Fewer 'crime guns' linked to licensed dealers (Eagle Tribune says)

[free]

Fewer 'crime guns' linked to licensed dealers

BOSTON -- Fewer guns involved in crimes and seized by Massachusetts police were originally sold legally by firearms dealers, according to new state data.

www.eagletribune.com

BOSTON -- Fewer guns involved in crimes and seized by Massachusetts police were originally sold legally by firearms dealers, according to new state data.

The state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security traced the origin of 177 of the 2,330 illegal guns taken off the streets by police in 2021 to the original sale by Massachusetts dealers.

A report by the agency shows the number of "crime guns" traced to local firearm dealers has been gradually decreasing since 2018, when 11.25% of the 1,946 weapons seized by police were reported lost or stolen. In 2021, about 7.6% of the 'crime guns' were traced to licensed dealers in the state.


More than 20% of the 'crime guns' seized by law enforcement between 2016 and 2021 were stolen or lost, according to the report. The origins of the remaining seized firearms were listed as "unknown" by authorities.

The agency's report identified dozens of businesses and the firearms they originally sold that were later tied to criminal activity.

At least 60 of the seized firearms were sold by Four Seasons, a Woburn-based gun and ammunition shop, the agency said. Another 17 firearms were sold by The Gun Parlor in Worcester, while 16 were sold by Guns Inc. in West Springfield.

Police are required to submit annual data on seizures of guns used in crimes as part of a 2014 law. The latest report — using local, state and federal firearms data — doesn't say what crimes were committed with the weapons or how the guns were recovered.

Nor does it show when the firearms were legally sold or how many people possessed them before they were confiscated by police.


State officials also acknowledge that the data does not reveal if the guns had been sold illegally or on a secondary market. Some may have been sold multiple times.

Gun control advocates have long claimed many illegal weapons come into Massachusetts from states with less-stringent gun-control laws, including New Hampshire and Maine. But the data show a sizable number are first sold in the state before finding their way into the hands of criminals.

Gun owners groups argue that the annual reports paint a misleading picture of the pipeline from legally purchased guns to crime and unfairly accuse legitimate retailers of contributing to criminal activity.

Overall, Massachusetts police agencies have reported 2,819 total firearms as lost or stolen to authorities from 2016 to 2021, including guns not used in crimes, according to the agency's report.

Locally, Haverhill police reported 17 firearms stolen in 2021.

Lynn reported 13, the report noted.

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at [email protected].

 

[slugworth]

It’s those damn ghosts again

 

[rudiewhitebwoy]

 

[appraiser]

Four Seasons must not be happy with the free publicity right now

As for The Gun Parlor they can GFT

 

[one-eyed Jack]

Maybe they should publish the names of the dealers where stolen cars originally came from? Jack.

 

[M1911]

Four Seasons is the largest gun shop in the state. So it is no surprise that of the guns confiscated in crimes that trace back to local dealers that the largest number would trace back to Four Seasons. The problem is that the anti-gun idiots then point at Four Seasons as if they are doing something bad. But they aren’t. Four Seasons scrupulously obeys the law. If John Q Public buys a gun legally at Four Seasons and then illegally sells it (or loses it or has it stolen or sells it to someone who then resells it…) there is nothing Four Seasons could have done to prevent that.

 

[cathouse01]

Saying Four

Four Seasons is the largest gun shop in the state. So it is no surprise that of the guns confiscated in crimes that trace back to local dealers that the largest number would trace back to Four Seasons. The problem is that the anti-gun idiots then point at Four Seasons as if they are doing something bad. But they aren’t. Four Seasons scrupulously obeys the law. If John Q Public buys a gun legally at Four Seasons and then illegally sells it (or loses it or has it stolen or sells it to someone who then resells it…) there is nothing Four Seasons could have done to prevent that.

Blaming Four Seasons is the same as blaming the F-Series for causing the most fatal car accidents, since it is involved in more of them then another passenger vehicle. Of course it is also the largest selling passenger vehicle.

