NCJ Number
81193
Journal
Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 72 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1981) Pages: 1735-1745
Date Published
1981
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article summarizes the policy debates regarding controls for 'Saturday Night Specials' and evaluates the evidence concerning the potential crime reduction effects of a ban on domestic sales of such guns.
Abstract
Proponents of a ban on these small, cheap handguns argue that such guns are of little value to noncriminals, and controls would produce substantial benefits without infringing on legitimate gun users. Laws which prohibit ownership of guns that have no legitimate use or are unsafe may be using meaningless definitions that are subject to many interpretations, while the sporting purposes test is inconsistent with public sentiment that the legitimate purpose of handgun ownership is protection of the home. The relative attractiveness to violent criminals standard, however, is appropriate for setting parameters for handgun control legislation. Since Saturday Night Specials are often used in assaults in poor neighborhoods by persons who cannot afford expensive guns, setting a high tax on handguns would be an effective means of restricting their availability. A more subtle approach would be establishing minimum standards regarding a gun's metal and safety features that would eliminate the cheapest of the domestically manufactured guns from the market. In addition to price, concealability is a characteristic of handguns that has a direct link to their use in crime. Most States have stringent ordinances regulating the carrying of concealed weapons, and surveys have suggested that many violent offenders carry weapons for self-protection rather than with the intent to commit a crime. Studies conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms in conjunction with Operation Concentrated Urban Enforcement in the mid-1970's found that a high percentage of small handguns with a barrel length of 3 inches or less were used in violent crimes. Price data indicated that about 40 percent of all handguns used in violent crimes sold for less than $50, but information for comparisons with all handguns in circulation was not available. These statistics and recent evaluations from the Bartley-Fox Amendment in Massachusetts support the contention that a ban on small handguns would reduce violent crime with little cost to legitimate users. Because of problems with price data, policymakers should focus on the issue of concealability in considering Saturday Night Special laws. The article includes 34 footnotes.