In 2011, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence ranked Massachusetts as the third most stringent state when it comes to gun legislation. Gun legislation was further tightened in August when Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed more gun control measures into law. However, gun violence in Massachusetts remains a significant problem.
The most recent FBI data shows that 56.46 percent of murders that occurred in Massachusetts in 2010 were attributed to firearms. A study by Bindu Kalesan, assistant professor at Columbia University, found that although Massachusetts gun ownership dropped between 2000 and 2010, the number of violent deaths and murders increased during that same time.
With online marketplaces growing in popularity, illegally purchased guns – also known as “straw-purchased” guns – continue to pose problems for Massachusetts.
Debora Seifert, special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), said along with federally licensed firearms dealers and gun shows, personal sales rank among one of the most popular ways to purchase guns in Massachusetts.
“Unregulated markets, especially in neighboring states and online, are the source of many of the guns that are used to commit crimes in Massachusetts,” said David Rosenbloom, professor of health policy and management at the Boston University School of Public Health. “As a matter of public health and safety, gun purchases from anyone other than a licensed gun dealer who complies with state and federal identification laws should be banned. Online gun markets are a threat to public safety.”
As of Tuesday, the Facebook group titled “Online Gun(s) for Sale or Trade” boasted 1,114 members. The group, designed to facilitate auctions, sales and trades of guns, hunting accessories and outdoor equipment, states only three rules: “1. Always put your location and price in your post,” “2. Be respectful of other members” and “3. HAVE FUN.”
Another Facebook group designed for gun transactions titled “Gun Traders Gadsden” had 463 members as of Tuesday and stated no laws to participate in gun transactions in the group description.
But the group “Guns For Sale Cheap $400 Or Less Nationwide,” with a membership of 9,840 as of Tuesday, features a notice from Facebook in its group description: “Any time we receive a report on Facebook about a post promoting the private sale of a commonly regulated item, we will send a message to that person reminding him or her to comply with relevant laws and regulations.”
It also goes on to say that the group will not sell to those younger than 18 and that they won’t allow the sale of “regulated items that indicate a willingness to evade or help others evade the law.”
Though Facebook had announced in March that it would regulate gun sales on its website, some groups remain untouched.
Reddit has been another haven for those looking to purchase firearms online. On the site, an expansive thread titled “Guns for Sale” had 10,956 traders as of Tuesday. Users denote their intentions by indicating whether they want to sell, buy, trade or perform a price check. Though a disclaimer asking users to comply with laws is displayed, Reddit itself claims that it is not responsible for ensuring that users understand compliance. As of Monday, there were 27 live transactions on Reddit for Massachusetts.
On Instagram, the hashtag #gunforsale generated 362 posts as of Wednesday, and #forsalegun yielded 38 posts. While a disclaimer about regulations for the sale of firearms appears for #gunforsale, no disclaimer appears for #forsalegun.
The black market for firearms is a difficult one to regulate, Seifert said.
“ATF faces numerous challenges when conducting trafficking investigations to include identifying straw purchasers,” Seifert said. “No one can state with any accuracy the total number of firearms that are straw purchased [or] trafficked because these violations often go undetected by law enforcement and the industry.”
Seifert said a standard ATF firearm trafficking investigation employs an evidence-based approach.
“The cornerstone of any ATF firearms trafficking investigation is an intelligence-driven approach that ultimately disrupts and dismantles firearms trafficking organizations and networks responsible for supplying violent offenders with crime guns,” she said. “Gathering of intelligence involves lengthy investigations, a cadre of informants, sharing of information with other agencies and tracing of as many crime guns as possible.”
While the black market for firearms remains largely unregulated, licensed gun retailers have felt some changes in how business is conducted, said Ted Oven, owner of Northeast Trading Company, a firearms and sporting goods store located in Attleboro.
“Well, there are more restrictions,” Oven said. “Prices are going up. Ammunition is becoming harder to get and more expensive. So all of that impacts the gun industry.”
Northeast Trading Company, which carries major brands Smith & Wesson, Beretta, PARA, SIG Sauer, Ruger and Walther Arms, has some of the best price rates in Massachusetts, Oven said. In addition to selling products, Northeast Trading Company offers firearm safety training courses for $109.
Because the Northeast Trading Company attracts customers across the state, Oven said, he is not considering moving his business online.
“All sales are walk-in,” he said. “A handgun has to be sold to a person directly. It doesn’t go by mail, unless it was to another dealer. Then that incurs an added cost, so most people would prefer to come in and buy them directly. For selling guns, I don’t think there’s any advantages [to selling online] except you see a broader audience. But guns can’t be sold that way. If you advertise online, the gun would have to be sent to a dealer in the state to which the gun is being sold to.”
