Conversation
The proud claim of some Australians that their country has "solved the gun problem" might only be a temporary illusion. In recent years, arms dealers have imported more guns than ever before. And last year we crossed a symbolic threshold: for the first time in 20 years, Australia's national arsenal of private guns is larger than it was before the Port Arthur massacre.
This increase must be seen in context. Australia's population grew by 5 million in the same period, so... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia Gun Owners Buy More Than Before
27 April 2016
The Conversation
The proud claim that Australia may have "solved the gun problem" might only be a temporary illusion. In recent years, arms dealers have imported more guns than ever before. And last year we crossed a symbolic threshold: for the first time in 20 years, Australia's national arsenal of private guns is larger than it was before the Port Arthur massacre.
This increase must be seen in context. Australia's population grew by five million in the same period, so per-capita... (GunPolicy.org)
3D Printed Guns and Corner Shot Rifles Boost Gun Market
26 April 2016
Industry Today
According to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), small arms are weapons intended for use by an individual and include rifles, pistols, assault rifles, submachine guns, and light machine guns. On the other hand, light weapons are used by two or more persons serving as a crew and include grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft guns, mortars, and anti-tank guns. All these light weapons are less than 100 mm in caliber. The rapidly changing nature of... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Maker Criticised for Real Pistol Imitating a Toy
11 April 2016
San Francisco Chronicle
Old-school gamers once threw fits whenever the dog in the classic Nintendo game "Duck Hunt" laughed at them for missing the titular ducks.
Now, players can have their revenge.
Actually, not really.
But, someone at Odessa-based gun manufacturer Precision Syndicate seemingly gets that frustration, modifying a Glock to look like an old Nintendo gun controller.
"We were waiting for someone to let us do this," the company wrote in a Facebook post last week. "We weren't... (GunPolicy.org)
Asie,États-Unis,Afrique,Libye,Yémen,Iraq,Syrie
Middle East: Militias Use Facebook Groups to Sell Weapons
6 April 2016
New York Times
A terrorist hoping to buy an antiaircraft weapon in recent years needed to look no further than Facebook, which has been hosting sprawling online arms bazaars, offering weapons ranging from handguns and grenades to heavy machine guns and guided missiles.
The Facebook posts suggest evidence of large-scale efforts to sell military weapons coveted by terrorists and militants. The weapons include many distributed by the United States to security forces and their proxies in... (GunPolicy.org)
Off Duty Police May Soon Carry Hidden Handguns in Austria
23 March 2016
Local (Austria), Central European News
Austrian Interior Ministry officials are considering a plan to allow all police officers to carry handguns when off duty.
The announcement follows the news that gun sales in Austria have been booming, particularly of shotguns which can be sold without a licence. Breakdown of statistics revealed that most of the new buyers of guns were either women or police officers.
The revelation that men and women who are on the frontline fighting crime are buying guns is regarded... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Local (Austria), Central European News
World's Most Violent Country Registers 30 New Guns a Day
10 March 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Between 2010 and 2015, Salvadorans were registering firearms at a rate of 11,000 per year. This suggests 30 new firearms were registered every day in a country where the vast majority of crimes are committed with guns. In a market that had sales of almost $2 million in 2014, four firms dominated gun imports.
The inhabitants of the world's most violent country have been spending more than $1.5 million on guns annually. Although the market's total size and the number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Luxembourg Central to Europe's Gun Trafficking Routes [FR]
9 March 2016
Le Quotidien (Luxembourg)
[Translated summary: Luxembourg finds itself in the middle of Europe's gun trafficking routes. Luxembourg police seize thousands of guns, and in 2012 86,427 firearms owned by 15,670 people were legally registered.]
Les ministres de la Sécurité intérieure et de la Justice affirment que le Luxembourg ne joue pas de rôle dans le trafic international d'armes de guerre. C'est faux. Un réseau en partie implanté au Grand-Duché et démantelé en février 2015 alimentait... (GunPolicy.org)
In American Mass Shootings, Most Guns Were Quite Legal
26 February 2016
Washington Post
The death tolls change, the places change: Nine in a church, 23 in a restaurant, 26 in an elementary school, 14 at a holiday party. The faces in the memorial photos change the most.
But the weapons are the common denominator.
Mass killings in the United States are most often carried out with guns, usually handguns, most of them obtained legally.
There is no universally accepted definition of a mass shooting, and different organizations use different criteria. In this... (GunPolicy.org)
Could Smart Guns Solve America's Gun Death Epidemic?
24 February 2016
Guardian
A federal agent lost his loaded gun in San Francisco last week after leaving the firearm on top of his car and driving off. In September, police say a man with a Glock 26 pistol stolen from a federal immigration officer's car shot and kill a beloved Oakland artist. And in July, a man allegedly used a federal ranger's semi-automatic pistol to shoot 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle in a random San Francisco killing.
The thefts and resulting gun violence have raised questions... (GunPolicy.org)
10 Americans Who Shaped the Gun Debate This Year
28 December 2015
Trace (USA)
Deborah Azrael, gun-violence researcher
Despite some 300 million guns in circulation in America, research on guns and gun violence remains seriously underfunded. Among the handful of public health experts helping to expand the available pool of data is Dr. Deborah Azrael of Harvard's Injury Control Research Center. Azrael co-authored a seminal study in 2015 that found firearm suicide rates are higher in states with higher rates of gun ownership, underscoring the... (GunPolicy.org)
How US Mass Shooters Got Their Guns
3 October 2015
New York Times
The vast majority of guns used in 15 recent mass shootings, including at least two of the guns used in the San Bernardino attack, were bought legally and with a federal background check. At least eight gunmen had criminal histories or documented mental health problems that did not prevent them from obtaining their weapons.
- DEC. 2, 2015: Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, husband and wife, killed 14 people at a holiday office party in San Bernardino, Calif. Four... (GunPolicy.org)
Disagreement About Origins of Illegal Firearms in Australia
26 May 2015
ABC News (Australia)
Tracing the source of guns used in crime across Australia is difficult, and the origins of illegal firearms is the subject of significant disagreement among federal lawmakers.
A recent Australian Crime Commission report on organised crime said a new database being developed will track the full life of a gun, something law enforcement agencies have never been able to do. But for now, where illegal guns come from remains a hotly debated topic.
A Senate inquiry into... (GunPolicy.org)
Only 12 Glocks Found Since Australia Post Smuggling Ring Busted in 2012
14 January 2015
Australian Associated Press
A Glock pistol found in an Aladdin's cave of drugs and firearms this month allegedly came from an imported guns cache that has featured in high-profile Sydney crimes.
More than 200 Glock pistols were illegally funnelled to Australia from Germany before Strike Force Maxworthy smashed the firearms racket in 2012.
The pistols have popped up in high-profile crimes, including the shooting of notorious criminal Bassam Hamzy's aunt in March 2013.
Maha Hamze was shot in the... (GunPolicy.org)
More Israelis Applying for Gun Permits
19 November 2014
Virtual Jerusalem
Yoram Issachar, who owns a contracting company in Jerusalem with his father and two brothers, has carried a Baretta 765 for the past 25 years. He works in Jewish communities on land Israel acquired in the West Bank, employing 15 - 30 Palestinian laborers, and carries the gun for his protection. Now, after the attack in Jerusalem that killed four worshippers and a police officer, he plans to upgrade to a larger gun. Immediately after the attack, he says, he took out his... (GunPolicy.org)
220,553 Legally Registered Guns in Dominican Republic
10 July 2014
Dominican Today
SANTO DOMINGO - Dominican Republic's population has 220,553 legally registered guns, most of them pistols of various calibers, but instead of defense for their owners, they also make them a target of thugs who sell them, but often commit murder.
An example of this is the arrest of Juan Carlos de la Cruz (El Menor), 24, over the weekend, carrying a 9mm pistol stolen from a Police major. The detainee said he got the gun from "Ronny" in exchange for two grams of cocaine,... (GunPolicy.org)
Weapons Stash Found in Lower Austria
27 June 2014
Local (Austria)
A weapons stash has been found in Stockerau (Lower Austria) after police arrested a couple for stealing petrol.
A 31-year-old Austrian man and a 30-year-old Ukrainian woman were stopped by a police patrol on the S1 motorway in connection with three thefts from petrol stations in Korneuburg between May 25th and June 17th.
The suspects had been driving a conspicuous yellow car, that had no number plates, and turned out to have been stolen in Vienna. The woman had filled... (GunPolicy.org)
Uruguay Authorities Concerned About Children with Handguns [ES]
24 June 2014
El Pais (Uruguay)
[Translated summary: Authorities are concerned about the use of handguns and other firearms by children in Uruguay. Many of the handguns come from Argentina, because they are cheaper, but it is not clear how youths are obtaining the firearms.]
"Que los menores estén bien armados, es la realidad de hoy. En el pasado usaban armas más antiguas y precarias. Ese es su comportamiento", dijo a El País la jueza de Adolescentes, Aída Vera Barreto.
Una opinión similar... (GunPolicy.org)
Unsuspecting Canadian Drivers Drawn into World of Weapons Smuggling
20 June 2014
Windsor Star (Ontario), Blog
The gun smugglers called him "fool" – one of many Windsorites they used to unwittingly mule firearms over the border.
Buried in volumes of recently released Toronto police documents is the frightening revelation that Windsor gun runners hide firearms and GPS devices in the cars of unsuspecting Canadians to sneak them through customs.
For Windsor's Lamar Porter, who police say was the main source of guns for Toronto's murderous Dixon City Bloods, it appeared to be... (GunPolicy.org)
US Supreme Court Rules Against 'Straw Purchasers' of Guns
16 June 2014
USA Today
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court dealt a rare blow to the gun lobby Monday by ruling that purchasers must report when they are buying firearms for other people.
