Popular Guns

[Edsel]

Does anybody know where I can find a list of the most commonly encountered guns. I am looking for lists that tell what guns are commonly used by street gangs. Another good list to find would be what the most common (in terms of numbers sold) guns in the US. I have been googling for this but I haven't had much luck.

[Remjin]

Re: Popular Guns

 

Try the various gun banning sites, they usually have some weirdo skewed stats on that. Also, in the recent maxim, they listed some for Camden, NJ, and they show some stats... here they are:

 

252 crime guns confiscated in 2003-4

 

Most popular guns, in order: S&W 9mm semiautomatic pistol (they don't give a model), Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol, Harrington and Richardson .32 revolver, Intratec 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

 

In my limited experience and reading, criminals end up with guns that are either relatively cheap or most stolen, which reflect the local populace. I've been in areas where the Beretta 92 was common (which is more a reflection of what is stolen), Glocks in various calibers are popular, as well as small automatics in .22, .25, .32, .380.

 

As for popular purchases in general, the most popular gun is usually whatever the military and police are carrying most. Since the Beretta 92 went into service with the military, a lot of those have been sold, though that popularity is waining. A LOT of people who own handguns own a Beretta, Glock, Smith & Wesson pistol or revolver, and Ruger pistols and revolvers. Afficiandos are big on the 1911A1, and a lot of those are in circulation from the 95 years its been in service.. including abroad. 9mm is by far the most popular round, with .40 S&W following, then the .45 ACP for pistols. .38 special, then .357 magnum, then .44 magnum in revolvers, I think, with the .38 special being the most popular round (and most people shooting .38 special out of a .357 pistol since dedicated .38 special pistols are becoming less prevalent except in small J-frame sized pistols). As a whole, gangsters specifically, are such horrible shots and use such horrible form, the high capacity 9mm is their best bet. =) There are actually police who would love to have shooting classes for gangsters so they won't hit so many bystanders. This is, of course, in jest mostly, but it makes the point.

 

The super-cheap guns are not exactly the best, nor all that popular. Ruger is popular with both legal and illegal use because they're rugged and significantly cheaper due to their use of superior casting techniques. The same goes for their revolvers, which are also very strong and also somewhat cheaper.

 

yes, I read too many gun mags... but hope this helps somewhat.

 

Some possible sources: NRA, packing.org, Handgun Control, Inc., Brady (as in the bill), and any gun banning organization will have lots of stats, but not accurate, as they tend to use very skewed studies using faulty analytic methods, which will also be somewhat true of the NRA as well.

 

Check out John Lott and his books, which have a lot of statistical data in which he actually tells you how he got it. He has like 3 or 4 books on the subject. He's the guy who did research for the UN, I believe, to prove how guns create violence and his actual findings went against that, thus they fired him and found someone to find what they wanted by altering the samplings to select areas.

 

Also try the BATFE and the Department of Justice, which have both put out varying sets of stats, statements, and findings.

 

Hope that all helps, as disjointed as it all is. =)

[Yansuf]

Re: Popular Guns

 

If you mean in the current era, street gangs have gotten many military grade weapons. In the US these are generally smuggled in, with some stolen from the govenment. In many other countries they are generally bought from crooked government (military or police) supply officials or smuggled in.

The drug gangs (and most street gangs are in the drug business these days) commonly have SMGs, usually in 9x19mm (or 9mm Lugar as it is usually called in the US) together with limited numbers of military grade assault rifles, such as the AK47 and M16. Note the semi-auto civilian versions are almost never used by drug dealers or street gangs. Some use semi-auto 12 gauge shot guns, but this is unusual in street gangs, they seem to prefer the SMGs. Generally they use "spray and pray" techniques, which almost always lose against trained shooters (US army has found this out).

For sidearms most of the drug and street gangs seem to favor 9mm (9x19) semiautos, but I don't think any one brand is favored. Of course, for game purposes the only real difference between most of them is how many rounds in the magazine.

[Pavanne]

Re: Popular Guns

 

Side issue, but you might find helpful Edsel.

 

What I've been told is: world-wide, the most manufactured and sold round is the .22LR. Second-most is the 9mm 'Parabellum'.

 

Everything else is way, way back in the race. Nothing else is manufactured and sold at even one-third the amount of the 'Parabellum'.

 

This is hearsay, and I don't swear to the accuracy.

