The Business of Guns

See why the gun show loophole is a big concern.

Gun Shows and Crime: A Close Connection The link between gun shows and crime is clear. About 14 percent of all ATF investigations involve gun shows and swap markets, with each investigation involving an average of 130 illegally sold guns, for a total of about 26,000 illegal firearms purchased and sold per year. A 1996 ATF investigation into an unlicensed firearms dealer (a convicted felon subject to a federal ban on owning firearms and ammunition) found that purchases at gun shows were common, with up to 1,000 guns bought and sold over several years. Two of the dealer’s guns later appeared at crime scenes, having been bought by members of a Mexican drug cartel. A 2000 study on gun crime by the ATF concluded that gun trafficking takes place at as many as a quarter of gun shows, most often in southwestern border states. What’s more, felons

The Business of Guns

54