The 5-4 decision upheld two lower courts that had ruled against so-called straw purchasers, even though the justices acknowledged that Congress left loopholes in gun control laws passed in the 1960s and 1990s.
For gun purchasers to be allowed to buy from licensed dealers without reporting the actual final... (GunPolicy.org)
Jersey Gun Ownership Down Since 2012
7 June 2014
BBC News
The number of registered guns and gun owners in Jersey has fallen since 2012.
Police records show there are 1,514 firearm owners which is a 16% drop over the past two years.
Between them, the island's gun owners keep 9,328 guns, including air rifles and pistols, which is 4% down since 2012.
Gun ownership in Jersey has been in the spotlight since a Glock 9mm pistol went missing from an unlocked car on Friday 30 May.
The pistol was handed in two days later by a member... (GunPolicy.org)
US Shooter Bought Gun, Wrote: 'Who's the Alpha Male Now, Bitches?'
26 May 2014
Mirror (UK)
Part 6
Santa Barbara: Endgame
Age 19-22
21 Years Old
My first act of preparation was the purchase [sic] my first handgun. I did this quickly and hastily, at a local gun shop called Goleta Gun and Supply.
I had already done some research on handguns, and I decided to purchase the Glock 34 semiautomatic pistol, an efficient and highly accurate weapon.
I signed all of the papers and was told that my pickup day was in mid-December. That fell in nicely, because that... (GunPolicy.org)
US Shooting Renews Frustration Among Gun Control Advocates
24 May 2014
Los Angeles Times
Mixed in with prayers and sympathy after the Isla Vista shooting and stabbing rampage in Santa Barbara County were renewed calls Saturday to pass stronger gun control legislation.
"Although the circumstances of this attack are under investigation, we do know that real solutions exist to prevent most of the 90 gun deaths that happen in our nation every day, and that those solutions are supported by the overwhelming majority of Americans," said Dan Gross, president of... (GunPolicy.org)
Autriche,Guatemala,Union Européenne
EU, Austria Classify Guatemala High Risk, Refuse to Export Glocks [ES]
5 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala), Editorial
[Translated summary: Austria and the European Union see a high risk of corruption and human rights abuse in Guatemala, and so refuse to export Glock pistols for local police.]
¿Armas europeas para cometer hechos criminales?, de ninguna manera dice Austria
A la Fábrica Glock Ges. m.b.H, con sede en Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, se le complicó cumplir con un pedido del Ministerio del Interior, luego que el Gobierno austriaco le negara la petición de exportar al país 3... (GunPolicy.org)
Uproar as Guatemalan Police Import Glock, Beretta Pistols [ES]
3 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala)
[Translated summary: Amid allegations of police corruption in Guatemala, a leaked Austrian document denies an export permit for 3000 Glock pistols. The Italian government approved the export of 14,142 Berettas.]
Gobierno deberá responder por informe presentado por Austria
Dicha nación denegó en marzo pasado la licencia de exportación de armas destinadas a la PNC, por considerar que el uso de estas podría desviarse para fines criminales.
Las armas adquiridas... (GunPolicy.org)
Austrian Govt Denies Export Permit to Guatemala for 3000 Handguns [ES]
2 May 2014
El Periódico (Guatemala)
[Translated summary - The Austrian government has denied a permit for the export of 3000 Glock pistols due to concerns about the high rate of corruption and crime in Guatemala, and the risk that the firearms could be diverted for criminal purposes.]
La decisión fue tomada por dicho país luego de una investigación en la que se concluye que existe un alto índice de corrupción y criminalidad en Guatemala, y que el uso de armas podría desviarse para fines... (GunPolicy.org)
Online Gun Sales, 3D Printing Pushes Firearms Into Hands of Australian Criminals
22 April 2014
ABC News (Australia)
His name is ReadySetGo, and for $250 he can get you a gun straight out of a James Bond movie.
It is an easily concealed plastic handgun that fires a plastic - but lethal - bullet and cannot be detected by X-rays and metal scanners.
Or there is OzGun, who for $3,950 can source a single Glock 17s, the gun favoured by Australian law enforcement.
OzGun can also get you ammunition, while ReadySetGo will provide barrels for his firearms in a variety of calibres: 9mm, .380,... (GunPolicy.org)
Limits of Neutrality: How Wikipedia Avoids Identifying Mass Shooting Guns
18 March 2014
Action on Armed Violence (London)
On 22 July 2011, Anders Behring Breivik took a boat to the small island of Utøya on a Norwegian lake not far from Oslo. Dressed as a police officer, he claimed to be checking on the safety of a Labour party youth camp after an explosion in downtown Oslo hours earlier. The campers did not know that Breivik was not a police officer, that he was responsible for the blast, or that he viewed them as traitors. When they gathered around, Breivik, armed with a Ruger Mini-14... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany: Bavarian company Invented World's First 'Smart Gun'
24 February 2014
Local (Germany)
A Bavarian company has created the world's first James-Bond style "smart gun" which can only be fired by the owner. Supporters say it is safer than a regular pistol, while others claim it is too complicated.
The iP1 is controlled by a chip in the wearer's watch. The watch and the gun must be at close range with each other for the gun to work and means that only the wearer of the watch can fire the gun.
It echoes the latest James Bond film Skyfall where the agent's gun... (GunPolicy.org)
'We Need The iPhone Of Guns.' Will Smart Guns Transform The Gun Industry?
18 February 2014
Washington Post
One of California's largest firearm stores recently added a peculiar new gun to its shelves. It requires an accessory: a black waterproof watch.
The watch's primary purpose is not to provide accurate time, though it does. The watch makes the gun think. Electronic chips inside the gun and watch communicate with each other. If the watch is within close reach of the gun, a light on the grip turns green. Fire away. No watch means no green light. The gun becomes a... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Firearm Sales Rose Over 300% in Mexico Between 2006 - 2012 [ES]
10 February 2014
El Financiero (Mexico)
[Translated summary: The sale of firearms in Mexico increased by 331% between 2006 and 2012 according to a report, a trend which continued in 2013. On average 41 people legally purchase a gun in Mexico each day. Most purchases are legal, where citizens must get a licence, pay the fee and pass the background checks.]
La venta de armas de fuego (cortas y largas) para protección personal y de domicilio que comercializa legalmente el gobierno federal se incrementó 331... (GunPolicy.org)
Profit Trumps Principle On Syria Weapons Black Market
5 February 2014
Christian Science Monitor / Alaska Dispatch
A glut of small arms in Syria and high weapons prices in neighboring Lebanon, where growing instability supports a thriving black market, have encouraged both Syrian soldiers and rebels to sell their surplus stock, sometimes to their battlefield enemies.
The trade in illegal weaponry in Lebanon has all the characteristics of a stock market, with prices increasing and decreasing according to the security climate and the mood on the Lebanese street. The savvy dealers buy... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Christian Science Monitor / Alaska Dispatch
Philippines Cops Investigated Over Guns 'Released' to Civilian Groups
26 January 2014
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III has ordered an investigation into the reported release of up to 900 high-powered firearms to various groups by a unit of the Philippine National Police.
In a recent informal dinner, the President did not name the unit being investigated in Camp Crame. He only said the reported release of the firearms to police auxiliaries and private security companies seemed "excessive" so he wanted it looked into.
"A PNP unit in... (GunPolicy.org)
Malaysian Enforcement Officer Shoots at Wife After Supermarket Fight
26 January 2014
Malaysian Chronicle
KLANG - In what was believed to be a marriage-related dispute, a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency officer fired several shots at his wife after a heated argument at the Giant supermarket here today.
The 45-year-old MMEA officer then went to the Port Klang police station and surrendered his Glock pistol with a bullet magazine, said Klang Selatan police chief Assistant Commissioner Kamarul Zaman Mamat.
"It was learnt that he and his wife were at the ground floor of... (GunPolicy.org)
American Samoa Govt Sets Up Task Force to Monitor New Guns for Cops
9 January 2014
Samoa News
A government task force has been established to review gun policies as the Department of Public Safety is looking at arming police officers, a move that has resulted in concern being voiced by members of the community, including prominent lawmakers, who plan to take up this issue when the Fono convenes later this month.
In a memo issued this week, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga said the 'Task Force to Review Gun Policies' is mandated to "determine the adequacy of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Campaign Aims to Make Gunmakers More Accountable
13 December 2013
Deutsche Welle
The father of Joel Mosbacher, a rabbi from New Jersey, was shot dead in a petty robbery in 1999. The anger stayed with his son, but he decided to use it wisely and got involved in the citizens' organizing network Metro IAF.
This year, he and other clergy from New Jersey started the "Do not stand idly by" initiative to reduce gun violence. A key demand is to get gunmakers to accept responsibility, and act accordingly.
The top manufacturers fueling US gun culture are... (GunPolicy.org)
New Law in New Zealand Restricts Access to Imitation Guns
13 December 2013
New Zealand Herald
You can buy real-looking guns for just a fistful of dollars at a $2 shop.
The Herald did just that. The cheapest was $45 and looked like a real pistol. It doesn't fire bullets - but when cocked using the same action as a real automatic pistol, it will fire a small, plastic BB sphere.
When we took the gun to police, they explained it still had a deadly potential but instead of being potentially fatal for the target, it was the wielder of the weapon who faced the... (GunPolicy.org)
The Case for Tracing Guns: Europe/US Cooperation Catches Criminals
1 December 2013
OSCE
In 2010 the United Kingdom's National Ballistic Intelligence Service (NBIS) received a request to research the origin of three Glock pistols recovered in the North West of England. Within days, it had established that the weapons had been purchased from a weapons manufacturer in North Carolina, United States.
