illegal trade of weapon

Question
hello,

i'd like to know what is the most traded kind of weapon (illegaly) among criminals all over the U.S.A and all over the U.K.

i'd also like to know in which one of those reminded countries are there tighter codes regarding illegal trade of weapon.

thank you,
inbal  

Answer
Firearms in the UK are more strictly regulated than in the US.  As I understand it, in the UK, you need a special permit for each individual weapon purchased, and any weapons you own must be stored on the premises of a shooting club.  Unfortunately, this hasn't had a positive effect on the UK's crime rate.    

In 1998, a study conducted by a British professor and a U.S. statistician found that most crime is now worse in England than in the United States.  "You are more likely to be mugged in England than in the United States," stated the Reuters news agency in summarizing the study that was published by the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ).  

"The rate of robbery is now 1.4 times higher in England and Wales than in the United States, and the British burglary rate is nearly double America's."

The murder rate in the United States is higher than in England, but according to the DOJ study, "the difference between the [murder rates in the] two countries has narrowed over the past 16 years."  (Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, "Crime in England and Wales, 1998).

As for "unlawfully traded" weapons, I assume by this question you mean the weapon used most in the comission of a crime.  I can't speak for the UK, because I don't have reliable statistics for that country.

However, in the US, there have been extensive studies on this.  According to the National Safety Council and the FBI, the weapon most likely to be used in a violent crime is the knife.  FBI Uniform Crime Report data supports this.

I checked with the ATF for information about illegal sales of firearms.  I could not find much data on the types of firearms, except for NFA weapons.

NFA Weapons include machine guns, silencers, and sawed-off shotguns.  According to the ATF, in 2001, 15% of traced guns were NFA weapons or items.  

I hope this is useful.  For more information on this, I'd suggest contacting the ATF in the US, or the Home Office in the UK.