Measuring Civilian Defensive Firearm Use: A Methodological Experiment

Estimates of the incidence of victim gun use from the National CrimeVictimization Survey (NCVS) are consistently lower than are those fromother studies. To examine the divergence, we conducted a survey that gaugedthe impact of methodological differences between the NCVS and the otherstudies. For half of the sample, we asked questions from the NCVS, followedby questions from the other surveys. For the other half of the sample, wepresented the questions in the reverse order. We examined two hypotheses:(1) survey methods account for the divergent results, and (2) the questionscover unrelated activities. The results provided some support for the firsthypothesis, but respondents also reported many more defenses to thequestions from the other surveys than to the NCVS questions. Consistent withthe second hypothesis, this suggests that the NCVS and the other surveysmeasure responses to largely different provocations.     

The characteristics of head wounds inflicted by "humane killer" (captive-bolt gun)--a 15-year study

The "humane killer" or captive-bolt gun, is the tool/weapon widely used in meat industry and private farmer households for slaughtering animal stock. Out of 17,250 autopsies performed at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Novi Sad during the 15-year period (1991-2005), 29 cases of suicides and two homicides were committed by captive-bolt pistols. Wounds inflicted by captive-bolt guns have specific morphological features, distinctive from wounds made by other kinds of hand firearms. Selected features of the captive-bolt wounds (punched round entrance and a double pattern of smoke soiling) depend on distance and angle of instrument at the time of firing. Autopsy findings were compared with an experimental model consisting of 20 domestic pigs. Obtained results confirmed that the appearance of the entrance hole and soot deposits, along with differences in shape, location, extent, and density of soot blackening, could be useful in identification of weapon, direction of discharge, shooting distance, and angle of the muzzle to the frontal and sagittal planes of the head at the moment of fire.     

THE TRADE IN TOOLS: THE MARKET FOR ILLICIT GUNS IN HIGH‐RISK NETWORKS

Illegal guns circulating among high‐risk networks represent a threat to the security and well‐being of urban neighborhoods. Research findings reveal that illegal firearms are usually acquired through a variety of means, including theft and diversions from legitimate firearms commerce. Little is known, however, about the underground gun markets supplying the gang and drug networks responsible for a large share of gun violence in U.S. cities. In this article, we take a mixed‐methods approach, combining trace analyses of recovered handguns with ethnographic interviews of high‐risk gun users to develop new insights on the entry of guns into three criminal networks in Boston. We find that guns possessed by Boston gang members are of a different character compared with other crime guns; these guns are more likely to be older firearms originating from New Hampshire, Maine, and I‐95 southern states. The results of our qualitative research reveal that gang members and drug dealers pay inflated prices for handguns diverted by traffickers exploiting unregulated secondary market transactions, with significant premiums paid for high‐caliber semiautomatic pistols. Taken together, these findings provide an analytic portrait of the market for illicit guns among those most proximate to violence, yielding novel empirical, theoretical, and practical insights into the problem of criminal gun access.     

Determining an Optimal Sequence for Chemical Development of Latent Prints on Cartridge Casings and Shotgun Shells*,†

Abstract: In developing latent prints on cartridge casings and shotgun shells, multiple chemical processes should be used in order to obtain the best results. In Phase I, this study established an optimal chemical sequence for both Brass and Nickel cartridge casings based on six sequences involving four chemicals: Cyanoacrylate, Black Powder, Rhodamine 6G and Acidified Hydrogen Peroxide. Phase II was a validation study of Phase I involving a random sample of both Brass and Nickel cartridge casings, which were processed according to the determined optimal sequences. In addition, ribbed shotgun shells were processed under Phase I results and determined to be dependent upon the utilization of a CrimeScope at 515 nm. Consideration should be given to the type of cartridge case being examined. Although limitations exist, some chemical sequences undeniably work better than others. All photographs were manipulated with Adobe^® Photoshop^®. All results were verified by a senior latent print examiner.     

利用射击弹壳痕迹区分小口径枪支种类的探讨

介绍了小口径枪支的种类、性能特点,探讨通过射击弹壳痕迹区分制式、非制式枪的方法,重点分析了匕首枪、单管枪、双管枪、转轮枪等枪种的区分依据,研究了小口径枪弹壳痕迹在检验鉴定中的稳定性和变化规律.     

The Impact of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapon Ban on Gun Violence Outcomes: An Assessment of Multiple Outcome Measures and Some Lessons for Policy Evaluation

The Federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 bans a group of military-style semiautomatic firearms (i.e., assault weapons) and ammunition magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds. Ban advocates argue that these weapons are particularly dangerous because they facilitate the rapid firing of high numbers of shots. Though the banned guns and magazines were used in only a modest fraction of gun crimes before the law, it was hypothesized that a decrease in their use might reduce gunshot victimizations, particularly those involving multiple wounds and/or victims. In response to a Congressional mandate for an impact assessment of the law, this study utilized national and local data sources and a variety of analytical techniques to examine the ban's short-term impact on gun violence. The ban may have contributed to a reduction in gun homicides, but a statistical power analysis of our model indicated that any likely impact from the ban will be very difficult to detect statistically for several more years. We found no evidence of reductions in multiple-victim gun homicides or multiple-gunshot wound victimizations. The findings should be treated cautiously due to the methodological difficulties of making a short-term assessment of the ban and because the ban's long-term effects could differ from the short-term impacts revealed by this study.     

对丢失枪支不报罪客观方面的研究

行为人构成丢失枪支不报罪,客观上必须具备三个要素,即:丢失枪支的行为,这是构成本罪的前提条件;不及时报告的行为,即行为人在枪支丢失后没有及时报告,这是构成本罪的关键所在,是本罪刑法意义上的危害行为;造成严重后果,这是构成本罪的结果要件。     

枪弹种类对平纹织物上弹孔形态的影响研究

不同种制式枪弹的弹头形状和初速均不相同,对现场中平纹纺织品的终点效应也显现出不同的作用,从而使弹孔形态出现差别现象。文章结合理论分析和实验验证,剖析平纹纺织物上弹孔形态与弹头形状和初速的关系,比较不同种枪弹的弹孔形态差别,总结了平纹纺织物上弹孔形态与制式枪弹种类的相关性。     

警察使用枪支的刑法思考

警察使用枪支在刑法上的正当化事由应定位于法令的职务行为。据此，警察使用枪支在刑法上的正当化应同时具备事实要件、主观要件、限度要件，不当用抢的警察个人构成犯罪的，应承担相应的刑事责任，其中，责任的罪过形式应区分不同情形分别处理，而在责任的处罚程度上则一概不能从宽。