This was possible thanks to close collaboration with the American Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (AtF) and the use of eTrace, its online tracing tool,... (GunPolicy.org)
Despite Concerns, American Samoa Police to Carry Used Glocks from US
26 November 2013
Samoa News
"In order for our Police Department to be recognized and be qualified as a fully fledged police department there's a need for the police officers to be armed — because right now our motto is 'To serve and protect'. We can serve but we cannot protect," said Commissioner of Public Safety William Bill Haleck.
Last Saturday the Commissioner picked up 24 Glock-17s, which are 9-millimeter handguns which were purchased through the Criminal Justice Planning Agency, with the... (GunPolicy.org)
Report on Sandy Hook Mass Shooting Raises Questions
25 November 2013
Guardian (UK)
Adam Lanza, the 20-year-old who convulsed America when he shot dead 20 young children and six of their adult carers at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut last December, was obsessed with mass murders in the run-up to his meticulously-planned attack and kept photocopies of newspaper articles on shootings of children dating back to 1891.
A 48-page summary of the official investigation into the tragedy in Newtown on 14 December 2012 has revealed new details about... (GunPolicy.org)
Deadly Weapons Arsenal Seized From UK Soldier Turned Drug Lord
20 November 2013
Express (UK)
This is the terrifying arsenal of weapons seized from a former army drill instructor who switched his military career for life as the boss of a multi-million pound drug cartel.
Weapons including a MAC 10 machine gun, sawn-off pump action shotgun, a Glock pistol, a Luger handgun, two revolvers plus machetes, samurai swords, stun guns and batons were found in a lock-up garage by police investigating a turf war.
The gang, led by former King's Regiment corporal Peter... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Used in Winnipeg Murder Last Registered to NYPD
19 November 2013
CP24 (Toronto)
WINNIPEG - A life sentence has been handed down to a man in Winnipeg who was convicted of shooting two men with a pistol that was last registered to the New York Police Department.
A courtroom heard Monday that a Glock nine-millimetre gun was used by Randy Murray Williams to kill Darren Joey Swampy and Lee Brady Spence in February 2011.
But the gun was not registered in Canada and the Crown admits no one knows how it got across the border.
Williams, who is 29,... (GunPolicy.org)
'Mail-Order' Guns Still Easy to Get in America
17 November 2013
Connecticut Post
WASHINGTON - Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, with a mail-order Mannlicher-Carcano 6.5 millimeter bolt-action rifle, for which he paid $19.95 plus shipping and handling.
Fifty years later, obtaining guns via mail is less common because the U.S. Postal Service imposes major restrictions on firearms shipments.
But despite a myriad of federal and state laws regulating gun transactions, buying a firearm via the Internet is... (GunPolicy.org)
Australie,Guatemala,Italie,Israël
Beretta, Glock Pistols, Israeli Submachine Guns for Guatemala Police
7 November 2013
Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
The Guatemalan government will invest some $12.6 million to buy new weapons for the National Civil Police, or PNC, a government minister said Wednesday.
Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla said at a press conference that after 10 "failed bidding processes" to buy the weapons for the PNC held between 2005 and 2011, authorities opted to make the acquisition from three different foreign manufacturers via an "exceptional agreement."
The procedure, which is allowed by... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Fox News Latino (USA) / EFE News Agency
Illegal Firearms Destined for Australian Crime Gangs Slip Past Customs
26 October 2013
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Police suspect 25 major shipments of illegal firearms destined for outlaw bikie gangs and Middle Eastern organised crime groups slipped past customs checks in the past two years.
An 88kg shipment of ice, heroin and opium is also believed to have been missed by Melbourne customs officers despite the pallet they were hidden on being X-rayed, a Herald Sun investigation has discovered.
The shipments by air and sea are revealed in "missed detection" reports obtained from... (GunPolicy.org)
'Cottage Industry' Feeds Illegal Gun Trade in Canada
24 October 2013
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Some B.C. residents are capitalizing on the illicit gun trade by making gun parts and even firearms to sell to local criminals.
Cpl. Frank Grosspietsch of the RCMP's National Weapons Enforcement Support Team said a "cottage industry" has sprung up in B.C. in recent years among people willing to arm gangsters and other criminals.
B.C.-made noise suppressors - which muffle gunshots and are commonly and inaccurately called silencers - have been used in recent murders,... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Lobby Rubbishes Conspiracy Theory That Threatens Gun Industry
9 October 2013
Huffington Post (USA)
The National Rifle Association gives one the immediate impression of an organization that never met an anti-government conspiracy theory it didn't like. After all, the NRA has been recruiting members and raising money with such absurd fantasies for years: The "mass confiscation" of privately-held firearms after Hurricane Katrina, the United Nations Small Arms Treaty "threaten[ing] individual firearm ownership with an invasive registration scheme," ATF's botched "Fast... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Seized During Police Raid in Jamaica
7 October 2013
Jamaica Gleaner
Four illegal guns are off the streets of Montego Bay, St James, and two men are in custody, following a raid in the Green Pond district by the Mount Salem Police yesterday morning.
The raid, which was carried out in Burch Hill, Green Pond, resulted in a Glock 9mm pistol, a Beretta 9mm pistol, an Intra-Tek 9mm pistol and a Bushmaster 5.56mm rifle as well as approximately 84 assorted rounds of ammunition being seized from an occupied house in the area, and the subsequent... (GunPolicy.org)
Opinion: Rising Gun Ownership Rates in Tanzania a Real Issue
29 September 2013
Tanzania Daily News, Opinion
Never in the history of this country has there been a need to learn to say SORRY even when you are wrong, than these times where buying and owning a gun is as easy as buying a mobile phone, it brings cold chills sprinting down my spine.
It is very common today to see very young people seated in a public place with two, three smart phones on the table and Glock on the side.
Today owning a gun is as fashionable among Tanzanian youths as knowing Diamond's latest song,... (GunPolicy.org)
Children and Guns: The Hidden Toll of Unintentional Shootings in the US
28 September 2013
New York Times
The .45-caliber pistol that killed Lucas Heagren, 3, on Memorial Day last year at his Ohio home had been temporarily hidden under the couch by his father. But Lucas found it and shot himself through the right eye. "It's bad," his mother told the 911 dispatcher. "It's really bad."
A few days later in Georgia, Cassie Culpepper, 11, was riding in the back of a pickup with her 12-year-old brother and two other children. Her brother started playing with a pistol his father... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Easily Available From Thailand for Malaysians Wanting Them
23 September 2013
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
DANOK - The sudden wave of gun crimes in the past few months has shocked Malaysians and rocked the country's reputation as a laidback and safe destination.
The spate of killings has led to questions being raised as to where criminals and gang members are acquiring weapons.
The New Straits Times discovered that it is not difficult to get hold of firearms. All it takes is a short drive across the border and minimum effort to find outlets that sell everything from... (GunPolicy.org)
Editorial: New Report Shows Scourge of Online Gun Sales in US Clear
21 September 2013
Bloomberg (USA), Editorial
It's not difficult to grasp how a man with a history of gun arrests and mental instability obtained the necessary firepower to commit a massacre at the Washington Navy Yard earlier this week. Buying a gun, or even an arsenal, is exceptionally easy in the U.S.
Even so, there are some people who both fail to meet the minimal requirements for purchasing a gun from a licensed dealer and whose relevant personal details are known to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Since... (GunPolicy.org)
Australians Caught Smuggling Guns from Israel, USA
13 September 2013
ABC News (Australia)
Guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition have been seized in Sorrento and Waikiki after joint operations between Customs and WA Police.
Guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition have been seized in Sorrento and Waikiki after joint operations between the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) and WA Police.
Investigations into the Sorrento incident began when Customs officers at the Sydney International Mail Facility accepted an accessory for a... (GunPolicy.org)
US Citizens Continue to Buy Guns in Fear of Tougher Laws
5 September 2013
Wall Street Journal
Permits to buy handguns in New Jersey — which has some of the strictest firearms laws in the U.S. — increased by 67% through June compared with the same period in 2012, according to data provided by the state police.
New Jersey issued 59,120 permits required to purchase handguns in the first six months of 2013, the data show. Through June 2012, 35,425 permits were issued, and 64,107 were obtained for the entire year.
Experts, gun-rights groups, and new gun owners... (GunPolicy.org)
Secretive Gun Maker Defies US Courtroom Financial Exposure by Ex-Wife
4 September 2013
Daily Report (Atlanta)
Gun mogul Gaston Glock Sr.'s North American operations in Georgia are ignoring subpoenas authorized by a federal magistrate judge to turn over reams of corporate financial data to the gunmaker's ex-wife, according to court papers.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda Walker in June gave Helga Glock's lawyers permission to issue sweeping subpoenas to three Georgia-based Glock firms in a hunt for marital assets Helga Glock claims her ex-husband hid from her. Now that her... (GunPolicy.org)
How I Got Licensed to Carry a Gun in 32 US States by Barely Trying
1 September 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
According to the state of Utah, I earned the right to carry a concealed handgun on a Saturday morning in a suburban shopping center outside Baltimore. Toward the back, next to a pawnshop and White Trash Matt's tattoo parlor, is the global headquarters of Dukes Defense World, a mom-and-pop firearms instruction shop certified by the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification to teach nonresidents firearm safety as a prerequisite for obtaining a concealed-carry permit.
My... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize 183 Guns from Licensed Canadian Owner 'Supplying Gangs'
30 August 2013
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Police have seized a 183-gun arsenal in a remote area of the B.C. Interior and arrested a man who investigators allege was purchasing assault rifles and other weapons legally and then selling them to the highest bidder, possibly to gang members and other criminals.
