Department of the Treasury

Firearms Commerce in the United States: 2001/2002 Department of the Treasury

This report, the second in what will be an annual series, provides an overview of firearms commerce as it affects the United States. As noted in the first edition, Commerce in Firearms in the United States: February 2000, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) is responsible for enforcing the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). The GCA regulates the manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale of firearms, and it contains criminal provisions related to the illegal possession, use, or sale of firearms. ATF also administers the National Firearms Act (NFA), which requires the registration of certain weapons, such as machineguns and destructive devices, and imposes taxes on the making and transfer of those weapons.