The role of the gun industry in America’s gun violence epidemic.
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The Industry
A Trace review shows that though some licenses were pulled for minor infractions, the majority of revocations followed serious violations.
The Business of Guns
In a new episode of “Reveal,” The Trace’s Alain Stephens reports on how law enforcement agencies routinely resell their used guns to buy new ones.
The court’s rollback of the 40-year-old precedent could dilute the power of federal agencies — including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The records provide new details about firearms smuggled out of the United States and set a precedent for increased public access to information about guns used in crimes.
Our investigation found that more than 52,000 police guns have been involved in crimes since 2006. Many of those weapons were resold by law enforcement agencies sworn to protect the public.
A new rule is designed to end years of ambiguity and allow law enforcement to crack down on unlicensed gun dealers.
The Gun Machine
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is supposed to regulate the gun industry. The seventh episode of The Gun Machine explores the gun lobby’s efforts to impede the agency.
ATF
The injunction is unlikely to prevent the ATF from enforcing the rule nationally after a grace period that ended May 31.
The documents included a list of manufacturers and distributors the agency planned to inspect, according to court records.
The legislation was prompted by a 2022 investigation by The Trace and VICE News.
Fully automatic weapons are highly regulated, but the agency has recovered a startling number of machine gun conversion devices in recent years.
Off Target
New data suggests inspectors have cracked down after the Biden administration asked the agency to implement a “zero tolerance” policy on lawbreaking gun dealers last June.
How We Fix This
Lawmakers are clamoring for action on auto sears. History leaves clues about what approach the agency might take.
Citing an investigation by The Trace and USA TODAY, federal lawmakers are requesting more detailed data on the agency's efforts to inspect and discipline lawbreaking gun dealers.
An internal report urged the ATF to open up its exclusive contract. Instead the contract was renewed, and several ATF officials went to work for the contractor.