[Remjin]

Re: Popular Guns

 

In regards to SMGs and AKs and the like, actually, they don't often own the military grade arms in the US. Those are just too hard to come by, while semi-automatic versions are widely sold and distributed. Those are then illegally converted to allow for fully automatic use. Most fully automatic guns found on the street are this way. This one I can say from experience because I knew one of the people who modified these weapons regularly. This was from the detroit area, may be different in your area. This is specifically for America, though. Yansuf is speaking more to worldwide, I believe, where the AK-47 in military trim seems to grow on trees. :bmf:

 

Shotgun use is usually of the pump variety due to cost and maintenance issues. A gas system requires the user to know something about the weapon to be able to clean its gas system.

 

Its a popularization that actual military grade weapons are available to street gangs in the US. In reality, only the powerful and resourceful crime elements are able to get those as their use is so restricted. When you're dealing with gangs that are limited to city blocks and not geographical regions, at least.

 

In regards to rounds, .22 LR is made in massive quantities as they are used in competition, for recreation, and in some countries are the only rounds available to civilians for use in shooting clubs and the like.

 

The 9mm parabellum is a standard across the world, the designated round for most military service sidearms of the world, thus its widespread availability.

 

Again, check with the BATFE and the Department of Justice, they actually publish studies on this exact sort of thing, but those will mostly be valid for the USA only. =)

 

In regards to abroad.. I haven't the faintest clue outside of what I've seen in the news... don't get me started on my disgust with the media.

[Edsel]

Re: Popular Guns

 

All of this has been fairly useful information. What I am trying to do with this is come up with a table to randomly arm street gang members and other opponents for my Dark Champions game. Thus far the Glock 17 has been the generic pistol I arm most of them with. I also wrote up the stats for the Raven Arms MP25 since a lot of gangbangers want relatively cheap and easy to conceal gun.

I have the S&W M5906 and the M&P 9 stated out as well, perhaps I need to make them a bit more common with the street thugs. I'll have to do a write-up for the Harrington and Richardson .32 revolver, I find that to be a little surprising. I'll have to add the Intratec 9mm as well.

[Ephelides]

Re: Popular Guns

 

Again' date=' check with the BATFE[/quote']

 

Hey, when did they change their name?

 

So, subtracting the B and insisting on "ATF" didn't stop people from calling them BATF***ers. Now they are trying to change the end instead of the beginning.

 

Won't work. Fact, I bet people are gonna call 'em BATFEckers.

[Vassoom]

Re: Popular Guns

 

All of this has been fairly useful information. What I am trying to do with this is come up with a table to randomly arm street gang members and other opponents for my Dark Champions game. Thus far the Glock 17 has been the generic pistol I arm most of them with. I also wrote up the stats for the Raven Arms MP25 since a lot of gangbangers want relatively cheap and easy to conceal gun.

 

I have the S&W M5906 and the M&P 9 stated out as well, perhaps I need to make them a bit more common with the street thugs. I'll have to do a write-up for the Harrington and Richardson .32 revolver, I find that to be a little surprising. I'll have to add the Intratec 9mm as well.

I did some searching of my own on this subject, and found a couple of interesting tables courtesy of the Violence Policy Center.

 

Although the two articles are dated and as a result the data is fairly stale, they nonetheless seem to indicate that "cheap" and "small" (easily concealable, plus more "affordable" ammo in the small calibers, I presume) appear to be the key factors among weapon types for your typical street thug. If true, that would seem to lend credence to the idea that the small "pocket pistols" (or "pocket rockets") are probably some of the more common handguns used by your typical street punks, with brands such as Bryco Arms (producer of both Jennings and Bryco branded pistols), Davis Industries, and Raven Arms being added to the more well-known Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger & Co. names.

 

The VPC attempts to explain this trend in their article:

"Bryco's rise to number one is the culmination of a trend that began in the late 1980s. By 1990 three of the top six pistol manufacturers in America were Saturday Night Special manufacturers. Its ascension reveals that not only has the market switched from six-shot revolvers to higher-capacity pistols, but is now dominated by inexpensive, low-quality Saturday Night Specials. Up until the early 1980s, the handgun of choice for law-abiding citizens, law enforcement, and criminals alike was the six-shot .38 revolver. In 1980 pistols accounted for 32 percent of the 2.3 million handguns produced in America. The majority were revolvers. By 1991 this number had reversed itself with pistols accounting for 75 percent of the 1.8 million handguns produced that year.

