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Gun traces
As is usual, after ATF releases its gun trace data for the previous year, Brady Center denounces a bunch of States because guns first sold in them have been traced elsewhere. (The purpose is to create the impression that criminals zip over to those States to buy guns and return. Nevermind that traced guns are not the same as crime guns, and that the average lag between first sale and trace is over ten years, meaning that a lot of purchasers -- burglars who stole a gun from them -- will have moved).
Here's PBS picking up Brady's pitch in relation to West Virginia: "On a per capita basis, West Virginia exports the second highest number of guns involved in crimes in the country."
But looking a the ATF tracing date for guns recovered in West Virginia, it looks as if West Virginia has traced guns flooding into it. 37 from Ohio, 27 from Pennsylvania, 9 from Maryland. Not to mention two from New Jersey, the same from California, and one from D.C. About a quarter of West Virginia traced guns came from other States. And while West Virginia traced two guns from California, traced none that came from WV.
Now, we can conclude that West Virginia criminals evade its gun laws by buying in laxly controlled areas such as California and New Jersey. Or was can conclude that in a mobile society, over a period of ten years enough people move to account for some guns tracing to first retail sale in a different State.
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Logical and well thought out. Another arrow in the quiver.
Best regards,
Albert A Rasch
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ATF tracing date for guns recovered in West Virginia, it looks as if West Virginia has traced guns flooding into it. 37 from Ohio, 27 from Pennsylvania, 9 from Maryland. Not to mention two from New Jersey, the same from California, and one from D.C. About a quarter of West Virginia traced guns came from other States.
I conclude that if that's flooded in regard to guns....My house is flooded! Can I get FEMA money? I'm drowning in guns here!
The old saying goes: "Figures don't lie, but liars can figure."
I'm a little confused... Per your link, the ATF reports the TOP 15 states that California traces guns to, not ALL of the states. How do you know that West Virginia didn't fall into the BOTTOM 35 states for California ATF traces?
Or, one may conclude that because of the poor BATFE records-keeping, and because of the lack of timeliness of the statistics, that the yearly gun-trace stats prove nothing and are worthless on their face.
If the BATFE had an ounce of sense at their leadership, they would cease keeping these worthless stats, which contribute only to the idea that the BATFE is unreliable.
What with the various Mexican and Venezuela gun canards, and these yearly canards, one might properly conclude that ALL these stats are canards.
Cecile is correct. Only the top 15 are listed. West Virginia is most likely among them (15 + 34 = 49 so only one state is not a source in California) However, for California, I find it interesting that Guam and Puerto Rico are mentioned as part of the other sources. Guam and Puerto Rico!
Gun tracing data is nearly worthless....Why?
My company has only had two firearms traced.
One of them was "traced" three times! Twice after ATF recovered the STOLEN firearm....When it was supposed to be in the ATF evidence vault.
It makes one wonder how it grew legs and found it's way half way across the country, to be recovered again.
Put more bluntly: Somebody went shopping for a gun to sell in the ATF evidence vault. Who has access?
Until somebody does a qualified audit of the National Tracing Center data it can't be trusted.
Len Savage
Your argument is too subtle for those deafened from their own screaming.
"GUNS! THERE'S GUNS IN WEST VIRGINIA! THEIR GUNS ARE IN NEW YORK!! BE VERY AFRAID!!!"