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« Gun Rights Policy Conference this month | Main | Armed defenders put a dent in Milwaukee robbery rate »

In a search for continued relevance...

Posted by David Hardy · 5 September 2014 02:33 PM

Brady Campaign, in a desperate quest for continued relevance, announces it will protest "bad apple" licensed dealers. "Bad apples" are to be measured by the raw number of BATF traces tracing guns back to them.

Now...

1. Licensed dealers can sell only after the buyer passes a background check (and their first target is in Illinois, where the buyer must pass another check and get a Firearms Owner ID Card as well). So it stands to reason that the targeted FFLs are not selling to criminals. More likely, to legit buyers who had their guns stolen by criminals (the trace still goes back to the dealer who made the sale, not to the thief).

2. Traces are not the same as guns used in crime. BATF encourages police to trace every gun that comes into their possession, including, for example, guns recovered from a gun burglar.

3. Brady is using only raw numbers, not percentages of sales. If traces are randomly distributed among dealers, the largest dealers in the area will have the most traces. Just as, in my city, if cars used in drive-by shootings were traces, the biggest numbers would come from the 2-3-4 biggest auto dealers in town, and very few from the more numerous dealers with 20-30 used cars on their lot. (The city has likewise 2-3 major gun dealers, about 5 medium ones, and probably dozens of small ones, Back when getting a license was simple, it probably had hundreds.).

But why worry, so long as it generates some media coverage and maybe adds a few members to a a foundering organization.

· antigun groups

5 Comments | Leave a comment

Frank Masotti | September 5, 2014 4:13 PM | Reply

"Bad apples" to them seems like anyone who is actually doing their jobs and selling firearms. I guess anyone legally selling firearms are "bad apples"?

Flighterdoc | September 5, 2014 4:22 PM | Reply

Sounds like a great opportunity for a tortuous interference lawsuit. Of course, IANAL

Miguel | September 5, 2014 5:42 PM | Reply

Why is Brady recycling this thing? They did it in the 90s and it went nowhere. In fact they tried to shame a local gun store with an article in the Miami Herald ignoring the name of the store which may have been a bog clue: Lou's Police Supply.
The reporter called Lou's for a comment and got a hearty "go **** yourself."
The store is a favorite hangout for police officers and more than one cop gets some extra income working part time sales during the busy season. Everybody knew this except Brady and the Miami Herald...

Eric | September 6, 2014 8:21 AM | Reply

Yes, Frank, you hit the nail on the head.

Since the real objective is shutting down all gun dealers, the fact that the high volume dealers get smeared by brady's "methodology" is a feature, not a bug.

Anonymous | September 12, 2014 5:43 AM | Reply

How many of the traces are multiples of the same firearm?

As an FFL I had one firearm "traced" three times:

Once when recovered (stolen from a gun shop break in).

Once more about a year later.

Once more 15 minutes before the ATF returned it to it's owner. (total span of 18 months from the first)

I asked an ATF agent and was given a surprising answer. I was told there are many guns that get traced multiple times...Policy is to trace it just before destruction or release to it's owner for one.

Divide the total number by half or one third and you get a better "real number". Of that number it's still not confirmed "crime guns".

I challenge them to qualify and quantify their numbers.

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