NCJ Number
89449
Editor(s)
T Draper
Date Published
1981
Length
192 pages
Annotation
Articles in this volume present a broad overview of the gun control controversy and its history, discuss individual attitudes toward gun control, examine gun control legislation, and explore how authorities can enforce gun control laws.
Abstract
Several articles deal with the prevalence of guns in society, their easy availability, and the combatants in the battle over their regulation. U.S. gun and related crime statistics are compared to those in other nations, procontrol and anticontrol groups and Government agencies are noted, and the history of a single handgun is traced from its manufacture to its use in crime. One article examines gun manufacturers, their part in gun proliferation, and their resistance to stricter Government regulation. A gun 'flea market' is also described. Attitudes on gun control and gun prohibition in different parts of the country are examined in several articles, and Senator Edward Kennedy answers questions about his S. 1936 handgun bill. Two articles show the difficulty of passing Federal gun legislation, while others discuss the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968 and New York State's gun law. The final section on enforcement focuses on Massachusetts' gun law, gun laws and gun collectors, the futility of prohibiting guns, and a victimless crimes analysis. About 90 references are listed.