Department
of the Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Youth
Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative
21 Introduction
This chapter presents seven sections of analysis of crime gun information
submitted by participating jurisdictions. It contains tables and figures
that describe: first, characteristics of crime gun possessors; second,
the relationship between crime gun purchasers and crime gun possessors;
third, the types of crime guns possessed, by type, caliber, manufacturer,
and model; fourth, the relationships between possessors age, weapon
type, and the speed with which crime guns move from first retail sale
to criminal use and recovery by law enforcement; fifth, the geographic
sources of traced firearms; sixth, the number of crime guns with obliterated
serial numbers; and seventh, information about multiple sales and crime
guns.
Following
the Gun to the Criminal and the Criminal Supplier. This section of the
report provides an overview of key crime gun patterns, based on the
collection and analysis of thousands of traces, to assist law enforcement
officials at the Federal, State, and local levels in assessing the local
crime gun problem and deciding how best to deploy limited criminal and
regulatory enforcement resources against gun criminals.
National
Findings. These general findings are based on 64,637 crime gun trace
requests from the 32 jurisdictions participating in the Youth Crime
Gun Interdiction Initiative that have a population of 250,000 inhabitants
or more. These jurisdictions comprise 48 percent of the 67 U.S. jurisdictions
with a population over 250,000; the population of these 32 jurisdictions
is more than two-thirds of the 47 million persons living in U.S. cities
having over 250,000 inhabitants. While not yet meeting the programs
long-term goal of complete national geographic coverage, this sample
provides a reasonable basis for national analyses of crime gun trace
information. To give perspective on the national findings, variations
among cities are highlighted throughout.
Presentation
by Possessor Age Group. To show age differences in crime gun information,
this report puts the 64,637 trace requests into three age groupsjuveniles
(ages 17 & under), youth (ages18-24), and adults (ages 25 &
older). The total for all age groups is also included, and some of the
analyses also provide information about the trace requests for which
age is unknown.
Annual
Reports. For the first time, ATF is presenting these findings on a calendar
year basis. This comprehensive crime gun trace information from a large
number of jurisdictions complements the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) Uniform Crime Reports, the National Crime Victimization Survey
of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, ATFs reporting on firearms
commerce and firearms investigations*, and other efforts to improve
understanding of violent crime in the United States.
*Following
the Gun: Enforcing Federal Laws Against Firearms Traffickers, Department
of the Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, June 2000;
Commerce in Firearms in the United States 1999), Department of the Treasury,
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, February 2000.
22
Age of Possessors
Possessor
Age Information. Information on the age of the crime gun
possessor was included in 40,730 (63 percent) of the 64,637 trace requests
received from participating jurisdictions.
Ages
18 to 20. As displayed in Figure 1, the
single most frequent age of crime gun possessors was 19, followed closely
by ages 20 and 18. There was a significant increase in the number of
traces from 131 at age 13 to 2,204 at age 19. Each year, more than 14,000
crime guns are recovered from individuals between the ages of 18 and
24, the peak years for being a crime gun possessor. The number of crime
gun trace requests drops steadily from 1,699 at age 24 to 895 for possessors
at age 30, and at the age of 50, there were only 298 trace requests.
4
Juvenile,
Youth, and Adult Crime Guns. As presented in Table
1, among the trace requests for which the possessors age was
known, adult possession accounted for almost 57 percent of the trace
requests, youth possession accounted for 34 percent, and the juvenile
category accounted for over 9 percent.
City
Variations. The age distribution of crime gun possessors
can vary considerably from the national averages across cities. In certain
cities, firearms were recovered predominantly from adults. For example,
adults comprised 82 percent of gun possessors in San Jose, CA; 72 percent
of the gun possessors in Miami, FL; 71 percent of the gun possessors
in Houston, TX; and 70 percent of the gun possessors in Cleveland, OH
and Phoenix, AZ. In other cities, firearms were most frequently recovered
from
youth. Youth comprised 48 percent of the gun possessors in Jersey City,
NJ; 47 percent of the gun possessors in Washington, DC and Charlotte-
Mecklenburg, NC; and 46 percent of the gun possessors in Boston, MA.
Juvenile
and Youth Crime Guns Remain a Problem. The FBIs Supplemental
Homicide Reports show that gun homicides committed by juveniles and
youth have declined 41 percent, from 11,657 in 1993 to 6,863 in 1998.
They remain a significant problem, however, accounting for 57 percent
of all gun homicides in 1998 for which the age of the offender is known.
Juveniles alone accounted for 12 percent of these homicides in 1998.5
Parallel
with Violent Crime Data. While ATF crime gun tracing is not
complete, crime gun information closely parallels data gathered on violent
crime from other sources. In 1998, according to the FBIs Uniform
Crime Reports, for those offenders where an age is known, individuals
18 years of age were arrested more frequently than persons of any other
age for murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Individuals
19 years of age were the next most likely to be arrested for murder,
rape, and aggravated assault, and individuals 20 years of age were ranked
third for murder and aggravated assault. 6
4 For
a detailed listing of the number of trace requests by age, see Appendix
B, Technical Note 6.
5 James A. Fox and Marianne W. Zawitz, Homicide Trends in the U.S.,
Bureau of Justice Statistics, February 1, 2000, pg 87.
