Easy targets

States that supply crime guns at the highest rates have comparatively weak gun laws.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns

The Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition and its Trace Data Center published a report which analyzes state-by-state 2006 and 2007 trace data released by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). According to the ATF:

Firearm tracing is the systematic tracking of firearms from manufacturer to purchaser for the purpose of aiding law enforcement officials in identifying suspects involved in criminal violations, establishing stolen status, and proving ownership.

Noting many states have enacted strong gun laws supplementing federal laws, the report's summary asks, "What is the relationship between a state’s gun regulations and the likelihood that it will be a source of guns recovered in out-of-state crimes?"

The key finding of this report is that states that supply crime guns at the highest rates have comparatively weak gun regulations. This association strongly suggests that gun traffickers favor these states as sources.

The Movement of Illegal Guns In America: The Link between Gun Laws and Interstate Trafficking (Dec 2008, pdf, 40pp/5.8MB)

Related material:

Regulating Guns in America - An Evaluation and Comparative Analysis of Federal, State and Selected Local Gun Laws
by Legal Community Against Violence (February 2008)