Firearms

The world’s biggest arms makers are scaling up production of rocket launchers, tanks and ammunition as the industry shifts to meet what executives expect to be sustained demand triggered by the war in Ukraine.The ramp-up is playing out in large measure in Europe, where a handful of long-established arms makers have grown accustomed to more modest, peacetime demand for their wares and are now trying to increase capacity to meet an expected crush of orders. Shares of many of these lesser-known international arms players,…

"I forgot."That's the number one reason Transportation Security Administration agents say they hear at airport security checkpoints when they catch a passenger with a firearm.Of the 5,832 firearms stopped so far this year, as of Monday, nearly 88% were loaded, according to the TSA. The total number is quickly catching up to last year's record of 5,972 – or approximately 17 guns a day.The news comes ahead of the busiest travel time of the year – when nearly 55 million Americans are estimated to be traveling this…

The families of victims of the Fourth of July mass shooting in Highland Park, Ill., are suing gun maker Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. for its alleged role in the attack that left seven dead and dozens injured.The civil lawsuits, filed Wednesday in Lake County Circuit Court, allege Smith & Wesson used deceptive and unfair marketing strategies that violate Illinois law and target “the risk-seeking—and often troubling—desires” of “disturbed young men.”  The gunmaker’s actions, the families…

The attorneys general said in a letter that the card companies’ plan could lead to the misuse of consumer data and wouldn’t protect the public. “Categorizing the constitutionally protected right to purchase firearms unfairly singles out law-abiding merchants and consumers alike,” their letter to the three companies says. The letter, a draft of which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, was sent Tuesday.…

Confiscated “ghost guns” are displayed before a news conference with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Attorney General Letitia James and others to announce a new lawsuit against “ghost gun” distributors on June 29, 2022 in New York City.Photo: Spencer Platt (Getty Images)New “Ghost Run” regulations set to take effect today could help close a half-century-old loophole that made guns developed using 3D printers or assembled with homemade parts essentially invisible to law enforcement.Under the new rules, commercial…

With new federal regulations set to take effect on so-called ghost guns next week, businesses that sell the untraceable firearms are racing to offload inventory.The new regulations from the Biden administration are set to take effect Wednesday and will substantially curb the proliferation of ghost guns by requiring those who sell them to abide by the same rules and regulations as traditional gun sellers in the U.S.The weapons are assembled from kits and do not carry serial numbers. Authorities say they attract criminals…

The investigation into the assassination of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe revealed on Sunday that the man behind the killing checked YouTube when making the firearm used in the attack, local media reported citing sources.According to the Japan Times, the investigative sources said that Tetsuya Yamagami, the gunman has stated that he tested a homemade gun at a facility connected to a religious group he harboured a grudge against. Yamagami said his mother made a "huge donation" to the organization, which he…

ProPublica: Analysis: despite claiming to reject gun ads, Google accepted ads from 15 top US firearms sellers between March 9 and June 6, generating over 120M impressions — ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they're published. ProPublica: Analysis: despite claiming to reject gun ads, Google accepted ads from 15 top US firearms sellers between March 9 and June 6, generating over 120M impressions …

In 2003, Donald Kennedy, then editor in chief of the journal Science, wrote an editorial called, “Forensic Science: Oxymoron?” He answered this question, in effect, “yes.” Unfortunately, the answer remains much the same today. Forensic experts continue to employ unproven techniques, and courts continue to accept their testimony largely unchecked. However, courts have recently begun to recognize the scientific limitations of one forensic field: firearms identification, in which an examiner visually compares fired bullets…

Credit: Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND Source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Americans have blamed many culprits, from mental illness to inadequate security, for the tragic mass shootings that are occurring with increasing frequency in schools, offices and theaters across the U.S. …