6 FBI Uniform Crime Reports 1998, Table 38, p. 220.
FIGURE
1
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TABLE
1
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23
When the Crime Gun Purchaser Is the Crime Gun Possessor
Most
Crime Guns Are Not Possessed by Their First Purchasers. In
about 89 percent (19,196 of 21,594) of the trace requests where the
crime gun possessor and the purchaser are known, they are not the same
individuals. There is little variation by firearm type. This shows the
importance of a full investigation of the chain of possession of crime
guns.
Transfers
of a Firearm beyond the Initial Purchase by a Retail Customer Usually
Cannot Be Followed to the Criminal Possessor Using Serial Numbers and
Transfer Documentation Alone. Federal law does not require
unlicensed sellers to perform Brady background checks or maintain transfer
records for tracing, and firearm owners are not required to keep a record
of the serial number of their firearms or to report lost or stolen firearms.
Therefore, it is generally impossible for a National Tracing Center
(NTC) crime gun trace alone to identify purchasers beyond the initial
retail purchaser. If a crime gun is not recovered from its original
purchaser, it has been transferred at least once in the secondary market,
that is, by someone other than an FL.
These transfers may be lawful or unlawful. The crime gun may have been
transferred by a straw purchaser; resold by an unlicensed seller or
as a used gun by an FFL; borrowed, traded, or
given as a gift; stolen by its criminal possessor; or stolen and trafficked,
among other possibilities.
Investigative
Methods for Tracking the Chain of Transfers from Retail Sale to the
Crime Gun Possessor. FFL reporting to the NTC. ATF, in 2000,
began requiring certain FFLs who failed to cooperate with crime gun
traces as well as those with 10 or more crime gun traces with a time-to-crime
of 3 years or less, to report certain firearms transaction information
to the NTC to permit crime gun tracing. State documentation. States
may impose additional firearm transfer documentation requirements that
law enforcement agencies may use to trace firearms purchased in-State.
Investigative tracing. For traces of crime guns recovered from juveniles
and traces involving certain crimes, ATF agents, often working with
State and local law enforcement officials in YCGII cities, will follow
the gun through the chain of possession to an illegal supplier by performing
an investigative trace. Investigative tracing uses interviews and other
investigative techniques to track the gun through the entire chain of
transfers to the criminal possessor. Investigative tracing is a resource-intensive
investigative method that is not practicable for all gun crimes.
2–4
Firearm Type, Caliber, Manufacturer, and Model
Trace
Request Information.
Trace requests are required to include the type, caliber, manufacturer,
and serial number of the crime gun because this information is necessary
to trace a firearm from manufacturer and wholesale distributor to the
point of sale. Information about the particular model of the firearm
is not required but is provided consistently in some jurisdictions and
is proving useful. (See Appendix
C, ATF Firearm Trace Request Form.)
Classification
in this Report. Generally, crime guns described in this report
are classified by the different kinds of information provided on the
ATF trace form. For some of the tables and figures in this report, firearms
are placed into two basic groups: handguns and long guns. Handguns include
semiautomatic pistols, revolvers, and derringers. Long guns include
shotguns and rifles. All other firearms are accounted for in an Other
category.
Patterns
in Types of Crime Guns. Classifying crime guns by type, caliber,
manufacturer, and model allows law enforcement to differentiate among
firearms. When large numbers of trace requests are analyzed, the patterns
in crime gun types emerge. With more comprehensive information, more
complete analysis is possible. In this report, different patterns are
highlighted by focusing separately on type, caliber, manufacturer, and
model.
Targeting
Criminals, Protecting Officer Safety. Detailed information
about crime guns enables law enforcement to target criminal and regulatory
resources on the sources of those crime guns. As criminals shift illegal
sources, law enforcement officials can target the new sources, and deter
and make more difficult criminal acquisition. Knowledge of what crime
guns criminals are using is also an important consideration for State
and local law enforcement in assessing potential departmental safety
measures.
Handguns,
Especially Semiautomatic Pistols. As displayed in Figure
2 and Table 2, traced crime guns are largely
handguns (77 percent) and, among handguns, largely semiautomatic pistols,
which alone account for half (50 percent) of all crime guns traced.
Juveniles
and Youth with Handguns, Adults with More Long Guns. The
dominance of handguns and semiautomatic pistols is especially present
among juveniles and youth. Semiautomatic pistols are more prevalent
among juveniles (57 percent) and youth (60 percent) than among adults
(47 percent). A substantial portion of firearm traces, 21 percent, involves
a shotgun or a rifle, but juveniles or youth infrequently possess these
long guns. Adults are nearly twice as likely (24 percent) as juveniles
(13 percent) to possess a recovered long gun.
Unknown
Age Group Resembles Adults. When the age of the crime gun
possessor is unknown, the distribution of firearm types among trace
requests is similar to the distribution among crime guns recovered from
adults; semiautomatic pistols are the most common crime gun but a substantial
proportion of long guns is also found.
City
Variations. The distribution of semiautomatic pistols, revolvers,
shotguns, and rifles among adult, youth, and juvenile possessors was
remarkably stable across participating cities, but there were some important
differences in a few cities.