 

With an estimated manufacturing cost as low as $13 per unit and wholesale prices that start at $35, Jennings family pistols have become a favorite of criminal gun traffickers and gained a cache in the inner cities. In crime-gun traces Jennings-produced handguns have increasingly turned up in the hands of criminals and illegal gun traffickers.

 

With the increasing popularity of 9mm pistols, Bryco has begun manufacturing compact, inexpensive versions of these more powerful handguns. In 1993 the company began marketing a low-cost 13-shot 9mm pistol known as the Jennings Model 59. With a dealer cost of $80, it is expected that the Model 59 will herald a new generation of more deadly Saturday Night Specials."

It would appear, then, if this admittedly biased article is to be believed, that the higher end/"fashionable" brands such as Beretta, Glock, H&K, and Sigs are probably not going to be all that "common" amongst your typical street thugs.

 

Rather than try to paste in their tables, here are the links:

http://www.vpc.org/press/9309sns.htm

http://www.vpc.org/studies/pockintr.htm

 

Also of interest is the Wikipedia article on "Saturday Night Specials" which details all of the LA-area gunmakers Bryco Arms, Jimenez Arms, Jennings Firearms, Raven Arms, and Phoenix Arms:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_night_special

 

Hope this helps a little.

 

- Vassoom

[Dog Soldier]

Re: Popular Guns

 

You have to realize that to a typical gang banger a firearm is a commodity. It represents x amount of crack or y amount of booze. Carrying a weapon when they don't intend to use it is of no interest. So, cheap gun means more money for important stuff like booze and drugs. Being cheaper means that it can be more readily traded for booze and drugs.

[RDU Neil]

Re: Popular Guns

 

Interesting... Wikipedia kind of goes against the "cheap gun" idea... bolded parts my doing.

 

Safety and criminal use statistics

The term "Saturday night special" is often used disparagingly to emphasize the perceived lesser quality of the gun or, for political reasons relating to gun politics, to imply easy availability to those who are legally prevented from owning firearms, such as convicted criminals and minors. The term is used to allude that the only reason for the manufacture of such a gun is for use in crime; in fact, studies show that criminals prefer high-quality guns, in the largest caliber they can easily conceal. Research has shown that most criminals prefer guns that are easily concealable, large caliber, and well made (Guns Used in Crime: Firearms, Crime, and Criminal Justice--Selected Findings July 1995, NCJ-148201).[13], [14]

 

Most guns used in violent crimes are large caliber revolvers, although semiautomatics are becoming more common. The choice in guns, and the change from revolvers to semiautomatics, mirrors the choice in defensive weapons made by police and the legal civilian market. Many criminals, a majority in the case of juvenile criminals, obtained their guns through theft, or through a known fence selling stolen guns [15] This makes the issue of the original cost of the guns wholly (in the case of stolen guns) or largely (in the case of fenced guns) irrelevant.

 

Despite the inexpensive manufacture of "Saturday night specials", they are manufactured to certain quality standards to ensure they are not dangerous when used correctly (any firearm can be lethal if misused). Firearms sold in most countries are required to pass certain safety tests, particularly a proof test. A proof test consists of firing a special high pressure round, which far exceeds the SAAMI pressure maximum for the round (see internal ballistics). However, the United States Government does not require firearm manufacturers in the United States to proof test their barrels, although most do, simply to avoid product liability issues. If there is any weakness in the firearm, then the high pressure round should damage or destroy the firearm; if it passes the proof test, then it is considered "proof" that the firearm's design has safe operating margins. Some "Saturday night specials" do, however, have reliability issues.

 

[Remjin]

Re: Popular Guns

 

BATFE is Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The latter was added within the last year I think to expand their scope.

[Yansuf]

Re: Popular Guns

 

BATFE is Bureau of Alcohol' date=' Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The latter was added within the last year I think to expand their scope.[/quote']

 

Their purview has included explosives for many years, even though it wasn't in the name.

[Yansuf]

Re: Popular Guns

 

In regards to SMGs and AKs and the like, actually, they don't often own the military grade arms in the US. Those are just too hard to come by, while semi-automatic versions are widely sold and distributed. Those are then illegally converted to allow for fully automatic use. Most fully automatic guns found on the street are this way. This one I can say from experience because I knew one of the people who modified these weapons regularly. This was from the detroit area, may be different in your area. This is specifically for America, though. Yansuf is speaking more to worldwide, I believe, where the AK-47 in military trim seems to grow on trees. :bmf:

 

Shotgun use is usually of the pump variety due to cost and maintenance issues. A gas system requires the user to know something about the weapon to be able to clean its gas system.