The province's Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit - an RCMP-led team that targets organized crime - announced the seizure.
Thursday, almost a week after raiding the home of a 63-year-old man in Tatla... (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)
Guns for Hire and Bullets for Cheap, Says Malaysian Crime Watchdog
5 August 2013
Yahoo News (Singapore) / Malay Mail
PETALING JAYA — Guns are rented out for less than a night's stay at a local five-star hotel while bullets are sold cheaper than a bottle of water, crime watchdog MyWatch co-founder S. Gobi Krishnan alleged yesterday as the nation continues to be stunned by the proliferation of shootings.
Yesterday, a 44-year-old businessman was shot dead in a drive-by shooting in Kota Kinabalu, bringing the number of gun-related incidents to eight in as many days — including a... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Yahoo News (Singapore) / Malay Mail
Gunman Kills Six with Legal Handgun in US Mass Shooting
28 July 2013
Reuters
Miami police on Sunday searched for a motive for a shooting rampage in which six people were killed by a gunman who set his apartment on fire before shooting several neighbors and taking others hostage.
The police said they were investigating reports that the man, Pedro Alberto Vargas, 42, was in the process of being evicted and had prior disputes with the managers of the building.
The owner of the 90-unit apartment building was not immediately available for... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines Police Warned Against Selling Service Weapons to Criminals
5 July 2013
Global Times (China)
The Philippines' poorly paid police have been warned they will be sacked if they sell their new semi-automatic pistols, a spokesman for the corruption-plagued force said Thursday.
The Glock pistols currently being distributed to tens of thousands of officers cost about twice as much as an entry-level salary in the force, and there are fears that the guns could end up on the black market.
"This is a very attractive gun, and many unscrupulous businessmen would be... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippines Police Get 22,600 New Guns as Crime Rate Falls
2 July 2013
Sun Star (Philippines)
Some 22,603 units of brand new pistols were distributed to members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a ceremony led by President Benigno Aquino III at the national headquarters in Quezon City on Tuesday.
The number of firearms distributed by Aquino presents the initial batch of the 74,879 handguns purchased by the PNP through a P1.2 billion budget allocated through the PNP modernization program.
The first batch was delivered to the PNP in February and... (GunPolicy.org)
Officials Seize 8 Imitation Guns Illegally Imported to Malaysia
19 June 2013
Borneo Post
IPOH - Perak Customs seized eight imitation firearms which were imported without permit, at the General Post Office here on Saturday.
State Customs Department director Datuk Mohd Nasir Said said during an inspection carried out by a Customs team at about noon, they seized among others an imitation M16 gun, MP5, air rifle, Glock and automatic Colt 45 pistols.
"The five high quality imitation firearms were estimated to be worth RM2,043.90 and duties involved amounted to... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Found After 'Drugs Ring' Broken in New Zealand
11 June 2013
Stuff (NZ) / Waikato Times (NZ)
Police say they have busted a drugs ring operating around Taumarunui.
Officers raided a house in Matiere, 30 kilometres west of the town, on Saturday, after an investigation into cannabis and methamphetamine production.
A 51-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman appeared in Taumarunui District Court yesterday facing several drug-related charges including possession of cannabis and cannabis oil for supply, possession of precursor substances, and possession of... (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)
Lire l'article complet : Newcastle Herald (New South Wales) / New York Times
Nationwide Gun Blitz Key to Australia Crime Crackdown
23 May 2013
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Police will launch an unprecedented national crackdown on illegal firearms and their black-market supply lines in the first Australia-wide effort targeting gun violence.
In the same week a 12-year-old Minto girl had a gun pointed at her head and a man was taken to hospital after a shooting in Mascot, a two-week blitz on firearms will begin tomorrow, with hundreds of police around the nation on standby to respond to tips from the public.
NSW Police bosses will join... (GunPolicy.org)
Banned Handguns, Rifles with No Crime Links Found in Canadian Home
29 April 2013
CTV News (Toronto)
The London police drugs and guns unit seized over $5,000 worth of drugs, nine handguns and three assault rifles from a residence on William Street.
Police executed a search warrant at the London residence on Friday around 10 p.m.
Officers also found hundreds of rounds of ammunition and over $13,000 in cash.
Following a press conference on Monday afternoon, police released a list of all the firearms that were seized:
- Smith and Wesson .45 Calibre semi-automatic... (GunPolicy.org)
Afrique,Océanie,Europe,Asie,États-Unis,Amérique
Study Shows Gun Ownership Doesn't Preserve Freedom, Democracy
25 April 2013
Atlantic (USA)
After League City, Texas, became the first city in the state to pass a resolution effectively nullifying federal gun regulations in February, Councilwoman Heidi Thiess, who speared the motion, shared a quote. "Gen. Isoroku Yamamoto, who was the commander of Japan's WWII Combined Fleet, was asked why he never bothered to invade the U.S. after Pearl Harbor," she remarked. "And you know what he said? 'You can't invade mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind... (GunPolicy.org)
Turkish People Spent TL 117 Million on Guns in 2012
22 April 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
Turkish people spent TL 117,922,000 on guns and bullets last year, with gun sales increasing by 54 percent, according to data from the state-owned Turkish Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKE).
While a total of 19,575 handguns were sold in Turkey in 2011, the number of handguns sold last year rose to 30,207. The price of handguns ranges between TL 570 and TL 12,000. Of the 30,207 handguns, 21,464 were made in Turkey. A total of TL 57.8 million of revenue... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Pipeline: Mules Pay High Price for Smuggling on Canada Border
19 April 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario)
Chantelle Batte didn't know she had successfully smuggled a small arsenal of guns, including a machine gun with a silencer, into Canada until police showed up at her door and arrested her days later.
Batte, a single mom from Sarnia, is just one of the many people used to mule guns across the border each year.
An ongoing Star investigation reveals that border officers seize few of the guns destined for the criminal market in Toronto and across Ontario.
Today, we look... (GunPolicy.org)
Corrupt Glock Police Pistol Deals Feed Philippine Crime Gun Market
26 March 2013
Investvine (Hong Kong)
Austrian gun maker Glock has been accused of supplying the black market in the Philippines with firearms in deals that were originally sealed with the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Over the past years, Glock delivered several batches of its highly demanded 9mm pistols to the PNP. The most recent deal was 12,000 pistols worth around $30 million ordered by the country's police forces as a first shipment of the biggest firearms procurement of the PNP so far, delivered... (GunPolicy.org)
Police in Spain Seize 59 Illegal Guns, Parts in Sting Operation [ES]
25 March 2013
Vanguardia (Colombia)
[Translated summary - The Spanish Civil Guard has dismantled a criminal organisation making illegal firearms in Barcelona, some of which were linked to a double homicide. Five people were arrested and 59 weapons were seized, as well as parts and tools for gun manufacture.]
MADRID - La Guardia Civil ha desarticulado una organización criminal dedicada presuntamente al tráfico de armas por toda España, con el arresto de cinco personas, según ha informado el Ministerio... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun, Ammo and Drugs Seized in Malaysia
14 March 2013
Malay Mail (Kuala Lumpur)
GEORGE TOWN - A 61-year-old man and his son and daughter-in-law have been detained by police for suspected involvement in using their pre-war house as a drug processing laboratory and for possession of firearms.
A gun, handgrenade and several rounds of ammunition were seized together with drug processing apparatus and an assortment of drugs from the colonial shophouse in Jalan Patani.
The man and his son and daughter-in-law, both in their 30s, were said to have used... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Advocates Split with NRA on Call for More Background Checks
6 March 2013
Washington Post
Some of the gun lobby's strongest allies are breaking with the National Rifle Association to support proposals that would expand background checks for private firearm sales.
In behind-the-scenes talks with congressional staff members and others, gunmakers, dealers and other Second Amendment advocates have offered support for more instant criminal background checks, buoying the hopes of gun-control supporters, including President Obama, who has put a top priority on... (GunPolicy.org)
A Guide to Mass Shootings in America
27 February 2013
Mother Jones (USA)
It is perhaps too easy to forget how many times this has happened. The horrific mass murder at a movie theater in Colorado last July, another at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin in August, another at a manufacturer in Minneapolis in September — and then the unthinkable nightmare at a Connecticut elementary school in December — are the latest in an epidemic of such gun violence over the last three decades. Since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass shootings* across the... (GunPolicy.org)
Russie,Afghanistan,Israël,Belgique,États-Unis
How Video Games Fund Arms Manufacturers and Sell Guns
31 January 2013
EuroGamer
The American confectionery company Victoria Sweets claims to have invented the candy cigarette. A thin stick of chocolate, wrapped in edible paper and designed to impersonate a roll-up, it debuted in 1915 and soon became the accessory of choice for children keen to play grown-up. Hollywood star, GI Joe, team captain: the sweet gave kids the chance try out one of the vogue props of adulthood.
Within 20 years it was so popular that cigarette companies began to take... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Funds Recruitment Drive for Kids Using Games, Peers
26 January 2013
New York Times, Series
Threatened by long-term declining participation in shooting sports, the firearms industry has poured millions of dollars into a broad campaign to ensure its future by getting guns into the hands of more, and younger, children.
The industry's strategies include giving firearms, ammunition and cash to youth groups; weakening state restrictions on hunting by young children; marketing an affordable military-style rifle for "junior shooters" and sponsoring... (GunPolicy.org)
PNG Government Buys 32 'High-Powered' Guns, for Guards
25 January 2013
Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
Papua New Guinea's acting Clerk of Parliament Simon Ila has purchased 32 high-powered guns and about 10,000 ammunition for Parliament security guards at a cost of K556,000.