For example, 97 percent of the firearms submitted for tracing
by the Atlanta, GA Police Department were handguns. Semiautomatic pistols
were clearly the weapon of choice in Atlanta; 79 percent of youth recoveries,
72 percent of juvenile recoveries, and 69 percent of adult recoveries
in Atlanta were semiautomatic pistols.
Trace requests in Phoenix, AZ and Philadelphia, PA also revealed
a high percentage of semiautomatic pistol recoveries across all age
groups.
In some cites, there were higher percentages of semiautomatic
pistol recoveries in only one age group. For example, 67 percent of
guns recovered from youth in Milwaukee, WI and 61 percent of guns recovered
from youth in Portland, OR were semiautomatic pistols.
Revolvers were the most frequently recovered firearms from juveniles
in Houston, TX (40 percent) and in Tampa, FL (47 percent).
Long guns were also more frequently recovered from youth and
juveniles in San Jose, CA; Houston, TX; and San Antonio, TX when compared
with participating cities overall.
FIGURE
2
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TABLE
2
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Type
and Caliber/Gauge of Firearms
Most
Frequently Traced Handguns and
Long Guns by Type and Caliber.
Table 3 and Figure 3 rank handgun
types and calibers for which the most trace requests were submitted
for individual age groups and all ages combined. Table 4 and Figure
4 rank long gun types and calibers by the most frequent to the tenth
most frequent for all age groups.
Four
Main Handguns. When crime guns are described by type and
caliber, they are notably concentrated. As shown in Table 3, four handgun
types and calibers accounted for 62 percent of all handgun trace requests:
9mm semiautomatic pistols
.38 caliber revolvers
.380 caliber semiautomatic pistols
.25 caliber semiautomatic pistols
Youth
and 9mm Semiautomatic Pistols.
While the 9mm semiautomatic pistol is the most frequent handgun type
among all age groups (23 percent), this is especially so among youth,
where this one handgun type accounted for 28 percent of all trace requests.
TABLE
3
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TABLE
3
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FIGURE
3
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Two
Main Long Guns. As shown in Table 4 and Figure
4, there is even greater concentration among long guns recovered
as crime guns than among handguns. Two long gun types, the 12 gauge
shotgun and the .22 caliber rifle, accounted for 12 percent of all trace
requests and more than 57 percent of all long gun trace requests.
Juveniles
and Youth. The concentration of the 12 gauge shotgun and .22 caliber
rifle is greater within the juvenile (66 percent) and youth (61 percent)
age groups than among adults (56 percent).
TABLE
4
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TABLE
4
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FIGURE
4
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Manufacturer,
Caliber/Gauge, and Type of Firearms
Most
Frequently Traced Firearms, Handguns, and Long Guns. Table
5 ranks frequently traced firearms by manufacturer, caliber/gauge,
and type for each age group. Table 6 ranks revolvers and semiautomatic
pistols for all age groups by the frequency with which they occur in
firearm trace requests and Table 7 ranks shotguns and rifles.
Crime
Guns Concentrated.
Ten firearms by manufacturer, caliber, and type accounted for 24 percent
(15,211) of all trace requests (64,637). Over 1,500 different firearms
and 87 calibers accounted for the remaining crime guns (49,426).
Most
Frequently Traced Crime Guns. Smith & Wesson .38 revolvers
(2,968 trace requests) top the list for all age groups combined and
ranked in the top three crime guns traced in each age group. Among juveniles
and youth, the Lorcin Engineering .380 semiautomatic pistol was the
firearm most frequently traced. Among adults and all age groups combined,
this same firearm is the second most frequently listed. The only long
gun in the top 10 traced firearms among all age groups combined was
the Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun (1,287 trace requests). Among adults,
the Marlin .22 caliber rifle ranked ninth (370 trace requests).
TABLE
5
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TABLE
5
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Most
Frequently Traced Long Guns. As shown in Table
7, 10 long guns accounted for 45 percent (6,240) of all long gun
trace requests (13,822). Among all age groups, the Mossberg 12 gauge
shotgun represented 9 percent of long gun trace requests. The imported
North China Industries 7.62mm rifle constituted 6 percent (873) of all
long gun trace requests, the third most frequent trace requests for
long guns among all age groups.
City
Variations. The top 10 firearms were well represented among
the most frequently recovered firearms in all participating cities,
but the specific mix of firearms in a particular city could differ from
the national top 10 crime guns. Local law enforcement agencies should
be aware that manufacturers and calibers of firearms not listed in the
overall top 10 crime guns may comprise an important part of the local
illegal gun market for a particular age group within their city. Three
firearms were not represented in the overall top 10 recovered crime
guns for any age group, but were frequently recovered crime guns in
many jurisdictions:
the North China Industries 7.62mm rifle, a firearm frequently
recovered from adults, youth, and/or juveniles in 12 cities (Birmingham,
AL; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC; Dallas, TX; Detroit, MI; Gary, IN; Jersey
City,NJ; New Orleans, LA; Portland, OR; Tucson, AZ; Richmond, VA; San
Antonio, TX; and St. Louis, MO);
the Glock G.m.b.H. 9mm semiautomatic pistol, a firearm frequently
recovered from adults, youth, and/or juveniles in 10 cities (Boston,
MA; Bridgeport, CT; Denver/Aurora, CO; Gary, IN; Los Angeles, CA; Louisville,
KY; Las Vegas, NV; Miami, FL; Philadelphia, PA; and Phoenix, AZ); and
the Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic pistol, a firearm frequently recovered
from adults, youth, and/or juveniles in seven cities (Atlanta, GA; Baltimore,
MD; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; Philadelphia, PA; Tampa, FL; and
Tucson, AZ).