Though Oven expressed concern over weapons falling into the wrong hands, he said he is not willing to adopt “smart gun” technology. A smart gun can only be fired by its owner, a feature advocates say could save lives.
“That [smart gun technology] is a ridiculous technology. Number one, it is not proven,” he said. “Even the cheapest one is $1,800, which is unreasonable for most people. And if something happens – let’s say you are a police officer and you have a smart gun and you get hurt and you give it to your partner. What good is it if it won’t go off?”
Oven said there is no market for smart guns among gun retailers, adding that major companies will not produce smart guns.
“What they really should do is go after criminals, because crime and criminal activity do not occur between licensed gun owners in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” he said. “That’s already been proven 100 times over, throughout the country actually. Crimes come from criminals, and what they need to do is go after criminals, not lock them up and put them back on the street a day later.”
A 2013 study of mass shootings in the United States from 1982 to 2012 conducted by Mother Jones found that a majority of weapons used in shootings had been legally purchased.
Additionally, Massachusetts is in close proximity to Maine and New Hampshire, two states where it is easier to purchase firearms legally. According to ATF, 133 guns used in crimes in Massachusetts originated from New Hampshire, while 79 originated from Maine.
With different methods of skirting strict Massachusetts gun laws, obtaining a gun is not immensely difficult, said Nermeen Tahoun, first-year graduate student at BU’s School of Social Work.
“It’s no surprise to me that social media is used as a way of purchasing guns on the black market,” Tahoun said. “It’s just another avenue for them to get it. If you are going to access it illegally, you are going to access it regardless of how you do it.”
Horrible article. Online sales still need to be sent through a FFL after a deal is reached. There is not some large online black market of guns where you can buy whatever you want without a background check. And quoting Mother Jones? Really? They have been caught making up numbers in pretty much every study they do. This article is nothing but pure bias pushing disguised as “factual” reporting.
I am distressed that you wrote this article in a manner tying facebook gun groups, Instagram, Reddit and so on to the black market. You quote a BATEF source in your article. Did that source not explain what a black market or straw purchase was?
I must disagree with your comment in your article here.
“With different methods of skirting strict Massachusetts gun laws, obtaining a gun is not immensely
difficult, said Nermeen Tahoun, first-year graduate student at BU’s School of Social Work.
“It’s no surprise to me that social media is used as a way of purchasing guns on the black market,” Tahoun
said. “It’s just another avenue for them to get it. If you are going to access it illegally, you are going to
access it regardless of how you do it.””
Your interview with this student, shows the way you presented the information is biased. NONE of the ways you listed, beyond a straw man purchase are black market! Your students comment however shows the most common sense in this article. “If you are going to access it illegally, you are going to access it regardless of how you do it.”
Nothing in your article explains that the sites you quoted are legal. They are legal.
Nothing in your article explains how the tie in to legal activities makes the black market more active.
If someone on Reddit in MA wants to buy a gun from NH, if they do not go through and use a licensed dealer, it is illegal.
Now from the MA website, here is an interesting links for information.
*** NOTE: MA lumps firearms charges in with aggravated assault!
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/law-enforce-and-cj/crime-stats-rsrch/rsrch-policy-anal/relevant-pubs/
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/eops/analysis-of-ma-related-offenses-between-2006-and-2008.pdf
Please research this and present a better argument and have facts to back up your graphics. Your graphic is very misleading to the point of irresponsible.
“Black Market” implies something illegal, nothing illegal is going on. As has already been stated, all purchases must be sent first to an FFL (Federal Firearms Licensed dealer), whereupon all of the I.D’s and background checks are performed, same as going to an FFL and buying directly from them, except the firearm is shipped to the FFL from out of state (from another FFL) instead of arriving from Smith & Wesson directly.
You seem to be implying that this “black market” is completely unregulated, it isn’t. ATF would have long ago shut theses sites down if they were any form or source of violence or illegal actions, where it is actually a source for law abiding and responsible gun owners to legally buy, sell, trade, and converse about firearms. Gun owners aren’t criminals. We follow the rules. Mostly because we like to stay out of jail, and, enjoy legally owning our firearms. Another fantastic example of blind ignorance. Do a little real research first…..
“… found that although Massachusetts gun ownership dropped between 2000 and 2010, the number of violent deaths and murders increased during that same time.”
So you’re saying that because less guns were bought (legally), violent crime was increased?