This is on top of side-arms for some Ministers and Members of Parliament who also have armed personnel from the Special VIP protection Unit.
Among the purchase was a very high-powered weapon only issued to the military and for special forces – the HK MP7 A1 which cost K38,500 for one, with its 30... (GunPolicy.org)
'Alarmingly Easy Access' to Guns Online Fuelling Australian Crime
23 January 2013
ABC News (Australia), Video
A former senior federal police officer has warned more needs to be done to combat the online trade of firearms as authorities in Sydney deal with a spate of shootings and street violence.
In the past three months alone there have been 25 separate shooting incidents in Sydney - last night, two shootings were reported in the city's south-west.
The style and purpose of the shootings are not confined to traditional turf warfare over drugs or ongoing reprisals between... (GunPolicy.org)
Asie,Europe,Allemagne,Amérique du Sud,États-Unis,Autriche,Italie,Croatie,Belgique
European Arms, Money Fuel US Gun Addiction say Experts
23 January 2013
Deutsche Welle
After each massacre in the US, Europe laments America's gun culture and violence. At the same time, European companies have no problem selling arms to Americans and supporting the NRA's fight against tougher gun laws.
It is not widely reported, but European firearms for a long time have played a pernicious role in US mass shootings and Europe's gun makers are among the strongest backers of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Handguns by Austrian arms manufacturer... (GunPolicy.org)
22 January 2013
Colombo Telegraph
In the Officers' Mess of Pakistan's famed Frontier Force Regiment (the Piffers), at the Regimental Centre, located at Abbotabad near the Khyber Pass (the cantonment town at which US SEALS found and killed Osama bin Laden – remember?) on the border with Afghanistan, there is a huge mural, done in the days of the British Raj, showing a team of Mules pulling a huge Howitzer Canon into a battle field in the swirling dust, with a group of Madrassi sappers of the Madras... (GunPolicy.org)
Action on Bullets Missing from US Gun Debate, say Police
20 January 2013
Reuters
Bullets are one thing Sacramento Police Detective Greg Halstead can count on to root out weapons that otherwise would be impossible to find. They are also largely missing from the gun control debate in Washington.
Since 2008, California's capital has required ammunition dealers to take names and thumbprints of bullet buyers. They send the information electronically to police computers, which compare the names to an FBI criminal database.
Halstead begins his day... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns are 'Instruments of Escalation', Increase Risk of Death - Kristof in NYT
16 January 2013
New York Times, Opinion
When I travel abroad and talk to foreigners about the American passion for guns, people sometimes express a conclusion that horrifies me: in America, life is cheap.
President Obama announced a terrific series of gun-control measures to show that we do indeed hold life dear. But the fate of these proposals ultimately will depend on centrist Americans who are torn. They're troubled by the toll of guns but also think that it's reassuring to have a Glock when you hear a... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Gun Rate Up But Australian Police Say Problem is Illegal Guns
15 January 2013
Sydney Morning Herald
Police figures have revealed there are almost 790,000 registered firearms in NSW, but an average of five weapons are held by each licensed owner.
A University of Sydney study revealed this week that Australians now own as many guns as they did at the time of the Port Arthur massacre, despite more than 1 million firearms being handed in and destroyed nationally.
Philip Alpers, an adjunct associate professor at the university's school of public health, said the nation... (GunPolicy.org)
1,906,000 Illicit Guns in the Philippines
12 January 2013
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
The public agony that often accompanies random acts of violence has plunged policymakers into another orgy of blame, shame and posturing. The shock is magnified by State inaction following a heinous massacre in 2009 that failed to dent the laws and policies governing the ownership and trading of firearms. A powerful clan was accused in that massacre. The targets were other politicians, lawyers and media workers. Much of the violence was selective in nature.
Recent... (GunPolicy.org)
British Armed Forces Get 25,000 New Pistols
11 January 2013
BBC News
British forces are to be equipped with a new standard issue pistol for the first time in more than 40 years.
The MoD has signed a £9m contract to provide the Armed Forces with more than 25,000 new Glock 17 sidearms, replacing the Browning pistol which has been in service since 1967.
Warrant Officer 1 Mark Anderson of the Royal Marines showed the BBC's defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt the features of the new... (GunPolicy.org)
Yémen,Norvège,Suisse,Canada,Allemagne,Espagne,Finlande,États-Unis,Royaume-Uni,Australie
Homicides Down after Tougher Gun Laws Adopted Abroad
19 December 2012
Los Angeles Times
Twelve days after the worst mass murder in Australian history, when 35 people were shot to death at Tasmania state's Port Arthur tourist mecca in 1996, the government issued sweeping reforms of the country's gun laws. There hasn't been a mass shooting since, and suicides, deaths by firearms and robberies at gunpoint have plummeted.
The results of toughened gun rules in Britain after the massacre in the Scottish town of Dunblane that same year weren't so immediate or... (GunPolicy.org)
Israel Gun Control Regulations 'Opposite of US'
18 December 2012
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
There is no full-auto Friday or Ladies night at the "Lahav" gun store in TA, a store that bears little resemblance to its US counterparts.
A gun lover's dream or a stringently controlled police state that would make a National Rifle Association supporter's blood boil? In recent days, following the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 26 dead, including 20 children, Israel has been mentioned as a country awash in guns yet still free of such random massacres. Many... (GunPolicy.org)
US Stings Show Need for Controls on Online Gun Sales, Family Sues Site
12 December 2012
Guardian (UK)
The family of a woman who was murdered last year by a stalker wielding a .40-caliber handgun bought illegally on the internet is suing the gun website through which the firearm was procured for allegedly causing the shooting.
The legal action against Armslist.com, a web listing site that specialises in firearms, is the first of its kind and opens up a new front in the ongoing battle to tighten America's loose gun controls. It was filed in an Illinois court on Wednesday... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Drew Glock on Australian Police, Had Failed Pistol Licence Inspection
4 December 2012
Australian (Sydney)
A man shot dead by police last year after allegedly pointing a Glock pistol at two men failed a firearm inspection on the same weapon just months earlier.
Under the Firearms Act, officers must seize weapons that haven't been stored properly, an inquest has been told.
Rodney Elkass, 37, allegedly pointed the pistol during a confrontation with two men in Castle Hill in northwestern Sydney on September 29 last year.
Minutes later, three plainclothed officers who spotted... (GunPolicy.org)
Glock Expands Production in Austria with Demand High for its Guns
21 November 2012
Austrian Times
Gun maker Glock based at Ferlach in Carinthia in Austria is to invest 42 million euros in its operation there - and at the same time take on an additional 40 staff to meet demand.
The move was announced during a local government meeting by the regional governor Gerhard Dörfler (FPK) which said they would be making grants of 1.7 million euros towards the expansion.
The 40 extra jobs will be in addition to the 330 already employed at Ferlach and order books are... (GunPolicy.org)
US Man Kills Five People, Self, in Shooting Spree with Handgun
28 September 2012
New York Times
The death toll from an attack at a sign company in Minneapolis rose to six, including the gunman, after another victim died on Friday, the police said.
The gunman was identified as Andrew Engeldinger, 36, who had been fired from the business, Accent Signage Systems.
Chief Tim Dolan of the Minneapolis Police Department said Mr. Engeldinger might have chosen to spare some former co-workers in the attack on Thursday.
"It's clear he did walk by some people, very... (GunPolicy.org)
American Group to Put 3D Printer Gun Plans Online, Allow Full Access
26 September 2012
Guardian (UK)
Imagine an America in which anyone can download and print a gun in their own home. They wouldn't need a license, a background check, or much technical knowledge, just a 3D printer. That's the vision a cadre of industrious libertarians are determined to turn into reality.
Last week, Wiki Weapon, a project to create the first fully printable plastic gun received the $20,000 in funding it needed to get off the ground. The project's goal is not to develop and sell a... (GunPolicy.org)
India's Criminals Prefer 'Brand' Guns, Extortion Rates Rise to Fund Them
24 September 2012
Hindustan Times (Delhi)
GUWAHATI - If the brand craze rules the average Indian, can the insurgent be far behind?
The old guard might have settled for cheap Chinese copies of Kalashnikovs, but the new age rebel prefers to flaunt Glocks, Berettas and Heckler and Kochs. And to fund the jazzy arsenal, the extortion rate has gone up by nearly 30%.
Officials engaged in counterinsurgency say in Meghalaya, the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) is replacing its Kalashnikovs with the Germanmade... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Police Admit Losing Three Handguns, Taser
15 September 2012
TVNZ (New Zealand)
Three police-issued Glock pistols, gun parts and a Taser have been lost or stolen - and police have no idea where any of them might be.
They have also damaged a further 33 weapons in the past five years, including two rifles that were run over, information obtained by The Dominion Post has revealed.
Superintendent Barry Taylor said that, though any weapon going missing was "not acceptable", the number lost was small.
Two of the Glocks "went missing while in transit... (GunPolicy.org)
Venezuela Calls for Gun Control
27 August 2012
Christian Science Monitor, Web page
Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and illegal firearms are prevalent. More than 130,000 illegal arms were turned into the state last year as part of a pilot disarmament program.
As in many countries in the Western Hemisphere, a vigorous debate is going on in Venezuela about how to control the possession and use of illegal weapons. Amid a climate of extreme ideological polarization and varied political agendas, perceptions and misinformation... (GunPolicy.org)
Russian Town Sells 'Tens of Thousands' of Assault Rifles to US
14 August 2012
New York Times
IZHEVSK, Russia — The nickname of this town, home of the factory that makes Kalashnikov rifles, is the "Armory of Russia." Over the years, it has armed a good number of other countries, too, as the lathes and presses of the Izhevsk Machine Works clanged around the clock to forge AK-47s and similar guns for insurgents and armies around the world.
