NCJ Number
96061
Date Published
1984
Length
35 pages
Annotation
An analysis of handgun control policy using a traditional market economics framework reveals that criminal demand is relatively insensitive to variations in price and the expected value of penalties for handgun ownership, while recreational demand is probably the most sensitive to these variations.
Abstract
Self-protection demand falls somewhere in the middle. The market model can be used with several variables, including elastic and inelastic demand and supply and the effects of price increase on demand for handguns; repair costs are also considered. The ability of 'supply side' controls (increased expected value of the penalty for handgun production and/or sale) to reduce the total quantity of handguns depends upon the effects of price and the responsiveness of demand to the change in price. Supply side controls cannot and should not be analyzed independently of demand side responses. The efficacy of demand side controls (increased expected value of penalties for handgun ownership or possession) depends upon the responsiveness of demand to this policy measure. It is likely that relative responsiveness to demand side penalties will be similar to the relative demand responsiveness to price. The efficacy of handgun control measures also depends on the speed with which increased handgun control efforts induce a new long-run equilibrium (with fewer handguns). A key element is the rate at which handguns fall into disrepair or rust. Tabular data, figures, 18 footnotes, and a table of symbols are provided.