The ATF, charged with policing the gun industry, lets dealers get away with falsifying records and selling firearms without background checks.
The programs, policies, and people driving positive change in America’s gun violence problem.
American lives, shaped by guns.
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Off Target
Some of the strictest federal penalties land on home-based sellers who fail to invest in sales tracking and security.
In a sweeping investigation, The Trace and USA TODAY found the federal agency charged with policing the gun industry let dealers get away with falsifying records and selling firearms without background checks.
The Business of Guns
Google, Facebook, and Etsy all facilitated sales of the accessories, which are the target of an executive action announced by Biden today.
ATF
The Boulder gunman had recently purchased an AR-556 with a stabilizing brace, an accessory that allows a category of firearms to evade strict federal regulations.
Extremism
Documents show that Palmetto State Armory has paid the firm Nelson Mullins to push the levers of power in D.C. — contradicting the hard-edged brand the company promotes to gun buyers.
The Industry
Breaking down the technology, the legality, and the ideology of a growing movement.
Ghost Guns
After major social media platforms cracked down, makers of largely unregulated firearms flocked to Keybase. Now they must find a new home.
After Jimenez Arms went into bankruptcy, the company’s owner tried to revive his gunmaking business under a different name. Now, plaintiffs are trying to compel the ATF to close it down for good.
Gun Policy
Several financial firms have cut ties with gun companies, but this unusual move might require them to change tack.
An opinion handed down in a Pennsylvania appeals court threatens a law that gunmakers have long used as a shield against wrongful-death suits.
Politics
Lawyers Mark and Patricia McCloskey won hundreds of thousands of dollars for clients injured by faulty handguns.
Facing multiple lawsuits, Jimenez Arms declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Now it's starting anew.
About 1.3 million guns were sold in April, according to seasonally adjusted estimates.
Coronavirus & Guns
Business has never been better for the gun industry. But store owners say they’re still struggling. “If you sell 50 guns but only can bring 25 in, it’s gonna catch up to you.”
Amid a tangle of factors, data analysts have found a correlation between recent, record-level gun purchases and intentional shootings.
