"While gun-related violence is an important public health concern, to date there has been no complete, accurate set of data about handgun commerce in the state," said Garen Wintemute, professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine and director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis. "As we continue to gather these data in future years, we will be able to detect patterns in how and where handguns are sold that might help state and local officials prevent gun-related violence and crime."
The UC Davis researchers compiled the data using 1999 records of handgun sales and denied sales in California -- data that few states collect, according to Wintemute. Under a 1991 law, California requires that every transfer of a handgun go through a licensed dealer. While private individuals can sell guns at a gun show, they must go through a licensed dealer to file the necessary paperwork. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms collects data on the number of guns manufactured and guns involved in crimes, but not on handgun commerce, he added.
Based on these comprehensive data, the results show that:
- More than 157,000 adult Californians purchased a total of 235,875 handguns in 1999. This figure represents about 1 percent of the adults in the state. About one in four purchasers bought multiple handguns.
- While most guns were sold in urban areas, the highest per-capita sales occurred in rural areas. More than 50,000 handguns -- more than one in five sold in California -- were sold in Los Angeles County in 1999. However, rural Shasta County ranked highest in per capita sales, with 33.4 sales per 1,000 people.
- Seventy percent of handguns sold in California were pistols, defined as semi-automatic weapons carrying six to 10 rounds or more. Nearly half (45.4 percent) of the handguns sold were large-caliber (.357 to .50).
- Handgun buyers are overwhelmingly male. Adult males bought more than 92 percent of handguns sold in California in 1999.
- Weapons from nearly 650 manufacturers were sold in California -- but just 20 companies accounted for 83.8 percent of all sales. Eleven of these companies are based in the United States, including three from California. Imports accounted for about 40 percent of medium- and large-caliber guns.
- A relatively small group of retailers sells the majority of handguns. About 5 percent of gun dealers and pawnbrokers accounted for more than 57 percent of all handguns sold.
- Denial rates vary widely among retailers. Among the retailers selling the most handguns, denial rates ranged from as few as 0.3 per 100 sold to 5.4 for every 100 sold. Overall, about 1 percent of sales are denied due to background checks, according to the study.
The federal Gun Control Act of 1968 and subsequent amendments prohibit the purchase of guns by felons, fugitives, narcotics addicts, individuals ruled to be mentally ill, illegal aliens, persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes and those subject to restraining orders related to domestic violence. It is illegal for individuals younger than 21 years old to purchase handguns.
Because California has used background checks since the 1970s, criminals with felony convictions frequently seek black-market weapons, said Wintemute. Yet denial of weapons purchases continues to play an important role in deterring crime, he said. For instance, a 1991 California law prohibits the purchase of handguns by individuals convicted of violent misdemeanors such as assault or brandishing a weapon. A 2001 study authored by Wintemute and colleagues concludes that the law has resulted in a decreased risk of arrest for violent crimes by these individuals.
This research was supported with a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.