Most Frequently Traced Handguns.
As shown in Table 6, 10 handguns by manufacturer,
type, and caliber accounted for 29 percent (14,918) of handgun trace
requests (50,676). Three handguns manufactured by Smith & Wesson,
the .38 caliber and .357 caliber revolvers and the 9mm semiautomatic
pistol, ranked in the top 10 most frequently traced handguns. Two handguns
manufactured by Bryco Arms, the .380 caliber and the 9mm semiautomatic
pistol, are also included in the top 10 most frequently traced handguns.
7
7
See Section 4-4 for a discussion of manufacturer ranking when the specific
model of firearm is considered, in contrast to a ranking of firearms
by manufacturer and caliber, as here.
TABLE
6
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TABLE
7
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Manufacturer,
Model, Caliber/Gauge, and Type of Firearms
New
Specificity.
Information on the specific models of crime guns is being provided for
the first time this year. Tables 8a and 8b
specify
traced handguns and long guns by manufacturers model, based on
data from nine cities where traces reported the model at least 75 percent
of the time: Atlanta, GA; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC; Gary, IN; Jersey
City, NJ; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; Omaha, NE; Richmond, VA; and Seattle,
WA.
Significance
of Model Information. Manufacturer and caliber information
focus law enforcement on the major types of crime guns. Model information
allows law enforcement to identify crime guns with greater specificity.
Manufacturers that have been in business for many years have produced
numerous models of firearms in certain frequently traced calibers. Other
manufacturers are more recently established, out of business, and/or
have manufactured only a few models. Therefore, when crime gun information
is available by manufacturer only, the role of some models of crime
gun may not be apparent. When model information is available, the placement
of particular manufacturers firearms on the list of most frequently
traced firearms can change substantially.
Handgun
Models. As shown in Table 8a, the most
frequently traced handgun model overall and in each possessor age group
is the Lorcin Engineering L380 .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol. The
second most frequently traced handgun is the Lorcin Engineering L9 9mm
semiautomatic pistol. By contrast, while the Smith & Wesson .38
caliber revolver was the most frequently traced firearm by manufacturer
and caliber (Table 5), no single model appears with
comparable frequency. When model information is included, the Ruger
9mm semiautomatic pistol that appeared in third place on Table 5 is
shown to be two different weapons, the Model P95 and the Model P89,
among the most frequently traced handgun models. Raven Arms .25 caliber
semiautomatic pistols, among the top 10 crime guns by manufacturer and
caliber (Table 5), include the Model MP25, the fourth
most frequently traced model. Bryco Arms .380 caliber and 9mm semiautomatic
pistols appeared on the top 10 lists for juveniles and youths (Table
5); by model, the Model 9, Model 38, and Model 48 were among the
top 10 youth crime guns, with the latter also a most frequently traced
crime gun among juveniles and overall. Among youth, nine of the top
10 crime guns are 9mm or .380 caliber, with the exception of the Smith
& Wesson Sigma .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol. By model, an addition
to the top 10 for all age groups is the Hi-Point C 9mm semiautomatic
pistol.
TABLE
8a
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Long
Gun Models.
As shown in Table 8b, consistent with manufacturer
information shown in Table 7, the Marlin 60 .22
caliber rifle was the most frequently traced long gun for adults, followed
by the Mossberg 500 12 gauge shotgun. Also included on the adult list
was the Colt AR15 .223 caliber rifle. Among youth, the North China Industries
SKS 7.62mm rifle led the list, followed by the Mossberg 500 12 gauge
shotgun, and the very similar Maverick Arms 88 12 gauge shotgun. Also
on the list: the Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun; the North China Industries
MAK90 rifle and SKS 7.62mm rifle; and the Hi-Point 995 9mm rifle.
Officer
Safety. ATF is providing officer safety information relating
to crime guns for the first time this year in order to assist State
and local law enforcement managers in assessing potential departmental
safety measures. Table 8b shows that for all age
groups, the North China Industries Model SKS 7.62mm caliber rifle is
the rifle model most frequently encountered by law enforcement officers.
The North China Industries Model MAK90 7.62mm caliber rifle is also
encountered in significant numbers, and the Colt Model AR15 .223 caliber
rifle is among the long guns most frequently recovered from adult possessors.8
These rifles, as well as most other rifles, will pose an enhanced threat
to law enforcement, in part, because of their ability to expel projectiles
at velocities that are capable of penetrating the type of soft body
armor typically worn by the average police officer.
