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June 12, 1996, Vol 275, No. 22 >
ARTICLE | June 12, 1996

Effects of Limiting Handgun Purchases on Interstate Transfer of Firearms FREE

Douglas S. Weil, ScD; Rebecca C. Knox, MPH, MSW
[+] Author Affiliations

Reprints: Douglas S. Weil, ScD, Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, 1225 I St NW, Suite 1100, Washington, DC 20005.


JAMA. 1996;275(22):1759-1761. doi:10.1001/jama.1996.03530460063033
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References

Objective.  —To determine the effect of limiting handgun purchases to 1 per month on the illegal movement of firearms across state lines.

Design.  —Data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms firearms trace database were obtained for traces requested for firearms recovered in connection with criminal investigations. The analysis incorporates data on date and location of purchase for 14606 firearms purchased prior to (September 1989 through June 1993) and after (July 1993 through March 1995) enactment of a Virginia law limiting handgun purchases to 1 per month.

Main Outcome Measures.  —Odds of tracing a firearm acquired prior to implementation of the law to Virginia vs another state in the Southeast compared with the odds for firearms acquired after the law took effect.

Results.  —For firearms recovered anywhere in the United States, 3201 (27%) of 11 876 acquired prior to the implementation of the law and 519 (19%) of 2730 purchased after the law was enacted were traced to Virginia (odds ratio [OR], 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.71). For traces initiated in the northeast corridor (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts), 1103 (34.8%) of 3169 of the firearms acquired before the 1-gun-a-month law took effect and 142 (15.5%) of 919 firearms purchased after implementation were traced to Virginia (OR, 0.34; CI, 0.28-0.41).

Conclusion.  —Gun control policies involving licensing, registration, and restricting the number of purchases represent efforts to limit the supply of guns available in the illegal market. This study provides evidence that restricting handgun purchases to 1 per month is an effective means of disrupting the illegal interstate transfer of firearms.(JAMA. 1996;275:1759-1761)

REFERENCES

1 +
Va Code Ann. §18.2-308.2:2(Q) (Michie 1994).
2 +
Larson E. Lethal Passage: How the Travels of a Single Handgun Expose the Roots of America's Gun Crisis . New York, NY: Crown Publishers Inc; 1994;:104.
3 +
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Project Lead. Memorandum to special agent in charge, NYPD: firearms/homicide statistics. June 16, 1992:1.
4 +
Edds M.  The pipeline to the streets of New York. Virginia-Pilot . (January 3) , 1993;:A9.
5 +
Montgomery B.  Guns bought in Georgia arm northern criminals. Atlanta Constitution . (October 11) , 1993;: A1, A4.
6 +
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Baltimore Police Dept. 1994 Baltimore Trace Study . Baltimore, Md: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; 1994;:Appendix X.
7 +
Freedman A.  Fire power: behind the cheap guns flooding the cities is a California family. Wall Street Journal . (February 28) , 1992;:A1, A6.
8 +
Centerwall BS.  Homicide and the prevalence of handguns. Am J Epidemiol . 1991;;134:1245-1260.
9 +
Sloan JH, Kellermann AL, Reay DT, et al.  Handgun regulations, crime, assault, and homicide: a tale of two cities. N Engl J Med . 1988;;319:1256-1262.
10 +
Sloan JH, Rivara FP, Reay DT, Ferris JA, Kellermann AL.  Firearm regulations and rates of suicide. N Engl J Med . 1990;;322:369-373.
11 +
Killias M.  International correlations between gun ownership and rates of homicide and suicide. Can Med Assoc J . 1993;;148:1721-1725.
12 +
Houser HB.  Invited commentary: common wisdom and plain truth. Am J Epidemiol . 1991;;134:1261— 1263.
13 +
Loftin C, McDowall D, Wiersema B, Coffey MS.  Effects of restrictive licensing of handguns on homicide and suicide in the District of Columbia. N Engl J Med . 1991;;325:1615-1620.
14 +
McDowall D, Loftin C, Wiersema B.  Easing concealed firearm laws: effects on homicide in three states. J Criminal Law Criminal . (Fall) 1995;;86:193-206.
15 +
Zawitz M. Firearms, Crime, and Criminal Justice: Guns Used in Crime: Bureau of Justice Statistics: Selected Findings . Washington, DC: US Dept of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; July 1995;:1.
16 +
Sheley JF, Wright JD. Gun Acquisition and Possession in Selected Juvenile Samples . Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; December 1993;:6. Research in Brief.
17 +
Beck A, Gilliard P, Greenfeld L, et al. Survey of State Prison Inmates, 1991 . Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; March 1993;:19.
18 +
New York Penal Law. §265.01, 265.20(f)(3) (McKinney 1989).
19 +
New York City, NY Code. §10-131.
20 +
Cal Penal Code. §12071(b)(3)(A) (West 1992).
21 +
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Sources of Crime Guns in Southern California . Los Angeles, Calif: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; April 1995;:21-22.

