MLM Directory

Impact of gun legislation on legal and illegal gun markets?

In particular, why are the prices and quantity traded of guns in legal markets decreasing? What may be happening as an extension, or secondary effect, in the illegal gun markets? Thanks for your insight and knowledge

Public Comments

1. I don't agree with gun possession in civilian society, except for certain members of security, the government, army and people-at-risk.
2. Without gun legislation there is no illegal gun market. There is probably a lot of gun acquisitions that we wish would not occur, but such acquisitions would not be illegal. As more people are legally prohibited from obtaining anything, the legal acquisition of that thing diminishes. With a diminishing demand the price would decline in the legal market. Some of the prohibition will be effective and overall acquisition will probably decline. Illegal acquisition will increase due to the inability to be entirely effective in constraining the acquisition of things.
3. The reason for the decrease in the gun market due to legislation is simple. We are a convenient society, as in convenient stores, and we don't like to wait when we want to purchase anything. So the legislation that puts a waiting period on purchasing a gun would have the same affect on the automobile industry if you had a waiting period on a car. You would find an alternate way to get what you want. So what does the average buyer do? They purchase or trade an equal valued item for a gun that they want from a friend, relative, or associate. This happens due to the fact that there are already millions of guns in the U.S. for sale or trade. As for the illegal market, legislation has no effect whatsoever. Criminals will get guns illegally by stealing them from a lawful citizens house and then use it for crime. Gun legislation only affects law abiding citizens because felons aren't allowed to buy guns. But the biggest effect that gun legislation has on the U.S. is that it devalues the Constitution of the U.S. and violates our 2nd Amendment rights. Let anyone do that to our 1st Amendment rights and you would see a revolution started by the free press.
4. My guess would be that there are both societal and economic factors decreasing the quantities demanded of firearms, and therefore the price. The big societal factors are first of all, that we have become more urbanized over the last century, and there is less demand for guns where activities like hunting are harder to do. I remember my grandfather, who lived in rural Kentucky, owned a number of rifles and shotguns. We owned a couple of rifles, and I learned to use guns as a kid, but now I don't own one. There is also the increasing view of guns as negative in society in general, prompted by school shootings, violent crime, and the increased publicity these get. Now that every crime is a national event, with days or weeks of coverage, people are much more aware of the dangers that guns pose, even if it is mostly in the hands of criminals and the mentally disturbed. 50 or 100 years ago, we might be aware of major incidents with guns, but now with the news channels filling up 24 hours a day with information, every murder or accident becomes a major news story that highlights the risks of firearms. The economic factors reducing the demand for guns ought to be fairly clear. With stricter gun laws and waiting periods for gun licenses, some of that demand is being channeled to other sources, including the illegal gun market. I believe overall demand for guns is down in the county, but as the "barriers to entry" for legal gun buyers has increased, some of the prosective buyers have turned to the illegal gun market. With fewer legal outlets for weapons, illegal purchases may have increased, at least as a portion of all guns sold. I haven't seen a lot of research on this topic, but my guess is that the total number of guns has remained flat or declined, but the number of guns purchased legally has decreased much more. I think any change in the illegal gun market is a result of changes in the legal gun markets.