Table
8b
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8 The
North China Industries model SKS 7.62 has been barred from importation
into the United States since May 1994 when the President banned the
importation of munitions from China. Letter to Secretary of the Treasury
Lloyd M. Bentsen from Secretary of State Warren Christopher, May 28,
1994. The Colt AR-15 is a semiautomatic assault weapon as defined in
the Gun Control Act of 1968. 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(30). It is generally unlawful
to possess or transfer these firearms. 18 U.S.C. 922(v)(1). This prohibition,
however, does not apply to any AR-15 that was lawfully possessed on
or before Sept. 13, 1994. 18 U.S.C. 921(v)(2). The North China Industries
MAK90 has been barred from importation since May 1994 when the President
banned the importation of munitions from China. In addition, in 1998,
it was determined that this firearm was not generally recognized as
particularly suitable for sporting purposes and, therefore, could not
be legally imported into the United States. 18 U.S.C. 925(d)(3). Department
of the Treasury Study on the Sporting Suitability of Modified Semiautomatic
Assault Weapons, April 1998, Department of the Treasury.
2-5
Time-to-Crime
Time-to-Crime.
An important consideration in understanding firearms trafficking is
the length of time from a firearms first retail sale by a Federal
firearm licensee (FFL) to its recovery by law enforcement as a crime
gun. A short time-to-crime can be an indicator of illegal firearms trafficking.
Focusing on these firearms alone can produce significant trafficking
trends and patterns. Investigating crime guns with short time-to-crime
allows law enforcement to seek out sources of crime guns and disrupt
the flow of illegal firearms trafficking.
Limitation
on Time-to-Crime Information for Used Crime Guns. Since an
NTC trace generally extends only to the first retail purchaser, a trace
of a gun sold used by an unlicensed seller or FFL usually will not show
a fast time-to-crime, even if it was recovered by law enforcement shortly
after its most recent transfer. Therefore, the time-to-crime measure
as an indicator of trafficking is clearest when applied to guns sold
new by FFLs.
Percentage
of Traces with Time-to-Crime. To compute time-to-crime, both
the date the firearm was recovered and the date it was purchased from
a retail FFL must be known. Sufficient information to compute a time-to-crime
was provided for 50 percent (32,573) of the crime gun traces (64,637).
These traces are analyzed in this section. Reporting Median Time-to-Crime.
Throughout this report, the average time-to-crime for specific guns,
for age groups, and for other sets of traces is reported by the median.
The median is the actual time-to-crime value of the middle gun in a
group when all of the guns in that group have been sorted in order by
time-to-crime. The median is a particularly useful measure of central
tendency when a variable has a small subset of cases with extreme values;
such as the case with time-to-crime.
Many
New Crime Guns. The illegal market in guns involves new guns,
used guns, and stolen guns. Figure 5 displays the
cumulative percent of crime guns by years since purchase, and shows
that nearly a third (32 percent, 10,275) of recovered crime guns for
which a time-to-crime could be computed (32,597) had been purchased
for the first time within 3 years of their recovery. Since these crime
guns were all recovered in 1999, nearly one-third of the crime guns
with known time-to-crime entered firearm commerce in 1996 or later.
Many
Very Short Time-to-Crime Guns. Crime guns with very short
time-to-crime represent a priority for further investigation, as the
original transaction may have involved illegal diversion that is continuing.
As shown in Figure 6, about 15 percent (4,791) of
the crime guns recovered in 1999 for which a time-to-crime could be
computed had a time-to-crime of 12 months or less. Another 9 percent
(2,930) of the recovered crime guns had a time-to-crime of over 1 year
and up to 2 years.9
Relatively
Short Time-to-Crime for All Crime Guns. As shown in Figure
5, half of the crime guns recovered in 1999 had a time-to-crime
of 5.7 years or less.10 This is a relatively
short period of time. Gun owners surveyed in 1994 indicated that they
had owned their firearm an average of 13 years.11
9 The
exact numbers and percents for Figures 5 and 6 can be found in Appendix
B, Technical Note 7. Additional time-to-crime estimates are included
in Appendix B, Technical Note 8.
10 Calculation of time-to-crime in years is based on an initial calculation
of the number of days between purchase date and recovery date. Days-to-crime
is converted to years by dividing by 365.25, and rounded to one decimal
point.
11 Phillip J. Cook and Jens Ludwig, Guns in America, Police Foundation
1997.
FIGURE
5
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FIGURE
6
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Time-to-Crime
by Firearm Type and Age Group of Possessor
Variation
by Firearm Type and Age Group.
Time-to-crime varies with the type of firearm and the age of the possessor.
Semiautomatic
Pistols in Contrast to Revolvers. As shown in Table
9 and Figure 7, while the median time-to-crime
for semiautomatic pistols (21,095) is 4.3 years, for revolvers (7,912)
the median time-to-crime is 11.7 years.
Juvenile,
Youth, and Adult Crime Guns Contrasted. As shown in Table
9, the median time-to-crime for crime guns possessed by youth is
4.8 years, a year and a half shorter than for crime guns possessed by
juveniles (6.3 years), and a little less than a year shorter than for
adults (5.6 years).
Juveniles.
As shown in Table 9 and Figure 8,
juveniles tend to possess firearms that have a long time-to-crime. Their
median time-to-crime is the longest of all age groups, and this is true
if the firearm in their possession is a semiautomatic pistol, a revolver,
or a rifle. Revolvers recovered by law enforcement from juveniles have
a median time-to-crime of more than 15 years. An exception to the pattern
is that the small number of shotguns and Other firearms
possessed by juveniles have a shorter time-to-crime than other age groups.