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1 +
Va Code Ann. §18.2-308.2:2(Q) (Michie 1994).
2 +
Larson E. Lethal Passage: How the Travels of a Single Handgun Expose the Roots of America's Gun Crisis . New York, NY: Crown Publishers Inc; 1994;:104.
3 +
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, Project Lead. Memorandum to special agent in charge, NYPD: firearms/homicide statistics. June 16, 1992:1.
4 +
Edds M.  The pipeline to the streets of New York. Virginia-Pilot . (January 3) , 1993;:A9.
5 +
Montgomery B.  Guns bought in Georgia arm northern criminals. Atlanta Constitution . (October 11) , 1993;: A1, A4.
6 +
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Baltimore Police Dept. 1994 Baltimore Trace Study . Baltimore, Md: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; 1994;:Appendix X.
7 +
Freedman A.  Fire power: behind the cheap guns flooding the cities is a California family. Wall Street Journal . (February 28) , 1992;:A1, A6.
8 +
Centerwall BS.  Homicide and the prevalence of handguns. Am J Epidemiol . 1991;;134:1245-1260.
9 +
Sloan JH, Kellermann AL, Reay DT, et al.  Handgun regulations, crime, assault, and homicide: a tale of two cities. N Engl J Med . 1988;;319:1256-1262.
10 +
Sloan JH, Rivara FP, Reay DT, Ferris JA, Kellermann AL.  Firearm regulations and rates of suicide. N Engl J Med . 1990;;322:369-373.
11 +
Killias M.  International correlations between gun ownership and rates of homicide and suicide. Can Med Assoc J . 1993;;148:1721-1725.
12 +
Houser HB.  Invited commentary: common wisdom and plain truth. Am J Epidemiol . 1991;;134:1261— 1263.
13 +
Loftin C, McDowall D, Wiersema B, Coffey MS.  Effects of restrictive licensing of handguns on homicide and suicide in the District of Columbia. N Engl J Med . 1991;;325:1615-1620.
14 +
McDowall D, Loftin C, Wiersema B.  Easing concealed firearm laws: effects on homicide in three states. J Criminal Law Criminal . (Fall) 1995;;86:193-206.
15 +
Zawitz M. Firearms, Crime, and Criminal Justice: Guns Used in Crime: Bureau of Justice Statistics: Selected Findings . Washington, DC: US Dept of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; July 1995;:1.
16 +
Sheley JF, Wright JD. Gun Acquisition and Possession in Selected Juvenile Samples . Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; December 1993;:6. Research in Brief.
17 +
Beck A, Gilliard P, Greenfeld L, et al. Survey of State Prison Inmates, 1991 . Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; March 1993;:19.
18 +
New York Penal Law. §265.01, 265.20(f)(3) (McKinney 1989).
19 +
New York City, NY Code. §10-131.
20 +
Cal Penal Code. §12071(b)(3)(A) (West 1992).
21 +
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Sources of Crime Guns in Southern California . Los Angeles, Calif: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; April 1995;:21-22.

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