 

Its a popularization that actual military grade weapons are available to street gangs in the US. In reality, only the powerful and resourceful crime elements are able to get those as their use is so restricted. When you're dealing with gangs that are limited to city blocks and not geographical regions, at least.

 

In regards to rounds, .22 LR is made in massive quantities as they are used in competition, for recreation, and in some countries are the only rounds available to civilians for use in shooting clubs and the like.

 

The 9mm parabellum is a standard across the world, the designated round for most military service sidearms of the world, thus its widespread availability.

 

Again, check with the BATFE and the Department of Justice, they actually publish studies on this exact sort of thing, but those will mostly be valid for the USA only. =)

 

In regards to abroad.. I haven't the faintest clue outside of what I've seen in the news... don't get me started on my disgust with the media.

 

My info is that most automatic weapons used by criminals in the US are stolen from the government, or smuggled in. That may not be true in Mich, but studies that I have seen (sorry, I cannot cite them right now) show most drug gangs smuggle weapons in with the drugs.

 

During the political arguments about the "assault weapon" ban, various groups tried to show that legal semi-auto weapons were converted and ussed for crime, they couldn't find a statistically significant number that were.

 

I will do some checking and see if I can find the cites.

[Remjin]

Re: Popular Guns

 

My info is that most automatic weapons used by criminals in the US are stolen from the government, or smuggled in. That may not be true in Mich, but studies that I have seen (sorry, I cannot cite them right now) show most drug gangs smuggle weapons in with the drugs.

 

During the political arguments about the "assault weapon" ban, various groups tried to show that legal semi-auto weapons were converted and ussed for crime, they couldn't find a statistically significant number that were.

 

I will do some checking and see if I can find the cites.

 

Hmmm... you don't have to if you don't want. I'm not so utterly convinced of it that I'd argue with you about it. I was just saying from what I saw, not from any studies, so if you have an actual study and facts and stuff, I'll defer to you on that.

 

Honestly, I have heard a lot in news and seen some of it... the whole "converted weapon" thing. Everything from using a bunch of rubber bands to keep the sear from engaging to actual metalwork. However, if guys are really getting smuggled automatic weapons in... wow.

 

I found the "assault weapons ban" ridiculous, personally, since they touted it as banning fully automatic weapons when in fact they just banned semi-automatic ones that "looked mean." Fully automatic weapons had been banned since... sheesh... early 1900s sometime, I can't remember. The current movement is to make descriptions of banned items that sound like part of "assault weapons" (again, only cosmetic things) but with definitions so vague as to apply to nearly anything. An example is the definition of a "pistol grip" that basically describes anything you put your hand on. =)

 

Now, while I don't agree with people who want to ban guns, I wish the fight could at least be made honestly without all the lies, statistical manipulation, selective fact recognition, and all that... from both sides. At least that way people could make informed decisions based on what they believe rather than ignorant ones based on lies. I'm not sure why I just typed that, my apologies for taking such a tangent. =)

 

Politics can get so volatile, so my apologies if this was seen as such an argument. It is not my intent.

[Yansuf]

Re: Popular Guns

 

I found the "assault weapons ban" ridiculous, personally, since they touted it as banning fully automatic weapons when in fact they just banned semi-automatic ones that "looked mean." Fully automatic weapons had been banned since... sheesh... early 1900s sometime, I can't remember. The current movement is to make descriptions of banned items that sound like part of "assault weapons" (again, only cosmetic things) but with definitions so vague as to apply to nearly anything. An example is the definition of a "pistol grip" that basically describes anything you put your hand on. =)

 

Machine Guns (legal term for fully automatic weapons) were restricted by the firearms act of 1933. Until then they were completely legal in the US.

[Ephelides]

Re: Popular Guns

 

BATFE is Bureau of Alcohol' date=' Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The latter was added within the last year I think to expand their scope.[/quote']

 

Oh, I knew who BATFE is, I looked it up.

 

I was talking about the name change, and how it just shrieks "Hi, this is a chunk of Public Relations nonsense!!"

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Popular Guns

 

Well, you can just BATFEckoff, for all I care!

 

I just don't know that I can work that into a regular conversation.

