In 2018, there were about 393 million civilian guns in circulation in the U.S. An additional 4.5 million guns are held by the military, while law enforcement agencies have another 1.2 million, for a total of 398.7 million guns. This accounts for nearly half the world’s firearms, and makes America the most armed country on Earth. Nearly every gun in the United States begins as a legal gun, manufactured legally and initially sold by a federally licensed gun dealer to an individual who passes a federal background check. Each day, a firearm is stolen every 90 seconds - or nearly 380,000 guns stolen each year, many of which are later used to commit violent crimes. One survey reported an estimated 40,000 guns were stolen just from cars alone in 2021. It is generally accepted that theft is an important source of guns for youth and criminals.
Proposed Legislation: H.R.4423 - Gun Theft Prevention Act (117th Congress 2021-2022)
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Joseph Morelle (NY)
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