Shortest
and Longest Time-to-Crime Guns. As shown in Table
9, semiautomatic pistols recovered from youth have the shortest
median time-to-crime, 3.6 years (5,620 traces). Thus, half of the semiautomatic
pistols recovered from youth in 1999 were sold in 1995 or later. The
longest median time-to-crime is observed for revolvers possessed by
juveniles, 15.3 years (433 traces). Time-to-crime information alone
cannot determine whether these recovered semiautomatic pistols were
obtained through illegal diversion or purchased new from FFLs
by youth crime gun possessors. This is the type of question that law
enforcement officials must further investigate. Since nearly 89 percent
of all traced crime guns changed hands at least once before recovery
by law enforcement, it can be assumed that illegal diversion plays a
significant role in youth crime gun acquisition.
City
variations. The median time-to-crime for recovered crime
guns varied across the YCGII cities. Certain cities had a median time-to-crime
that was notably shorter than the YCGII city average of 5.7 years. These
cities included Gary, IN (2.9 years); Atlanta, GA (3.2 ears);
Portland, OR (3.2 years); St. Louis, MO (3.2 years); and Milwaukee,
WI (3.6 years). Other cities had a median time-to-crime that was much
longer than the YCGII city average. These cities included New York,
NY (7.2 years); Oakland, CA (7.3 years); Boston, MA (7.6 years); Jersey
City, NJ (7.8 years); and San Jose, CA (8.9 years).
FIGURE
7
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FIGURE
8
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Top
Ten Crime Guns by Manufacturer, Caliber, Type, and Time-to-Crime
Time-to-Crime
Varies Significantly Among Crime Guns.
As shown in Table 10, there are significant differences
in time-to-crime among crime guns classified by manufacturer.
Short
Time-to-Crime Guns. As shown in Table 10,
Bryco Arms 9mm semiautomatic pistols had the fastest median time-to-crime
for all ages combined, just over 1.5 years, and 68 percent (526 of 770)
had a time-to-crime of 3 years or less; the shortest time-to-crime was
0 days. Bryco Arms .380 caliber semiautomatic pistols had a slightly
longer time-to-crime of 2.5 years; 54 percent (499 of 917) of these
crime guns had a time-to-crime of 3 years or less. Other firearms with
relatively fast median time-to-crime include the Ruger 9mm semiautomatic
pistol, median time-to-crime of nearly 3 years; and the Lorcin Engineering
.380 semiautomatic pistol, median time-to-crime of 3.5 years.
Longer
Time-to-Crime Guns. As shown in Table 10,
the Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver had a median time-to-crime
of just over 13 years; only 10 percent of the Smith and Wesson .38 caliber
revolvers had a median time-to-crime of 3 years or less. The Smith &
Wesson 357 caliber revolver had a median time-to-crime of just over
12 years, and the Smith & Wesson 9mm semiautomatic pistol had a
median time-to-crime of just over 4.5 years. Only 2 percent of the Raven
Arms .25 caliber semiautomatic pistols had a median time-to-crime of
3 years or less. In the case of this firearm, long time-to-crime can
be correlated to its production history; Raven Arms stopped manufacturing
firearms in 1991. 12 Therefore, many of
these firearms were likely to have been resold as used by FFLs and/or
transferred by unlicensed persons.
Long
Gun Time-to-Crime. As shown in Table 10,
the Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun, the only long gun among the most frequently
traced firearms, had a median time-to-crime of 5.5 years; 32 percent
of these guns had a time-to-crime of 3 years or less.
12 Fjestad,
S. P., Blue Book of Gun Values, 2000. 21st ed. p. 1011. Minneapolis,
MN: Bluebook Publications.
TABLE
10
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Manufacturer,
Model, Caliber/Gauge, Type of Firearms, and Time-to-Crime
Limited
Model Information.
Table 11a shows time-to-crime for the most frequently
traced firearms by specific model. Traces are analyzed from nine cities:
Atlanta, GA; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC; Gary, IN; Jersey City, NJ; Miami,
FL; New Orleans, LA; Omaha, NE; Richmond, VA; and Seattle, WA. Models
vary greatly in their time-to-crime.
Short
Time-to-Crime Youth Handgun Models. Youth crime guns are
heavily concentrated in the medium and high caliber semiautomatic pistols
with relatively short time-to-crime. As shown in Table
11a, 7 of the 10 most frequently traced youth crime gun models have
a median time-to-crime of less than 2 years. These short time-to-crime
gun models are overwhelmingly 9mm and .380 caliber semiautomatic pistols,
including the Lorcin Engineering L9 (0.6 year), the Ruger P95 (1.1 years),
the Hi-Point C (0.8 year), the Bryco Arms 9 (0.5 year), the Bryco Arms
48 (0.5 year), and the Bryco Arms 38 (1.5 years). In addition, the more
powerful Smith & Wesson Sigma .40 caliber semiautomatic has an extremely
fast median time-to-crime of 0.8 years. Due to their short time-to-crime,
many of these guns that were seized from a youth who did not purchase
them have the potential to provide valuable trafficking leads.