But these days, many of Izhevsk's weapons are headed somewhere else: the United States.
Despite the gun's violent history... (GunPolicy.org)
Îles Cayman,États-Unis,Caraïbes
Witnesses in Fear as Caymans, US Gun Smuggling Case Heads to Court
9 August 2012
CayCompass.com (Cayman Islands)
US prosecutors have declined to release names and addresses of the witnesses and co-conspirators involved in a gun-running operation between south Florida and Grand Cayman after attorneys for one of the suspects in the case requested those records earlier this year.
"The disclosure of the names and addresses of government witnesses is likely to endanger the safety of the witnesses and the viability of the prosecution," prosecutors noted in a 26 July court filing.... (GunPolicy.org)
Targeted by Robbers, Sydney Pistol Club Member Loses 22 Handguns
8 August 2012
Sydney Morning Herald
A large cache of stolen handguns is circulating on Sydney's streets with police appealing for information about 22 stolen semi-automatic pistols.
Police today displayed a collection of guns similar to those stolen in a violent home robbery in Mount Druitt a month ago in the hope of urging people to look out for any "friends or associates who may have recently acquired handguns".
The guns were stolen by two men who ambushed a 30 year-old as he was entering his Hythe... (GunPolicy.org)
Handgun Type in US Sikh Shooting Is Mass Shooting Weapon of Choice
7 August 2012
New York Times / Reuters
The semiautomatic handgun used in the deadly attack on a Wisconsin Sikh temple is the same type used in other recent U.S. mass shootings, including one at a theater in Colorado, and the attack on a congresswoman in Arizona, gun experts said.
Wisconsin shooter Wade Michael Page used a Springfield 9mm semiautomatic handgun to carry out the attack at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, officials said. As in several other recent mass shootings, the gun had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Registry 'Not Accessed Illegally' Before Gun Thefts
7 August 2012
Sydney Morning Herald
Nearly 200 guns have been stolen from premises across the state in a five-month spate of thefts but the police are adamant the gun registry has not been accessed illegally.
The Herald is aware of 25 break and enters, mostly in rural and semi-rural homes, that appear to be targeted at gun thefts. Up to 18 firearms were stolen at a time, including Olympic-grade pistols and former police guns.
The recent spike prompted suggestions that the NSW Firearms Registry had been... (GunPolicy.org)
US Needs to Get Rid of Its Guns - John Howard, Former Australian PM
1 August 2012
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Early in 2008 Janette and I were guests of the former president, George H. W. Bush or "41", as he is affectionately known, at his Presidential Library in College Station, Texas. I spoke to a warm and friendly audience of more than 300 who enthusiastically reacted until, in answer to a request to nominate the proudest actions of the Australian government I had led for almost 12 years, I included the national gun control laws enacted after the Port Arthur massacre in... (GunPolicy.org)
American Gun Laws: Guilty by Reason of Insanity - Guardian (UK)
26 July 2012
Guardian (UK)
James Holmes, the alleged shooter in the massacre in Aurora, Colorado, reportedly amassed his huge arsenal with relative ease. Some of these weapons were illegal as recently as eight years ago. Legislation now before Congress would once again make illegal, if not the guns themselves, at least the high-capacity magazines that allow bullets to be fired rapidly without stopping to reload. Holmes bought most of his weaponry within recent months, we are told. Perhaps, if... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Violence Shifts to Forefront of US Presidential Campaign
26 July 2012
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia) / AP
WASHINGTON — Even as the issue of guns shifts to the forefront of the presidential campaign, the White House and the Senate's top Democrat made it clear Thursday that new gun legislation will not be on the political agenda this year. Instead, President Barack Obama intends to focus on other ways to combat gun violence — a position not unlike that of his rival, Mitt Romney.
Days after the mass shootings in Colorado, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama still... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia) / AP
Australian Academic Says Gun Culture a Risk Factor for Shooting Sprees
25 July 2012
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
The number of victims in the Colorado cinema shooting would undoubtedly have been much higher than 12 killed and 58 wounded had the AR-15 assault rifle used by the alleged offender, James Holmes, not jammed. According to police, the jammed weapon was capable of firing 50-60 rounds a minute. Police say Holmes also had two Glock pistols, a shotgun and 6000 rounds of ammunition.
Shock, dismay and surprise are always expressed after such killings - and questioning of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Violence: The Public Health Issue Politicians Want to Ignore
24 July 2012
Forbes (USA)
On the morning a 24-year old man armed with two Glock automatic handguns, a shotgun, an AR-15 assault rifle and chemical gas went on a shooting rampage at a midnight screening of a Batman movie, the National Rifle Association sent out a tweet to its 6,000 followers: "Good morning, shooters. Happy Friday! Weekend plans?"
Perhaps we can excuse the horrible timing and chalk up the insensitivity of the tweet to a clueless social media coordinator who didn't quite notice... (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)
Italie,Allemagne,Autriche,Europe,États-Unis,Brésil
Europe's Role in US Mass Murders: EU Nations Often Provide the Guns
24 July 2012
Washington Post, Opinion
Americans mourn the victims in Aurora, Colo. In Europe, too, there is grief — mingled with incomprehension. The media chorus: How many more massacres before the United States adopts European-style gun control?
Christoph Prantner of Austria's Der Standard bemoans American insistence on Second Amendment rights, "even when this freedom occasionally has a very high price and, in a bloody perversion, fatally impairs the freedom of others."
I can't disagree. I just wish... (GunPolicy.org)
US Killer Bought Assault Rifle, Pistols, Shotgun, 6000 Bullets Quite Legally
21 July 2012
CNN
Authorities in the Colorado movie theater massacre found an AR-15 rifle drum magazine Friday capable of carrying 100 rounds, and the police chief said thousands of rounds of ammunition for various weapons had been bought online in the weeks prior to the shooting.
Police took suspect James Holmes, 24, into custody Friday after they say he set off two devices and sprayed the theater with bullets from an AR-15, a 12-gauge shotgun and at least one of two .40-caliber... (GunPolicy.org)
Misclassified Handguns to Be Deleted with Canadian Long Gun Registry
19 June 2012
Global News (Canada)
A Global News investigation has found dozens more misclassified firearms which might be deleted with the long gun registry.
Yesterday, Global News reported finding 361 handguns and three automatic weapons classified as if they were mainstream rifles or shotguns, which, all other things being equal, means that their data will be deleted.
Since that story appeared, we have found more than 120 weapons in the firearms registry which aren't classified at all. They include... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Rifles, Machine Guns Seized by Police in Marseilles [FR]
8 June 2012
Le Figaro (France)
[Translated summary: AK-47 assault rifles, israeli machine guns, 9 mm and 11.43 mm handguns… In total, 27 firearms, as well as 150 kilos of ammunition, were seized by the Police in the city of Marseilles, France.]
Au total, 27 armes de tous calibres, dont des Kalachnikov et des Uzi, ainsi que 150 kilos de munitions, ont été découvertes lors d'une opération dans le XIIe arrondissement de la ville.
Des fusils d'assaut de type Kalachnikov, des pistolets... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Seizures Skyrocket, NSW Police Focus on Tracing
30 May 2012
Australian Associated Press
SYDNEY - A spike in gun seizures in NSW has intensified calls for a national ballistics testing system to help authorities link weapons to crimes.
The latest police figures show nearly 4500 firearms have been seized in NSW since January 2011, with more than a third of those located in the past two months.
Police Minister Michael Gallacher on Wednesday watched the destruction of 142 of these weapons, including a "Dirty Harry" style .45 calibre revolver, an Uzi... (GunPolicy.org)
Sydney, NSW Gun Seizures Soar, But Only 10% Are Handguns
30 May 2012
Australian Associated Press
A spike in gun seizures in NSW has intensified calls for a national ballistics testing system to help authorities link weapons to crimes.
The latest police figures show nearly 4500 firearms have been seized in NSW since January 2011, with more than a third of those located in the past two months.
Police Minister Michael Gallacher on Wednesday watched the destruction of 142 of these weapons, including a "Dirty Harry" style .45 calibre revolver, an Uzi submachine gun, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Allemagne,Royaume-Uni,Asie,États-Unis,Australie
Illegal Guns a Booming Trade through International Mail Order Services
27 May 2012
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
Thousands of guns - some broken down into 30 pieces - are being seized by Australian Customs as criminals use the internet to widen their networks.
Gun pieces hidden in bags of screws, tools and car parts are being found by scans, as soaring international mail deliveries become an increasing challenge for authorities.
The Sunday Mail can reveal that more than 4000 guns, parts and magazines were seized by Customs between 2008 and 11.
The internet is being used for... (GunPolicy.org)
Customs X-Ray Failed to Detect 122 Guns in German Parcels to Australia
24 May 2012
ABC News (Australia)
Customs officials have revealed that their X-ray machines did not pick up more than 100 pistols that were illegally imported through a Sydney post office.
Police arrested four people in March over the Glock pistols that were allegedly posted from Germany to the Sylvania Waters Post Office.
Representatives from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service were questioned about the case during a federal Estimates hearing in Canberra this morning.
At the time... (GunPolicy.org)
Hong Kong,Italie,Allemagne,Israël,Autriche,Bulgarie,Russie,Inde
Over 29,000 Russian AK-47s Imported by Indian Paramilitary Forces
20 May 2012
Times of India
NEW DELHI - AK-47s continue to be the preferred assault weapon for the country's paramilitary forces deployed to neutralise terrorists and Maoists at the frontiers and in the hinterland.
Over 29,000 pieces of this Russian-origin rifle were imported by forces like CRPF, BSF and NSG over the last three years, leaving behind, by a large margin, other sophisticated assault weapons procured from the US and Israel.
