Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 08:40:10 -0500 (EST)
From: [Maineiac 68] at [aol.com]
To: Multiple recipients of list <[n--b--n] at [mainstream.net]>
Subject: Re: Junk Guns

In a message dated 97-01-10 07:09:12 EST, you write:
<< Chief sponsor Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., described Saturday
 night specials as ``the cheap, unsafe and easily concealable
 handguns that are the criminals' clear favorite.'' >>

   According to the US Dept of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of
Justice Statistics' report titled "Guns Used in Crime: Firearms, Crime, and
Criminal Justice--Selected Findings" (NCJ-148201, July 1995) , we find that:
   *Surveys of inmates show that they prefer concealable, large-caliber guns.
      Research by Rossi and Wright in the 1980's found that most criminals
prefer guns that are easily concealable, large caliber, and well made. Their
studies also found that the handguns used by the felons interviewed were
similar to the handguns available to the general public except that the
criminals preferred larger caliber guns. (1)
   *Studies of the guns used in homicides show that large caliber revolvers
are the most frequent type of gun used in murders, but the amount of large
caliber semiautomatic guns used in murders is increasing.

(1) Wright, James D., and Peter H. Rossi, Armed and Considered Dangerous (New
York: Adline de Gruyter) 1983.


    Now, why do these Congresspersons make statements that have no basis in
fact, and are contrary to the conclusions reached in studies commissioned and
conducted by our own Dept of Justice? Could it be because the DoJ studies
don't reach the desired conclusions? I urge everyone to look over some of the
data available at the following web sites, and use it whenever half-truths,
lies by omission, and outright lies are told..

 <A HREF="http://www.amfire.com/">American Firearms Industry Home Page</A>
 <A HREF="http://www.usdoj.gov/topical.html">United States Department of Justi
ce Home Page</A> 
 <A HREF="http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/spectps.htm#guns">Bureau of Justice Sta
tistics Special Topics page</A> 

  Also, the full-length reports may be ordered free of charge from:
 <A HREF="http://www.ncjrs.org/cgi/bjspubs.cgi">BJS Publications Quick Order F
orm</A>