Mixed
Time-to-Crime for Adult Handgun Models. As shown in Table
11a, the most frequently traced adult crime guns are a more varied
mix of firearms with typically a longer median time-to-crime. The Lorcin
Engineering L9 (1 year), the Ruger P95 (1 year), and the Hi-Point C
(1.2 years) have a time-to-crime of less than 2 years. The other medium
caliber semiautomatic pistols, including the Ruger P89 (3.9 years),
the Lorcin Engineering L380 (3.1 years), and the Davis Industries P380
(5.8 years) all have a longer time-to-crime. The list also includes
the Raven Arms MP25 with a 10.9 year median time-to-crime, and the Taurus
85 and Rossi M68 with a median time-to-crime of 6.4 and 3.6 years, respectively.
The Glock G.m.b.H. 22 has a significantly longer time-to-crime (2.9
years) than its counterpart on the youth list, the Smith & Wesson
Sigma (0.8 years).
Mixed
Time-to-Crime for Juvenile Handgun Models. Juveniles resemble
adults more than youths in the models of handgun that they possess,
but juvenile crime guns tended to have a longer time-to-crime than adult
crime guns. As shown in Table 11a, the most frequently
traced juvenile crime guns included fewer medium caliber, short time-to-crime
semiautomatic pistols than the youth list, and included more small caliber
weapons, and more revolvers with a longer time-to-crime. Several of
the medium caliber semiautomatic pistols, including the Lorcin Engineering
L380, (3.1 years) and the Lorcin Engineering L9 (1.5 years) have a median
time-to-crime that is longer than in the youth and adult categories.
There are two .25 caliber semiautomatic pistols, the Raven Arms MP25
(8.6 years) and the Lorcin Engineering L25. (6.3 years). The list also
contains a pair of .38 caliber revolvers, the Charter Arms Undercover
(18.2 years) and the Smith & Wesson 36 (16.6 years). Those with
a shorter median time-to-crime, the Bryco Arms 9 semiautomatic pistol
(0.2 year), the Bryco Arms 48, (1.1 years) and the Hi-Point C semiautomatic
pistol (2.2 years), also tend to have a short time-to-crime in other
age categories.
Time-to-Crime
Among Long Gun Models. As shown in Table
11b, the long gun models for adults with the shortest median time-to-crime
and, therefore, greatest investigative potential are the Hi-Point 995
rifle and the Maverick 88 shotgun, 1.2 and 2.0 years time-to-crime,
respectively. Adults and youth are similar in their involvement with
long guns, though youth long guns have somewhat shorter time-to-rime.
Among the shortest time-to-crime youth models, the Winchester 1300 shotgun
had a median time-to-crime of 0.2 years, and the Mossberg 500 shotgun
had a median time-to-crime of 3.9 years. Long gun models most frequently
recovered from adults or youth include rifles that are primarily sporting
designs, the Marlin 60, the Ruger 10/22, and the Winchester 94, with
a median time-to-crime of greater than 10 years.
TABLE
11a
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TABLE
11b
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2–6
Geographic Sources of Traced Firearms
Most Crime
Guns Originally Purchased from Local Federal Firearms Licensees. As
shown in Table 12, about 62 percent of crime guns
were first purchased from FFLs in the State in which the guns were recovered
by law enforcement officials.
Differences
Among Age Groups with Crime Gun Geographic Sources. As Table
12 shows, while in-State crime guns predominated for all age groups,
this is more so for adult crime gun possessors than for youth or juveniles.
Youth
Crime Gun Geographic Sources. As shown in Table 12,
more youth crime guns (40 percent) than adult crime guns (34 percent)
were first purchased from out-of-state FFLs. Many In-State Crime Guns
Come from Nearby Counties. As shown in Table 13,
the source FFLs were within the same counties as the recovery cities
for over a quarter of the crime guns (26 percent), nearly 11 percent
of source FFLs were in adjacent counties in the same State or a neighboring
State (9 percent).
Juvenile
Crime Gun Geographic Sources. Crime guns recovered from juveniles were
more likely (46.8 percent) than guns recovered from youth or adults
to come from out-of-state FFLs.
City Variations.
Cities vary significantly in the geographic sources of crime guns.
Six cities had 80 percent or more of their traceable crime guns
first sold by FFLs in the State in which the city was located: Birmingham,
AL; Gary, IN; Houston, TX; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; and San Antonio,
TX.
Four of these six cities (Birmingham, AL; Gary, IN; Houston,
TX; and Miami, FL) had at least 40 percent of their in-State traceable
crime guns originated from the county in which the recovery city was
located. Houston, TX had the highest percentage of in-State crime guns
originating from the same county (69 percent).
For five cities, FFLs in the State where the city is located
were the source of fewer than half of traced crime guns: Boston, MA;
Detroit, MI; Jersey City, NJ; Las Vegas, NV; and New York City, NY.
Boston, MA; Jersey City, NJ; and New York City, NY had a noteworthy
number of guns originating both from within their respective States
and from southern States such as Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia,
and Florida.
Many of the traceable crime guns recovered in Detroit, MI were
first sold at FFLs in Michigan (47 percent); however, a noteworthy percentage
of traceable crime guns were also first sold at FFLs in Ohio (12 percent).
Chicago, IL is part of both regional and national patterns. Of
guns recovered in Chicago, 9 percent were first sold by FFLs in the
neighboring State of Indiana. Many guns originated with FFLs in the
South, with Mississippi supplying 8 percent. FFLs in Kentucky, Florida,
Alabama, and Arkansas supplied an additional 8 percent.
