Handgun Control - Strategies, Enforcement and Effectiveness

DETAILED INFORMATION ON HANDGUN CONTROL LAWS WAS COLLECTED FROM LEGISLATIVE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT SOURCES IN ALL 50 STATES AND IN 30 LARGE U.S. CITIES. THIS INFORMATION WAS THEN USED TO ILLUSTRATE THE VARIETY OF STRATEGIES FOR LIMITING ACCESS TO HANDGUNS. THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES ARE EXAMINED: (1) FIREARM DEALER CONTROLS; (2) DEFINITION OF INELIGIBLE CLASSES; (3) ACQUISITION AND TRANSFER CONTROL MECHANISMS; (4) POSSESSION CONTROL MECHANISMS; (5) CARRYING PROVISIONS; (6) PENALTIES FOR USE OF FIREARMS IN CRIME; AND (7) PROHIBITIONS OR BANS OF CERTAIN HANDGUNS. FIRST, AN INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF THE STUDY EFFORT ARE PROVIDED, WITH ATTENTION TO THE NATURE OF THE GUN CONTROL PROBLEM AND GUN CONTROL RESEARCH. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY AN EXAMINATION AND DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARIES OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL HANDGUN CONTROL STRATEGIES WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON THE RANGE, TYPES, CHANGES, AND TRENDS IN GUN CONTROL IN THE 30 CITIES SELECTED FOR REVIEW. NEXT, TARGETS AND PROBLEMS IN ENFORCEMENT OF EXISTING GUN CONTROL STRATEGIES ARE IDENTIFIED AND DISCUSSED. FINALLY, A CRITIQUE OF SELECTED PAST RESEARCH AND CONCLUSIONS ARE PROVIDED. THE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT SIMILAR STRATEGIES DIFFER WIDELY IN SCOPE AND EFFECT, AND IN THE DEGREE TO WHICH THEY CAN BE ENFORCED. THIS FINDING IS DISCUSSED REGARDING THE VALIDITY OF RESEARCH THAT HAS ATTEMPTED TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HANDGUN CONTROLS IN CRIME REDUCTION. VARIOUS MATERIALS ARE APPENDED, INCLUDING TABLES RELATING TO EXISTING FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL HANDGUN CONTROL PROVISIONS, ASSORTED SALES RECORD FORMS, AND PURCHASE AND REGISTRATION FORMS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED -- KBL)