The attraction of Americans for firearms is undeniable. In the United States, arms manufacturers have produced more than 139 million for trade over the past twenty years (including 11.3 million for the year 2020), according to a report by the Department of Justice published on Tuesday 17 may.
Over the same period, 71 million firearms were imported, compared to only 7.5 million weapons exported – a sign of the number of weapons available in the country. The arms industry experienced a sudden expansion: in 2000, the country had 2,222 arms manufacturing companies in operation; in 2020, there are 16,963, according to the government study.
The annual production of firearms for commercial sale has also increased significantly, from 3.9 million in 2000 to 11.3 million firearms in 2020, peaking at 11.9 million in 2016.
Kit Weapons Rise
The document shows that while Americans have a preference for semi-automatic rifles (AR-15 type), used in many shootings, they mainly bought the 9mm semi-automatic pistol, considered cheap, accurate and easy to use and similar to the weapon used by police officers.
The authorities are also faced with an increase in so-called “ghost” weapons, kit weapons that can be made at home for a few hundred dollars and parts of which can be purchased online or produced by a 3D printer.
Unlike factory-produced guns, they do not have a serial number and, since they are not considered weapons throughout the sales process, do not require a gun license nor subject the buyer to a criminal and psychiatric background check. According to the report, in 2021, police recovered 19,344 so-called “ghost” weapons, compared to 1,758 in 2016.
In April, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, tightened the regulations concerning this type of weapon, with in particular the obligation for the dealers of such kits to carry out a background check on potential buyers or to include a serial number on the constituent parts.
“We can address the current surge in violence only if we have the best information available and use the most effective tools and studies to fuel our efforts”said the number two of the United States Department of Justice, Lisa Monaco, in a press release.
weekend of violence
The publication of this report comes as the weekend was marked by two shootings: one racist in Buffalo, New Yorkwhere ten African Americans were killed, and the other in Los Angeles, California, where one person was killed and five others were injured.
The number of gun deaths in the United States has increased “historical” in 2020, potentially caused by the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic and poverty, according to a report by US health authorities published last week.
The country thus counted 19,350 homicides in 2020, an increase of nearly 35% compared to 2019, and 24,245 suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). The homicide rate stood at 6.1 per 100,000 population in 2020 – this had not happened for over twenty-five years.