The inventory of the assault weapons procured for security... (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)
Time to Expose Crime Gun Origins, Revisit Gun Control in Australia
14 May 2012
Australian (Sydney), Opinion
More than 16 years have passed since the massacre of 35 people at Port Arthur in Tasmania, on a Sunday afternoon in April still painfully vivid in our memories. In his second month in office, John Howard responded to the national mood with a gun buy-back scheme. More than 700,000 weapons were handed in and destroyed -- about 20 per cent of Australia's firearms. Encouraged by the commonwealth, state and territory ministers also agreed on tougher, uniform gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Papua New Guinea MPs Urged to Set Example by Handing In Their Guns
2 May 2012
Pacific Islands News Association (Fiji)
Gun smuggling in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a multi-million kina business which police are powerless to deal with, Deputy Police Commissioner Simon Kauba says.
And he had suggested that parliament implement the recommendations of the guns summit committee to address the problem to some extent.
Parliamentarians raised concern last week over the serious issue of firearms build-up in the country, especially in the highlands provinces, on the eve of the national... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : Pacific Islands News Association (Fiji)
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)
11,000 Licensed Guns 'Missing' in South Australia
7 April 2012
Advertiser (Adelaide)
Almost 11,000 licensed firearms have reportedly gone "missing" in South Australia over the past decade.
Among the 10,879 weapons are semi-automatic rifles, pump-action shotguns, pistols and antique guns, SA Police figures reveal.
Firearms classified as missing include those that are lost, unaccounted for from deceased estates, where the licence holder can't be located, firearms destroyed by the owner, or destroyed by other means such as flood and fire.
The figures -... (GunPolicy.org)
Fearing the Public, US Politicians Carry Hidden Handguns in State Capitols
4 April 2012
Agence France Presse
CHICAGO — When Wisconsin lawmakers gather to discuss the business of the day at least one of them is legally packing a concealed weapon, amid the ever-present and heated gun law debate in the United States.
Wisconsin is one of just nine US states -- out of 50 -- which have expanded conceal-carry laws to allow gun owners to enter state capitols with their weapons, including on the assembly floor.
After the law was passed in November, state representative Bill Kramer... (GunPolicy.org)
États-Unis,Allemagne,Europe,Australie
In Wake of Glock Seizure, Australian Minister Defends Gun Control Efforts
15 March 2012
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
TONY EASTLEY: According to Tony Abbott Sydneysiders this morning not only face peak hour traffic but a reign of terror on the streets because of the illegal importation of hundreds of handguns from Europe and he puts it down to the Federal Government's lack of border control. The Opposition Leader says it can all be sheeted home to the Government.
On Tuesday police and other Federal and state authorities arrested alleged members of a gun smuggling syndicate who'd... (GunPolicy.org)
Post Office Owner Smuggled German Glocks to Sydney Gangs - Police
14 March 2012
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
It began at a firearms manufacturing factory in Austria - and ended at a suburban Sydney post office.
Police yesterday cracked an elaborate gun-smuggling operation that spanned the globe, putting hundreds of illegal firearms into the hands of Sydney's underworld.
In the small township of Remscheid, Germany, up to 300 brand new Austrian-made Glock handguns were disassembled, packed in boxes with inconspicuous labels such as "plastic" and "metal", and shipped to... (GunPolicy.org)
Buy a Gun Online in the US, No Questions Asked - Investigation
9 February 2012
NBC News (USA), Report
Today marks the debut of Rossen Reports, a new unit led by national investigative correspondent Jeff Rossen. First out of the gate: A hidden camera investigation exposing how easy it is for anyone – even criminals – to buy dangerous weapons.
Some say it's a major loophole in the law. At gun stores, you have to get a background check before you can buy a weapon. But online in most states, anyone from law-abiding citizens to dangerous criminals – even terrorists... (GunPolicy.org)
Glock: The Rise of America's Favourite Handgun
27 January 2012
New York Times, Book review
You rarely pull a gun to start a conversation, but when I recently told an in-law that I was writing about Glock pistols, he improvised a research project. Reaching beneath his jacket, he quickly unholstered, unloaded and handed me his Glock 9 millimeter — this was in Kentucky, land of permissive concealed-carry laws. "I always carry this, and I always will," he said before giving me a primer that could have been used in a promotional video for both the pistol and... (GunPolicy.org)
Florida Gun Owners Upset at Attempt to Stop Patients Carrying Firearms
19 January 2012
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
Florida-bound, Canadian snowbirds may feel a little safer – or not – knowing that if they wind up in hospital, the patient beside them might just have a Glock machine pistol tucked under his pillow.
Muggers beware.
It's the latest legislative shoot-out in the long-running saga over what the framers of America's Constitution meant by the "right of the people to keep and bear Arms".
In Florida, it's against the law to pack a pistol to school or take your rifle to... (GunPolicy.org)
Chine,Europe,États-Unis,Thaïlande
Firearms Only for the Rich: Bangkok Guns 'Like a Louis Vuitton for Guys'
2 January 2012
CNN
If you have an itchy trigger finger while visiting Thailand it may be difficult to purchase a gun, but wealthy foreigners and Thais who live here can now enjoy their weapon of choice thanks to the recent lifting of a ban imposed in Bangkok last year.
Tourists can, however, buy custom-made leather holsters and other accessories at the estimated 80 weapons stores along Burapha Road, just east of the Sala Chalerm Krung Royal Theatre, where the vast majority of Bangkok's... (GunPolicy.org)
In North Carolina, 2,400 Hidden Handgun Permit Holders Had Convictions
26 December 2011
New York Times
Alan Simons was enjoying a Sunday morning bicycle ride with his family in Asheville, N.C., two years ago when a man in a sport utility vehicle suddenly pulled alongside him and started berating him for riding on the highway.
Mr. Simons, his 4-year-old son strapped in behind him, slowed to a halt. The driver, Charles Diez, an Asheville firefighter, stopped as well. When Mr. Simons walked over, he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Go ahead, I'll shoot... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owners in Ireland Lose Hundreds of Firearms to Thieves Every Year
23 December 2011
Herald (Dublin)
More than 1,400 guns have been stolen here in the past five years.
Figures just released by Justice Minister Alan Shatter show that 1,451 firearms were recorded as stolen on the garda PULSE computer system in the years 2007 to December 12, 2011.
He said the figures for the individual years were 205 in 2011; 249 in 2010; 350 in 2009; 298 in 2008 and 349 in 2007.
The number of licensed firearms in Ireland is more than 233,000, with most of them being 12-gauge shotguns... (GunPolicy.org)
Registration, Ballistics Tie Baltimore Police Glock to Murder of 2 Girls
17 December 2011
Baltimore Sun
The wanted poster portrays a .40-caliber Glock Model 22 semiautomatic pistol, serial number EKG463US, that resembles thousands of standard-issue guns owned by the Baltimore Police Department.
But this particular weapon found its way out of the hands of law enforcement and into the hands of a suspected killer — an above-board but nightmarish scenario for city police. Authorities say the gun was used three years ago to shoot two young girls on a dirt road outside a... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,Norvège,Pays-Bas,Royaume-Uni,Allemagne,Finlande,Suisse
Gun Attacks in Europe and Their Effect on Gun Control Laws
14 December 2011
BBC News
As more details emerge of the shooting spree and grenade attack in Belgium in which five people died, the BBC News website takes a look at other recent incidents in Europe - and the effect they have had on each country's laws.
Norway
Seventy-seven people were killed in twin attacks on 22 July 2011 in Norway. Anders Behring Breivik has admitted that he planted a car bomb that exploded close to government offices in the capital Oslo, killing eight people. He then drove... (GunPolicy.org)
US Federal Police Investigate Florida-Cayman Islands Gun Smuggling Ring
12 December 2011
CayCompass.com (Cayman Islands)
United States federal law enforcement authorities are investigating a firearms smuggling operation between south Florida and Grand Cayman that's been ongoing since at least 2008, according to US District Court records obtained by the Caymanian Compass.
The investigation, a branch of which led to the 2009 arrest, conviction and incarceration of four local men in US federal prison, caught up with a fifth suspect, Mikkyle Brandon Leslie – known in Cayman as Brandon... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Nuts Need Fear, Conspiracies, Obama to Hate, Flourish, Raise Money
1 December 2011
New York Times, Opinion
PHOENIX — When it became clear in the early fall of 2008 that Barack Obama, son of a Kansan and a Kenyan, would be the 44th President of the United States, many citizens rushed to their gun shops, stocked up on ammo and camo, and tried to fortify their nests with all manner of lethal weapons.
Though he had said nothing about gun control in the campaign, Obama, to a certain kind of person, appeared to be a grave threat to the Second Amendment. He was urban —... (GunPolicy.org)
Amérique centrale,Mexique,États-Unis,Guatemala
Arms Trafficking, Business of Death: Guns in Central America [ES]
16 November 2011
Contralinea (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Contralinea magazine details the routes by which guns are trafficked into Mexico, including the flow of arms from the US directly to Guatemala, and then over Mexico's southern border. English translation at: http://bit.ly/uBnEGu]
En la última década, México pasó del lugar vigesimosegundo al quinto en tráfico de armas en el ámbito mundial. Se calcula que cada día ingresan al país unas 2 mil para abastecer a los cárteles de la droga, la... (GunPolicy.org)
Laws Restricting Hidden Handguns Weakened, Eliminated in 22 US States
15 November 2011
Mother Jones (USA)
Ever thought about stashing a loaded Glock in your jacket and carrying it into a bar for a little extra protection? In Ohio, thanks to a new state law, you're now free to do so. All you need is a permit.
