ATFE Theft/Loss Report for 2016

[Kirk Freeman]

Theft/Loss report for 2016 from FFLs.

What I find interesting is the number of lost guns to thefts. I would think many of the "lost" guns are stolen.

https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/docs/undefined/osii508fflthefts-lossescy16pdf/download

 

[indiucky]

That seems like a high number of machine guns stolen.....

 

[Kirk Freeman]

That seems like a high number of machine guns stolen.....

How so? Please elaborate.

 

[HoughMade]

Theft/Loss report for 2016 from FFLs.

What I find interesting is the number of lost guns to thefts. I would think many of the "lost" guns are stolen.

https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/docs/undefined/osii508fflthefts-lossescy16pdf/download

I agree. I would also think that any FFL with too many "losses" would be in the crosshairs of an investigation and in jeopardy of losing their license.

 

[indiucky]

How so? Please elaborate.

38 just seems like a lot.....I don't know what percentage of firearms out there are machine guns but it seems the folks that own them are pretty good and keeping them stored and safe...I was wondering whether a class III dealer may have had a burglary or something that year...I don't know...I just pulled the numbers and maybe it isn't that many after all....

How many machine guns are in the US?

In 1995 there were over 240,000 machine guns registered with the ATF. Approximately half of those are owned by law enforcement, and the other half are owned by private citizens. In the United States, there are 1,000 times more regular guns than there are machine guns.Dec 17, 2012

 

[gmcttr]

"Lost" guns make me suspect employee/owner theft or is this the category for items "lost" from the rail cars in Chicago, USPS shipments, etc?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

38 just seems like a lot.....I don't know what percentage of firearms out there are machine guns but it seems the folks that own them are pretty good and keeping them stored and safe...I was wondering whether a class III dealer may have had a burglary or something that year...I don't know...I just pulled the numbers and maybe it isn't that many after all....

How many machine guns are in the US?

In 1995 there were over 240,000 machine guns registered with the ATF. Approximately half of those are owned by law enforcement, and the other half are owned by private citizens. In the United States, there are 1,000 times more regular guns than there are machine guns.Dec 17, 2012

38 is nothing given the number of NFA/SOTs out there. Seems low to me. But I am no longer in the bidness.

There are 250K emma gees in a pool of 350M firearms. Machine guns (outside the service) constitute .0007% of the available stock.

 

[indiucky]

Reagan got released from the hospital....It's in all the papers......

 

[indiucky]

38 is nothing given the number of NFA/SOTs out there. Seems low to me. But I am no longer in the bidness.

There are 250K emma gees in a pool of 350M firearms. Machine guns (outside the service) constitute .0007% of the available stock.

Makes sense.....

 

[printcraft]

38 is nothing given the number of NFA/SOTs out there. Seems low to me. But I am no longer in the bidness.

There are 250K emma gees in a pool of 350M firearms. Machine guns (outside the service) constitute .0007% of the available stock.

Is there a distinction made between who is experiencing the bulk of these losses? Is it evenly distributed?

 

[Tula47]

"Lost" guns make me suspect employee/owner theft or is this the category for items "lost" from the rail cars in Chicago, USPS shipments, etc?

I would think you're right, I bet a good amount of the "losses" where from postal carriers. I also wonder how many end up returned?

 

[Hkindiana]

That seems like a high number of machine guns stolen.....

I knew a guy in Bloomington that had eight machine guns stolen out of his car. He went shooting in the morning and after he drove home he left them in the car while he went in his house for lunch. Presumably, someone followed him home & liberated the firearms while he ate. My point is that the "38" might not be INDIVIDUAL thefts, but could be three or four thefts where multiple machineguns were taken.

 

[Tula47]

Also I'm curious is they are transferable machine guns or were they like dealer samples.

 

[HoughMade]

Also I'm curious is they are transferable machine guns or were they like dealer samples.

Or law enforcement MGs.

 

[Tula47]

Or law enforcement MGs.

Right

 

[cosermann]

I didn't know we had FFL holders in places like Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

 

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

The island of Guam has a few gun ranges that cater to tourists from other countries, like Japan. There is a thread here somewhere here about it

 

[DoggyDaddy]

The island of Guam has a few gun ranges that cater to tourists from other countries, like Japan. There is a thread here somewhere here about it

Hopefully they're evenly distributed across the island. We wouldn't want it to tip over.

 

[Jim McKalip]

I can't help but wonder how many of the "lost" firearms were lost in "boating" accidents.

 

[rvb]

I agree. I would also think that any FFL with too many "losses" would be in the crosshairs of an investigation and in jeopardy of losing their license.

"Lost" can often mean a SN got transposed. Many good shops have been closed due to staff too sloppy with recording the correct data. I remember a couple good shops getting closed on the east cost when I lived out that way... papers and ATF statements made it sound so ominous, when really almost all their "lost" inventory came down to transposed #s on something like 0.1% of their transactions.

I always think of this when people talk about registries... Do you want your freedom to be based on some slacker either at a store or in the govt who can't enter data correctly, and suddenly big brother wants to know why you are "missing" SN#____...... or why you have gun # 123 when the books show you should have 132?

-rvb