Do you even know what you are trying to say? Regardless, correlation =/= causation. It’s quite ironic that the “Daily FREE Press” seems opposed to the amendment following (and ultimately upholding) the one allowing you to publish this article.
I’m sorry, but before I go any further into just how absurd this article is I have to point out that the statement: “While the black market for firearms remains largely unregulated” is possibly the most outlandish and unintelligent statement I have ever read. First off firearm sales over Facebook and other internet sales do not count as a black market because they still have to be done to the adherence of federal firearms law. Second if a black market was regulated it would, by definition, not be a black market. So the entire premise of your article, that Internet sales form some kind of black market, is false. The fact that the author wrote this, and I assume some form of editor read it as well, and both of you saw nothing wrong with publishing it is the primary reason that fact based, unbiased journalism is dying in this country. The article is filled with menacing trigger words and phrases that it serves no purpose but to incite fear into the readers. History has proven that making something illegal and banning its sale, ownership, and use will not only fail but lead to the kind of unlicensed black market you imagine already exists. Prohibition of Alcohol and the War on Drugs are proof. If you think that doing the same thing with guns will end up any different do some research into Gun Control in Mexico. They have much stricter gun control laws than the United States but their rates of gun violence, fueled by illegal guns bought on the black market with drug money, is greater than the United States by several orders of magnitude. Instead of believing that the problems is the firearms why don’t we focus more on the people who use them to do harm? Your article does nothing to invoke thought on possible solutions it only seeks to throw gasoline on the fire of fear.
You keep using the term ‘black market’. I don’t think that term means what you think it means. Private firearm transactions are legal in this country. Buying something legally using a venue that is legal does not make it a ‘loophole’ or a ‘black market’ because it’s not supervised by the government.
A straw purchase or nominee purchase is any purchase wherein an agent agrees to acquire a good or service for someone who is unable or unwilling to purchase the good or service himself, and the agent transfers the goods/services to that person after purchasing them. Straw purchases are legal except in cases where the ultimate receiver of goods or services uses those goods or services in the commission of a crime with the prior knowledge of the straw purchaser, or if (depending on recent rulings of the USSC) the ultimate possessor is not legally able to purchase the goods/services.
A straw purchase firearm, is buying a firearm for someone you know or believe can not own a firearm legally. This does not apply to private sales unless sold on NOT good faith. Straw sales can even happen with a FFL dealer or a private seller, there’s reasons it’s a felony.
Ms Deng, you might want to read up the federal laws first then get a lawyer to actually understand it. Or follow an actual store throughout the week with processing a firearms sale (tracking a private transfer, FFL to FFL, sale to customers, denied transfer, how over the internet purchases work, etc).
I believe you’ve confused the term “black market” with “second hand market”, or do you refer to Ebay and Craigslist as black markets?
“although Massachusetts gun ownership dropped between 2000 and 2010, the number of violent deaths and murders increased during that same time.”
So what your saying is gun control doesn’t work??? Thanks for agreeing with every gun owner ever, we have been trying to tell you this for years.
Biased and uniformed garbage. The author clearly doesn’t even grasp the basics of firearms law in this country. Online firearms purchases don’t differ from in-store purchases.
Did she quote Mother Jones? Holy heck this is a hack job!
It is important to regulate gun dealings through online channels. Of course, oppositions to any regulations would cry foul. according to NRA, all markets are legit. Why not? Since the 2nd Amendment trumps any common sense of gun safety and tracing of gun movements–forget about gun registration, it is a no-go area. And the even more ridiculous argument goes like this: Look, some crimes were committed with legitimately obtained guns, why bother with any other channel of gun dealings? Free (gun) for all, and we will live in gun-toting nirvana.
Sam, Did you even read the article or any of the well thought out responses? I am sorry but you need facts and not supposition in your comment.
Ummmm, after “federally licensed firearms dealers and gun shows, personal sales rank among one of the most popular ways to purchase guns in Massachusetts” what other ways to sell a gun are there? You can either buy it from someone privately (a personal sale) or from a store (a firearm dealer), what’s the third way again? O wait, maybe it’s:
#5 a Derringer (also the fifth most deadly gun in the USA!)
David: what facts that you have that I have not seen? Please show them, and don’t make a claim that you have the facts but I don’t. Facts are only in one place. Which argument you disagree with? Let me remind you, your MA report was 2008, which was 6 years ago, before Sandy Hook, and before all these events highlighting the needs for traceable gun transactions.
Just because something is sold online doesn’t mean it’s a black market. You are completely ignorant of the subject matter.