[gewing]

Re: Popular Guns

 

Try the various gun banning sites, they usually have some weirdo skewed stats on that. Also, in the recent maxim, they listed some for Camden, NJ, and they show some stats... here they are:

 

252 crime guns confiscated in 2003-4

 

Most popular guns, in order: S&W 9mm semiautomatic pistol (they don't give a model), Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol, Harrington and Richardson .32 revolver, Intratec 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

 

In my limited experience and reading, criminals end up with guns that are either relatively cheap or most stolen, which reflect the local populace. I've been in areas where the Beretta 92 was common (which is more a reflection of what is stolen), Glocks in various calibers are popular, as well as small automatics in .22, .25, .32, .380.

 

As for popular purchases in general, the most popular gun is usually whatever the military and police are carrying most. Since the Beretta 92 went into service with the military, a lot of those have been sold, though that popularity is waining. A LOT of people who own handguns own a Beretta, Glock, Smith & Wesson pistol or revolver, and Ruger pistols and revolvers. Afficiandos are big on the 1911A1, and a lot of those are in circulation from the 95 years its been in service.. including abroad. 9mm is by far the most popular round, with .40 S&W following, then the .45 ACP for pistols. .38 special, then .357 magnum, then .44 magnum in revolvers, I think, with the .38 special being the most popular round (and most people shooting .38 special out of a .357 pistol since dedicated .38 special pistols are becoming less prevalent except in small J-frame sized pistols). As a whole, gangsters specifically, are such horrible shots and use such horrible form, the high capacity 9mm is their best bet. =) There are actually police who would love to have shooting classes for gangsters so they won't hit so many bystanders. This is, of course, in jest mostly, but it makes the point.

 

The super-cheap guns are not exactly the best, nor all that popular. Ruger is popular with both legal and illegal use because they're rugged and significantly cheaper due to their use of superior casting techniques. The same goes for their revolvers, which are also very strong and also somewhat cheaper.

 

yes, I read too many gun mags... but hope this helps somewhat.

 

Some possible sources: NRA, packing.org, Handgun Control, Inc., Brady (as in the bill), and any gun banning organization will have lots of stats, but not accurate, as they tend to use very skewed studies using faulty analytic methods, which will also be somewhat true of the NRA as well.

 

Check out John Lott and his books, which have a lot of statistical data in which he actually tells you how he got it. He has like 3 or 4 books on the subject. He's the guy who did research for the UN, I believe, to prove how guns create violence and his actual findings went against that, thus they fired him and found someone to find what they wanted by altering the samplings to select areas.

 

Also try the BATFE and the Department of Justice, which have both put out varying sets of stats, statements, and findings.

 

Hope that all helps, as disjointed as it all is. =)

 

 

 

Raven and lorcin .25 and .32 pistols used to be super common, the Raven could be had for $50 in the 80s, brand new.

 

It was worth about $10.

[gewing]

Re: Popular Guns

 

In regards to SMGs and AKs and the like, actually, they don't often own the military grade arms in the US. Those are just too hard to come by, while semi-automatic versions are widely sold and distributed. Those are then illegally converted to allow for fully automatic use. Most fully automatic guns found on the street are this way. This one I can say from experience because I knew one of the people who modified these weapons regularly. This was from the detroit area, may be different in your area. This is specifically for America, though. Yansuf is speaking more to worldwide, I believe, where the AK-47 in military trim seems to grow on trees. :bmf:

 

Shotgun use is usually of the pump variety due to cost and maintenance issues. A gas system requires the user to know something about the weapon to be able to clean its gas system.

 

Its a popularization that actual military grade weapons are available to street gangs in the US. In reality, only the powerful and resourceful crime elements are able to get those as their use is so restricted. When you're dealing with gangs that are limited to city blocks and not geographical regions, at least.

 

In regards to rounds, .22 LR is made in massive quantities as they are used in competition, for recreation, and in some countries are the only rounds available to civilians for use in shooting clubs and the like.

 

The 9mm parabellum is a standard across the world, the designated round for most military service sidearms of the world, thus its widespread availability.

 

Again, check with the BATFE and the Department of Justice, they actually publish studies on this exact sort of thing, but those will mostly be valid for the USA only. =)

 

In regards to abroad.. I haven't the faintest clue outside of what I've seen in the news... don't get me started on my disgust with the media.

 

 

true, actual military weapons are very rare in criminal hands in the US. The periodic weapon from the Vietnam era or earlier, but not too many.

 

Now if Customs hadn't intercepted that Chinese cargo container of AK 47s that was apparently headed for the LA gangs...