It would be much more valuable to report the number of guns traced back to a dealer as the percentage of guns that that dealer sold.

 

[Glocklike tendencies]

also, the article does not say what a seized "gun crime" gun is, or how it was acquired by police. is it violent crime? a DUI involving a legal gun? an improper storage? revoked LTC? etc.

 

[alan226]

View attachment 639816

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[microwave900]

also, the article does not say what a seized "gun crime" gun is, or how it was acquired by police. is it violent crime? a DUI involving a legal gun? an improper storage? revoked LTC? etc.

Good point, even I fell for the propaganda and assumed these were all collected from hardened criminals. But “gun crime” encompasses so much harmless activity that is legal in other states.

 

[smokey-seven]

there is nothing Four Seasons could have done to prevent that.

And yet the feds are looking at allowing manufacturers to be sued for legally marketing firearms to FFL's. Chasing FFL's for legal transactions is the next slippery slope.

Gotdammit, why aren't they suing Ford or GM for drunk drivers?

 

[whacko]

Four Seasons is the largest gun shop in the state. So it is no surprise that of the guns confiscated in crimes that trace back to local dealers that the largest number would trace back to Four Seasons. The problem is that the anti-gun idiots then point at Four Seasons as if they are doing something bad. But they aren’t. Four Seasons scrupulously obeys the law. If John Q Public buys a gun legally at Four Seasons and then illegally sells it (or loses it or has it stolen or sells it to someone who then resells it…) there is nothing Four Seasons could have done to prevent that.

Your preaching to the choir. We all know that 4 seasons is a large volume dealer and simple math tells us they would be at the top of that list due to volume. No need to "defend" them on this forum.

That said.....its still a deli ticket emporium for skin flints.

 

[Mesatchornug]

Your preaching to the choir. We all know that 4 seasons is a large volume dealer and simple math tells us they would be at the top of that list due to volume. No need to "defend" them on this forum.

That said.....its still a deli ticket emporium for skin flints.

 

[MaverickNH]

“Gun control advocates have long claimed many illegal weapons come into Massachusetts from states with less-stringent gun-control laws, including New Hampshire and Maine. But the data show a sizable number are first sold in the state before finding their way into the hands of criminals.”

”…finding their way into the hands of criminals” just glosses over the tough Massachusetts laws broken by straw-buys, prohibited persons acquiring/possessing guns, theft of guns, etc., but shifts the blame to ‘less stringent gun laws" elsewhere. New Hampshire and Maine criminals are no more law-abiding than are Massachusetts criminals.

The “Iron Pipeline” is I395, I95, I93, I91, Rt3 and consists of criminals moving drugs, guns, tobacco, alcohol, etc., between MA and neighboring states. Focusing on guns rather than criminals is a losing strategy.

 

[MAGA99]

“Gun control advocates have long claimed many illegal weapons come into Massachusetts from states with less-stringent gun-control laws, including New Hampshire and Maine. But the data show a sizable number are first sold in the state before finding their way into the hands of criminals.”

”…finding their way into the hands of criminals” just glosses over the tough Massachusetts laws broken by straw-buys, prohibited persons acquiring/possessing guns, theft of guns, etc., but shifts the blame to ‘less stringent gun laws" elsewhere. New Hampshire and Maine criminals are no more law-abiding than are Massachusetts criminals.

The “Iron Pipeline” is I395, I95, I93, I91, Rt3 and consists of criminals moving drugs, guns, tobacco, alcohol, etc., between MA and neighboring states. Focusing on guns rather than criminals is a losing strategy.

But it’s worked so well so far!!

 

[Dennis in MA]

The origins of the remaining seized firearms were listed as "unknown" by authorities.

Hold up. The MAJORITY of the guns - they have no idea who owned them or sold them prior. Wow. Just wow. So this whole Charlotte-to-Springfield pipeline or whatever is BS? Hmmmm.