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Well gee, ATF agent, the dog ate the paperwork . . .
http://www.thetrace.org/2016/03/missing-guns-ffl-arkansas/Rare Gun Store Inspection Casts Doubt on Government Tallies of Lost and Stolen Firearms
Arkansas doesn’t owe its distinction to a wave of gun store thefts. Nor did a cloud of carelessness settle over the Ozarks. Rather, the number of missing guns there shot up after ATF agents elected to inspect several of the state’s gun stores. A note on the report says, “audits in Arkansas resulted in a higher number of losses from this state.” Not just a little higher, either: The previous year, only 317 lost or stolen guns were reported there (comment: the audited number was 2,951).
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According to ATF spokesman Brian Garner, 98 percent of the missing Arkansas guns stemmed from a single unnamed dealer.
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Former ATF agent Jay Wachtel, who specialized in trafficking and studied the role licensed gun dealers play in supplying the black market, says that FFL inspections are often the result of crime gun traces. If a high number of traces of crime guns point back to a particular seller, then inspectors will follow up. When confronted by inspectors about missing weapons, the dealer has to declare whether the weapons were lost or stolen.
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And if a dealer is in fact crooked, “obviously they aren’t going to tell the inspector they were illegally selling guns,” Wachtel says. “They’ll say, ‘Oh my god, they must have been stolen!’”
Arkansas doesn’t owe its distinction to a wave of gun store thefts. Nor did a cloud of carelessness settle over the Ozarks. Rather, the number of missing guns there shot up after ATF agents elected to inspect several of the state’s gun stores. A note on the report says, “audits in Arkansas resulted in a higher number of losses from this state.” Not just a little higher, either: The previous year, only 317 lost or stolen guns were reported there (comment: the audited number was 2,951).
====
According to ATF spokesman Brian Garner, 98 percent of the missing Arkansas guns stemmed from a single unnamed dealer.
====
Former ATF agent Jay Wachtel, who specialized in trafficking and studied the role licensed gun dealers play in supplying the black market, says that FFL inspections are often the result of crime gun traces. If a high number of traces of crime guns point back to a particular seller, then inspectors will follow up. When confronted by inspectors about missing weapons, the dealer has to declare whether the weapons were lost or stolen.
====
And if a dealer is in fact crooked, “obviously they aren’t going to tell the inspector they were illegally selling guns,” Wachtel says. “They’ll say, ‘Oh my god, they must have been stolen!’”
According to the BATF&E 90% of traceable crime guns come from 5% of gun dealers (FFLs).
Why so many 'lost or stolen' guns from such a minority of dealers? It's because the markup on guns sold to prohibited persons is much higher than those sold to legal buyers. A $300 pistol will sell for twice that to a convicted felon. The problem arises with the federally required paperwork so instead of actually filing it as required the dealer just fails to actually fill it out and when caught simply says the gun was lost or stolen after the fact.
Another reason for 'lost and stolen' guns is gun running. A large % of traceable guns in the hands of Mexican drug rings come from the U.S. and again many of them come from a small % of gun dealers. If someone needs 20 AR 15 rifles the guns go out the back door and if the dealer is caught 'Oh my God, they were stolen and we don't know when!'
Thanks to the PLCAA it comes down to ATF said, seller said and intent can't be proven or the seller held accountable.
Most retailers can't survive such massive losses so I'm fairly sure that the guns generated income in some way, doncha' think?
The BATF&E underfunded, understaffed and perpetually without a director thanks to the wholly owned subsidiary of the NRA known as the Republican party.
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