[gewing]

Re: Popular Guns

 

Hmmm... you don't have to if you don't want. I'm not so utterly convinced of it that I'd argue with you about it. I was just saying from what I saw, not from any studies, so if you have an actual study and facts and stuff, I'll defer to you on that.

 

Honestly, I have heard a lot in news and seen some of it... the whole "converted weapon" thing. Everything from using a bunch of rubber bands to keep the sear from engaging to actual metalwork. However, if guys are really getting smuggled automatic weapons in... wow.

 

I found the "assault weapons ban" ridiculous, personally, since they touted it as banning fully automatic weapons when in fact they just banned semi-automatic ones that "looked mean." Fully automatic weapons had been banned since... sheesh... early 1900s sometime, I can't remember. The current movement is to make descriptions of banned items that sound like part of "assault weapons" (again, only cosmetic things) but with definitions so vague as to apply to nearly anything. An example is the definition of a "pistol grip" that basically describes anything you put your hand on. =)

 

Now, while I don't agree with people who want to ban guns, I wish the fight could at least be made honestly without all the lies, statistical manipulation, selective fact recognition, and all that... from both sides. At least that way people could make informed decisions based on what they believe rather than ignorant ones based on lies. I'm not sure why I just typed that, my apologies for taking such a tangent. =)

 

Politics can get so volatile, so my apologies if this was seen as such an argument. It is not my intent.

 

 

 

IIRC the first major gun control act was in 1933. I believe prior to that the "dominator" version of the BAR had some sales to both police departments and individuals. the tommy gun was a poor second best:eg:

 

 

the Gun Control Act of 1968 put most of the limitations in place, I believe.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Popular Guns

 

true, actual military weapons are very rare in criminal hands in the US. The periodic weapon from the Vietnam era or earlier, but not too many.

 

Now if Customs hadn't intercepted that Chinese cargo container of AK 47s that was apparently headed for the LA gangs...

 

And consider that the inspection rate for international cargo containers is something like 8% and wonder how many have made their way here already.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Re: Popular Guns

 

And consider that the inspection rate for international cargo containers is something like 8% and wonder how many have made their way here already.

 

While that rate of inspection is probably lower than is prudent, it is very likely targeted inspections and of the 8% it is much more likely that is where the smuggled goods are going to be.

 

They still should do more inspections.

 

TB

[Remjin]

Re: Popular Guns

 

wow.... that's really scarey. I remember hearing in the news that port authorities receive the least money for security though they suspect they need a lot.

 

I'd like to think that automatic weapons aren't a common cargo, but then again I don't have that much faith in human nature, either.

 

What's the point? Most of these guys can't shoot their own foot on purpose. Spray and pray at its worst... *sigh*

[Dog Soldier]

Re: Popular Guns

 

The typical gangsta is not looking for a fight. Things like the Miami Shootout or the North Hollywood Shootout are carried out by professional criminals going for a high stakes, high risk payoff where they know that they'll likely be encountering armed and trained opponents.

 

North Hollywood Shootout assesment

 

Miami Shootout assesment

 

Just putting those up for a general reference but also to show that such things are in fact a bit of a rarity. You have a couple of incidents in which the proffesional criminals are equiped like the mythical gangsta from the media and they get special notice and names for the events.

[Toadmaster]

Re: Popular Guns

 

My experience with gang type shootings when I worked on an ambulance in the 90's was primarily small caliber crap guns, .22, .25, .32 etc the only powerful weapons encountered was the SKS which is pretty cheap itself. This is strictly personal expereince I can't back it up with actual studies.

I do remember seeing a top 10 list many years ago with the most common handguns used in crime, .38 special led the list followed by a variety of small low powered rounds, most of the rounds the typical PC would want were near the bottom if at all, 9mm was near the bottom.

 

Keep in mind many criminals steal their weapons and they tend to steal in the areas they live, areas where people don't have much money so the cheap handguns are common.

 

Autoweapons were still moderately easy to legally buy until the mid 80's, the buyer had to pay a licensing fee ($200 per year as I recall) and under go a detailed FBI background, this was part of the 1930's law. In the mid 80's it became illegal to import new autoweapons and even some parts. You can still buy autoweapons as described above but the supply is dwindling. Many states (like California, pretty much a d'uh if you know the state) have added stricter laws banning autoweapons, I know Arizona and Nevada still allow their ownership.

 

At the time the law from the 80's passed there had only been 1 case of a legal autoweapon being used in a crime and that was by a law enforcement officer so like many gun laws was more flash and little value.