Las Vegas, NV had a notable number of guns from California FFLs
(23 percent). Under half (49 percent) of the firearms were purchased
from FFLs in Nevada.
As a result of strict regulations on the sale and possession
of firearms in Washington DC, FFLs in Maryland and Virginia were the
sources of 55 percent of the traceable crime guns recovered in Washington,
DC.
TABLE
12
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TABLE
13
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Regional
and National Geographic Source Patterns
Regional
Patterns.
Figure 9 shows that in 16 of the cities, the crime
guns were originally purchased in significant numbers at FFLs in States
in the region in which the city is located: Atlanta, GA; Baltimore,
MD; New York, NY; St. Louis, MO; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Portland,
OR; Tucson, AZ; Cincinnati, OH; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC; Detroit,
MI; and Washington, DC.
Source
to Recovery Patterns. The State that contains a city is generally
its most important source of crime guns. Many guns move from regional
and national sources, however. Figures A and B
show the relative contribution of these sources. Regional trafficking
consists of guns moving to a city from a neighboring State, while national
trafficking involves guns moving from more distant States.
FIGURE
9
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Two
National Patterns.
Figure 10 illustrates that some cities form part
of larger national patterns. The most important interstate pattern is
south-north pattern along the East Coast, of crime guns first purchased
at FFLs in the South, and recovered by law enforcement in Washington,
DC; Baltimore, MD; Philadelphia,PA; and New York, NY. There is also
a central south-north pattern, with guns first sold by FFLs in the South
being recovered in Memphis, TN; St. Louis, MO; and especially Chicago,
IL.
FIGURE
10
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2–7
Crime Guns with Obliterated Serial Numbers
Results
of Traces from Eleven Cities.
Since tracing of crime guns with obliterated serial numbers is not conducted
consistently by law enforcement agencies, this report presents information
from 11 cities which submitted requests for at least 85 of their crime
guns with obliterated serial numbers: Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Chicago,
IL; Detroit, MI; Los Angeles, CA; Memphis, TN; Milwaukee, WI; New York
City, NY; Philadelphia, PA; St. Louis, MO; and Washington, DC. No rifles,
shotguns, or combination guns were included in this analysis because
some older long guns were manufactured without serial numbers. Unique
serial numbers were not mandated on all firearms until passage of the
Gun Control Act (GCA) in 1968, and it is not always possible to distinguish
certain pre-GCA firearms from post-GCA firearms with the information
provided.
Characteristics
of Crime Guns with Obliterated Serial Numbers. As shown in
Table 14, in the 11 cities that were analyzed,
9 percent of semiautomatic pistols and nearly 5 percent of revolvers
traced had obliterated serial numbers. Only a handful of derringers
(29 of 519) had their serial numbers obliterated.
Obliteration
Is Far More Common Among Youth and Juvenile Crime Guns. As
shown in Table 14, obliteration is more common
among crime guns recovered from youth and juveniles than from adults.
Ten percent of semiautomatic pistols recovered from youth and juveniles
had obliterated serial numbers. There is little variation by possessors
age in the percentage of revolvers with obliterated serial numbers.
Tracing
Crime Guns with Obliterated Serial Numbers. The obliteration
of the serial number on a crime gun is a key criminal indicator of trafficking,
because it shows that someone in the chain of possession assumes that
the gun will be used for a crime, may have to be discarded by a criminal,
or may be recovered by the police. If an obliterated serial number can
be restored by a trained firearms examiner, tracing can proceed, with
the result of possibly identifying participants in a serious criminal
conspiracy. The tracing of guns with obliterated serial numbers is not
conducted consistently by law enforcement agencies, however; not all
jurisdictions are aware of the potential to restore and trace guns with
obliterated serial numbers, and not all jurisdictions have the resources
to do so. Even if the serial number is
not restored, ATF urges law enforcement agencies to submit informational
traces so that information on firearm type, possessors, their associates,
and recovery locations can be analyzed for trafficking leads.
Federal
Felony - 5 Years Imprisonment. Possession of a gun
with an obliterated serial number is itself a Federal felony punishable
by 5 years imprisonment. Law enforcement should keep this in mind
when debriefing individuals found in possession of guns with obliterated
serial numbers.
TABLE
14
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2–8
Multiple Sales
Multiple
Sales Behind 22 Percent of Traced Handguns.
National Tracing Center processing of multiple sales report data, with
the potential for use in combination with the Firearms Tracing System,
was implemented in late 1998. This is the first year ATF has been able
to provide specific data on handguns recovered in crime that were first
sold in multiple sales. For all 32 cities combined, multiple sales handguns
accounted for 22 percent (525) of all handguns first sold at retail
in 1999 and traced in 1999 (2,378).
Link
Between Multiple Sales and Obliteration. Among all traced
handguns, those originally purchased in multiple sales transactions
were particularly likely to have obliterated serial numbers. Multiple
sales handguns made up 51 percent (18) of all traced handguns with obliterated
serial numbers that were first sold at retail in 1999 and were the subject
of a trace request that same year (35). This means that, among handguns
both sold and traced in 1999, those recovered and traced with obliterated
serial numbers were 2.3 times as likely to have been from a multiple
sale (51 percent) as were all handguns together (22 percent). Additional
attention will be given to this issue as more data on multiple sales
and better data on obliteration becomes available.