Presale Handgun Checks, 1997

• NCJ Number: 171130
• Author(s): D. A. Manson; D. K. Gilliard
• Date Published: June 1998
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Series: BJS Bulletins
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Type: Survey

Annotation

Data obtained from a sample of 268 chief law enforcement officers charged with determining eligibility to purchase a handgun showed about 69,000 out of an estimated 2,574,000 applications for the purchase of a handgun were rejected in 1997 due to presale background checks of potential purchasers.

Abstract

Provides a national estimate of handgun purchase applications, the number rejected, and the reasons for rejection. The project, conducted by the Regional Justice Information Service (REJIS) of St. Louis, Missouri, is an ongoing data collection effort focusing on the presale handgun checks in each State beginning January 1, 1996. From March 1, 1994 to yearend 1997, an estimated 10,356,000 applications for handgun purchases resulted in 242,000 rejections through background checks. During 1997 about 2,574,000 background checks of the potential handgun buyers prevented an estimated 69,000 purchases. The previous report, for 1996, was released in September 1997.