Myth: Waiting periods prevent rash crimes and reduce violent crime rates

Fact: The “time-to-crime” of a firearm ranges from one to 12 years, making it rare that a newly purchased firearm is used in a crime.¹

Fact: The national five-day waiting period under the Brady Bill had no impact on murder or robbery. In fact, there was a slight increase in rape and aggravated assault, indicating no effective suppression of certain violent crimes. Thus, for two crime categories, a possible effect was to delay law-abiding citizens from getting a gun for protection. The risks were greatest for crimes against women.²

Fact: Comparing homicide rates in 18 states that had waiting periods and background checks before the Brady bill, with rates in the 32 states that had no comparable laws, the difference in change of homicide rates was “insignificant”.³

This is an excerpt from “Gun Facts” by Guy Smith, available free from http://www.gunfacts.info