cover image: Have U.S. Gun Buyback Programs Misfired?

Have U.S. Gun Buyback Programs Misfired?

6 Sep 2023

There are 1.2 guns for every person in the United States, and the total number of firearms in circulation is estimated to be over 393 million. Gun violence is the leading cause of death among young men aged 15–19, and firearms are involved in 51 percent of completed suicides and 73 percent of all homicides. The link between the supply of firearms and gun violence has been the subject of intense debate among policymakers and academics studying the economics of crime. To limit the supply of firearms in circulation, a number of U.S. cities have implemented gun buyback programs (GBPs). GBPs use public funds to purchase civilians’ privately owned firearms. We examined the effect of GBPs and found no evidence that they reduce gun crime.

Authors

Toshio Ferrazares, Joseph J. Sabia, D. Mark Anderson

Related Organizations

Published in
United States of America