In 2011, the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence ranked Massachusetts as the third most stringent state when it comes to gun legislation. Gun legislation was further tightened in August when Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed more gun control measures into law. However, gun violence in Massachusetts remains a significant problem.

The most recent FBI data shows that 56.46 percent of murders that occurred in Massachusetts in 2010 were attributed to firearms. A study by Bindu Kalesan, assistant professor at Columbia University, found that although Massachusetts gun ownership dropped between 2000 and 2010, the number of violent deaths and murders increased during that same time.
With online marketplaces growing in popularity, illegally purchased guns – also known as “straw-purchased” guns – continue to pose problems for Massachusetts.
Debora Seifert, special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), said along with federally licensed firearms dealers and gun shows, personal sales rank among one of the most popular ways to purchase guns in Massachusetts.
“Unregulated markets, especially in neighboring states and online, are the source of many of the guns that are used to commit crimes in Massachusetts,” said David Rosenbloom, professor of health policy and management at the Boston University School of Public Health. “As a matter of public health and safety, gun purchases from anyone other than a licensed gun dealer who complies with state and federal identification laws should be banned. Online gun markets are a threat to public safety.”
As of Tuesday, the Facebook group titled “Online Gun(s) for Sale or Trade” boasted 1,114 members. The group, designed to facilitate auctions, sales and trades of guns, hunting accessories and outdoor equipment, states only three rules: “1. Always put your location and price in your post,” “2. Be respectful of other members” and “3. HAVE FUN.”
Another Facebook group designed for gun transactions titled “Gun Traders Gadsden” had 463 members as of Tuesday and stated no laws to participate in gun transactions in the group description.
But the group “Guns For Sale Cheap $400 Or Less Nationwide,” with a membership of 9,840 as of Tuesday, features a notice from Facebook in its group description: “Any time we receive a report on Facebook about a post promoting the private sale of a commonly regulated item, we will send a message to that person reminding him or her to comply with relevant laws and regulations.”
It also goes on to say that the group will not sell to those younger than 18 and that they won’t allow the sale of “regulated items that indicate a willingness to evade or help others evade the law.”
Though Facebook had announced in March that it would regulate gun sales on its website, some groups remain untouched.

Reddit has been another haven for those looking to purchase firearms online. On the site, an expansive thread titled “Guns for Sale” had 10,956 traders as of Tuesday. Users denote their intentions by indicating whether they want to sell, buy, trade or perform a price check. Though a disclaimer asking users to comply with laws is displayed, Reddit itself claims that it is not responsible for ensuring that users understand compliance. As of Monday, there were 27 live transactions on Reddit for Massachusetts.
On Instagram, the hashtag #gunforsale generated 362 posts as of Wednesday, and #forsalegun yielded 38 posts. While a disclaimer about regulations for the sale of firearms appears for #gunforsale, no disclaimer appears for #forsalegun.
The black market for firearms is a difficult one to regulate, Seifert said.
“ATF faces numerous challenges when conducting trafficking investigations to include identifying straw purchasers,” Seifert said. “No one can state with any accuracy the total number of firearms that are straw purchased [or] trafficked because these violations often go undetected by law enforcement and the industry.”
Seifert said a standard ATF firearm trafficking investigation employs an evidence-based approach.
“The cornerstone of any ATF firearms trafficking investigation is an intelligence-driven approach that ultimately disrupts and dismantles firearms trafficking organizations and networks responsible for supplying violent offenders with crime guns,” she said. “Gathering of intelligence involves lengthy investigations, a cadre of informants, sharing of information with other agencies and tracing of as many crime guns as possible.”
While the black market for firearms remains largely unregulated, licensed gun retailers have felt some changes in how business is conducted, said Ted Oven, owner of Northeast Trading Company, a firearms and sporting goods store located in Attleboro.
“Well, there are more restrictions,” Oven said. “Prices are going up. Ammunition is becoming harder to get and more expensive. So all of that impacts the gun industry.”
Northeast Trading Company, which carries major brands Smith & Wesson, Beretta, PARA, SIG Sauer, Ruger and Walther Arms, has some of the best price rates in Massachusetts, Oven said. In addition to selling products, Northeast Trading Company offers firearm safety training courses for $109.
Because the Northeast Trading Company attracts customers across the state, Oven said, he is not considering moving his business online.
“All sales are walk-in,” he said. “A handgun has to be sold to a person directly. It doesn’t go by mail, unless it was to another dealer. Then that incurs an added cost, so most people would prefer to come in and buy them directly. For selling guns, I don’t think there’s any advantages [to selling online] except you see a broader audience. But guns can’t be sold that way. If you advertise online, the gun would have to be sent to a dealer in the state to which the gun is being sold to.”
Though Oven expressed concern over weapons falling into the wrong hands, he said he is not willing to adopt “smart gun” technology. A smart gun can only be fired by its owner, a feature advocates say could save lives.
“That [smart gun technology] is a ridiculous technology. Number one, it is not proven,” he said. “Even the cheapest one is $1,800, which is unreasonable for most people. And if something happens – let’s say you are a police officer and you have a smart gun and you get hurt and you give it to your partner. What good is it if it won’t go off?”
Oven said there is no market for smart guns among gun retailers, adding that major companies will not produce smart guns.
“What they really should do is go after criminals, because crime and criminal activity do not occur between licensed gun owners in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” he said. “That’s already been proven 100 times over, throughout the country actually. Crimes come from criminals, and what they need to do is go after criminals, not lock them up and put them back on the street a day later.”
A 2013 study of mass shootings in the United States from 1982 to 2012 conducted by Mother Jones found that a majority of weapons used in shootings had been legally purchased.
Additionally, Massachusetts is in close proximity to Maine and New Hampshire, two states where it is easier to purchase firearms legally. According to ATF, 133 guns used in crimes in Massachusetts originated from New Hampshire, while 79 originated from Maine.
With different methods of skirting strict Massachusetts gun laws, obtaining a gun is not immensely difficult, said Nermeen Tahoun, first-year graduate student at BU’s School of Social Work.
“It’s no surprise to me that social media is used as a way of purchasing guns on the black market,” Tahoun said. “It’s just another avenue for them to get it. If you are going to access it illegally, you are going to access it regardless of how you do it.”