Ever since Ohio implemented a "concealed carry" law in 2004—allowing the possession of a hidden, loaded handgun in public—changes in state legislation have made it increasingly easy for people to carry guns around. This year, Ohio lawmakers decriminalized having a... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Destroyed in Australian Gun Buybacks Now Replaced with Imports
13 November 2011
ABC Radio National - Background Briefing, Transcript
Gun clubs report lots of new members, hunting is cool, and handguns are gangland chic. The hundreds of thousands of guns destroyed in buybacks since Port Arthur have been more than replaced by new ones. But guns are highly political and the national system for monitoring gun ownership is a mess. Reporter, Ian Townsend.
Ian Townsend: There may be more guns in Australia today than there have ever been. In the past 16 months in Queensland alone, nearly 50,000 guns —... (GunPolicy.org)
Lire l'article complet : ABC Radio National - Background Briefing
Gun Lobby Pressure Makes it Easier for US Felons to Legally Own Guns
13 November 2011
New York Times
In February 2005, Erik Zettergren came home from a party after midnight with his girlfriend and another couple. They had all been drinking heavily, and soon the other man and Mr. Zettergren's girlfriend passed out on his bed. When Mr. Zettergren went to check on them later, he found his girlfriend naked from the waist down and the other man, Jason Robinson, with his pants around his ankles.
Enraged, Mr. Zettergren ordered Mr. Robinson to leave. After a brief... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Man Guilty of Receiving Handguns Smuggled from US, Selling to Gangs
10 November 2011
Guardian (UK)
A man has been found guilty of helping an international gun runner to smuggle dozens of handguns into Britain on commercial transatlantic flights.
Over a six-month period gun runner Steven Greenoe, 37, – an American who lived in Shrewsbury and is currently awaiting sentence in the US – repeatedly crossed the Atlantic to purchase weapons to sell on to the criminal underworld for a huge profit. He broke the guns down to their component parts and smuggled them into... (GunPolicy.org)
American Gun Lobby, Far Right Pushing for More Lenient Gun Laws
29 October 2011
al Jazeera, Opinion
If you are looking for the literal embodiment of dysfunction in US political culture and the institutions that serve it, look no further than the National Rifle Association (NRA), and the deadly and divisive role it plays in shaping the political agenda. Specifically, the radically and reliably dishonest, dangerous and deranged legislation they foist upon the American people day in and day out through their purchase of most Republican and many Blue-Dog Democratic... (GunPolicy.org)
Demand Growing in Canada for High-Tech Guns Popularised in Games, Movies
26 October 2011
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
Whether it's computers, cars, motorbikes or guns, 28-year-old Greg MacDonald — a self-confessed "tech nerd" — is always looking for the latest and greatest technology.
A Newfoundlander and lover of fine machinery, MacDonald says the rigorous research and development that goes into modern military-grade firearms — known as "black rifles" within shooter circles — is a sort of poetry in motion.
"When I see a firearm, I see engineering, mathematics and physics,"... (GunPolicy.org)
US Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Bill, 'That's Not Liberty, More Like Lunacy'
24 October 2011
New York Times, Opinion
Between the struggle to fold a sport jacket so it doesn't wrinkle, the 45-minute wait on a security line if I'm flying, the price of gas if I'm driving and the worry either way that I left the coffee maker on, I thought I was pretty well versed in the inconveniences and stresses of domestic travel.
Hardly! Things could be much, much worse, namely if I were a gun owner with a permit to carry a concealed firearm in my home state and an itch to do so in any other state I... (GunPolicy.org)
Criminal Says He Has No Trouble Obtaining a Handgun in Australia
11 October 2011
Courier-Mail (Brisbane)
A hardened Gold Coast criminal has told The Courier-Mail he could obtain a "very nice" handgun for about $2000 in two hours "through bikie connections".
The man, who has a criminal history involving outlaw motorcycle clubs, said the weapon would be "top of the range, like a Glock 9mm" and was likely to have come from a cache of guns stolen during a break-in and then stored for later use or sale. "It could be easily procured for a job," he said.
A spate of shootings on... (GunPolicy.org)
Handguns Smuggled into UK from US in Major Criminal Enterprise
11 October 2011
Yorkshire Post (UK)
Lethal handguns were smuggled into Yorkshire from the US in a major criminal enterprise which saw weapons dismantled and hidden in hollowed-out electrical goods.
Self-loading Glock pistols, normally used only by police, were bought in Texas and shipped to the region in an operation involving 15 Yorkshire-based conspirators, a court heard yesterday.
The group succeeded in smuggling 12 pistols into the country and wanted 18 in total, but the plot was foiled by a... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunman Who Killed 4 and Himself in US Used Illegally Altered AK-47
5 October 2011
Las Vegas Review Journal (Nevada)
CARSON CITY - The gunman who killed four people and then himself at a restaurant on Sept. 6 used a Chinese-made version of an AK-47 assault rifle altered into an illegal automatic weapon, the Carson City sheriff's office said Wednesday.
Sheriff Ken Furlong said his deputies and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were continuing to investigate how the weapon and others ended up in the hands of Eduardo Sencion.
Sencion, 32, of Carson City, fired 60... (GunPolicy.org)
Former US Marine Smuggled up to 80 Guns for UK Criminals - Court
5 October 2011
Guardian (UK)
Guns smuggled into the UK on commercial flights by a former US marine captain were used to carry out crimes on the streets of Britain, including a fatal shooting, a court was told.
Steven Greenoe, 37, bought weapons from American gun shops, broke them down to their component parts, and smuggled them into the UK in his luggage, Liverpool crown court heard on Wednesday.
Two British men were also said to have been involved in the alleged conspiracy: Steven Cardwell, 31,... (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)
US Supreme Court Refuses to Rule on Carrying Guns Outside the Home
3 October 2011
Guardian (UK) / Reuters
The US supreme court has refused to consider whether an individual's right to own guns includes carrying a firearm outside the home – staying out of one of the nation's most divisive social, political and legal issues.
The justices let stand a ruling by Maryland's highest court that upheld a state law prohibiting the carrying of a handgun without a permit outside of one's home.
The court turned down the opportunity to define the reach of its landmark 2008 ruling... (GunPolicy.org)
Trinidad: 'For Such a Small Country, a Large Number of Illegal Guns'
12 September 2011
Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
Nine more guns including a high-powered AK 47 assault rifle, have been recovered by the police within the past three days in various exercises in North, Central and West Trinidad from Friday to yesterday. This brings to 88 the number of guns seized since the start of the State of Emergency (SOE) on August 22.
A nitrogen cannister believed to be used in the manufacturing of silencers for firearms was also recovered and seized. A silencer is a component of a firearm used... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Charged with Smuggling Hundreds of Guns to Puerto Rico from US
8 September 2011
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
Investigators have charged a New Jersey man with trafficking hundreds of .40-caliber Glock pistols from Central Florida to Puerto Rico though underground channels, a federal affidavit states.
Luis Velazquez-Pinero was indicted on Aug. 31 on charges that he illegally shipped firearms in interstate and foreign commerce, travelled from New Jersey to illegally acquire firearms and lied to investigators.
Records show agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and... (GunPolicy.org)
Norvège,États-Unis,Union Européenne,Danemark
Police Call for Stricter Gun Control in Norway
2 August 2011
Views and News from Norway
Calls are going out for stricter gun regulation and changes to the Norwegian criminal code after the terrorist attacks on Oslo and Utøya, with police, politicians and academics welcoming a debate. When such a debate will be able to occur is more uncertain, with the American police chief in charge of the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombings warning Norwegians not to be overly critical of police or emergency services at this early stage.
The police have expressed a... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Gun Control Group Renews Its Call for Semi-auto Handgun Ban
26 July 2011
Herald Sun (Melbourne) / AAP
The National Coalition for Gun Control has renewed its call for a ban on semi-automatic handguns after the Norway massacre.
Coalition co-convenor Samantha Lee said semi-automatic longarms were deemed too dangerous and banned in 1996 after the Port Arthur massacre in which Martin Bryant shot dead 35 people.
But semi-automatic handguns remain available to sporting shooters.
"It only takes one person with a high-powered semi-automatic firearm and access to lots of... (GunPolicy.org)
Norway Mass Killer Tried Smuggling, Then Bought His Guns Legally Instead
24 July 2011
Financial Times (UK)
The Nordic countries' hunting traditions mean that there is a high rate of gun ownership in Norway, where locals – and tourists - often go out to the woods to hunt wild reindeer, moose, deer, hare and grouse.
About 439,000 Norwegians are recognised by the Norwegian Register of Hunters, or about one in every 10 citizens. However, most have licences for bolt-action rifles and shotguns, with a smattering of semi-automatic weapons, and ownership of heavier weapons and... (GunPolicy.org)
Worst-ever Mass Shooting Killer Licensed Gun Owner, Gun Club Member
23 July 2011
CNN
As Norway struggles to come to terms with its greatest loss of life in decades, all eyes are on the man charged in the explosion in central Oslo and the deadly shooting rampage at a youth camp.
While police have not officially named him, Norwegian television and newspaper reports have identified the suspect as 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik, of Norwegian origin.
A picture is emerging, gleaned from official sources and social media, of a right-wing Christian... (GunPolicy.org)
With Gun-running Scandal, Now's the Time to Target US Gun Control
24 June 2011
Guardian (UK)
When Republican chairman of the House oversight and government reform committee, Representative Darrel Issa, called for the resignation of ATF acting director Kenneth Melson, few in American political circles found it controversial. Melson, after all, was responsible for overseeing the ATF's botched gun-tracking operations that led to the trafficking of thousands of weapons into Mexico and countless consequent deaths – including that of US customs agent Brian... (GunPolicy.org)