How do criminals obtain firearms?

[Carl N. Brown]

Something how most of the links mentioning thefts and crimes on this thread I never heard on the national news.

3% of gun acquistions are at gunshows.

2% of crime guns are rifles.

Most gun show vendors are FFLs federal firearms license holding gundealers who do background checks. The minority are private individuals buying, selling, trading private collections.

Sooo, the media claim the big crime crisis in America is assault rifles sold at gunshows by private "dealers" bypassing the background check.

From what I observed in the 1960s build up to the 1968 Gun Control Act, the national news media engage in advocacy journalism to promote more gun control as an unquestionable social good through moral panic, must-act-now hysteria, the truth be shouted down as Piers Morgan does today. The national news media has its agenda; we have ours.



FWIW, the majority of gunsellers at every gun show I have attended have been FFLs, but a few private owners selling or trading for personal collections. Most of my gunshow acquisitions (Baikal 12ga double barrel shotgun, CZ52 pistol and Taurus .22 mag pump rifle) were with FFLs with 4473 record with NICS check; the minority (.22 mag single shot Savage, .30-30/12ga Savage combo gun) were private trades.

 

[coondogger]

Well, if you're a deranged jihadi living in Libya, you can easily obtain the arms from our state department. Or if you're a bona fide member of a drug cartel, you can obtain them from the BATF and the US Justice department. In either case there is no waiting period, no background check, and no paperwork.

 

[9MMare]

I was raised in the barrio so I know the answer to this question. Sad that its not common knowledge. The way they get them is from robbing houses. The criminals who dont rob houses buy them from the ones that do. Handguns typically go for $100 dollars I know this cause gang bangers would roll up all the time saying you want a gun? They would raise it up and say $100; this was common.

That's pretty much what I believe too.

 

[heeler]

Me too.
Home burglaries in the last five years here in Houston have been down right epidemic in nature.
In fact in 2012 just in the first six months there were over 13,000 home burglaries alone.
And a lot of people own hand guns.
They then get sold or bartered for dope.

 

[texasgun]

well... It might be time to invest in a gun safe. Even the "standard" and more affordable safes in the $600-$800 range are too complex for the average smash&grab burglar.... I do NOT understand folks who get burglarized several times and every time a firearm gets stolen....