The type of weapon matters in violent crime, both in terms of its seriousness and its distribution. If robbers could be deprived of guns, the robbery murder rate would fall, the robbery injury rate would rise, and robberies would be redistributed to some extent from less to more vulnerable targets. The assaultive murder rate would decline, with the greatest reductions involving the least vulnerable victims. The overall assault rate might well increase. These predictions are based on common sense and a variety of empirical observations. None of this evidence is conclusive, but it is the best that is currently available. A gun control measure that increases the average cost and hassle of a youthful urban male acquiring his first handgun may at least delay acquisition for a year or two -- with noticeable effect on the gun crime rates. A vigorous crackdown on carrying concealed weapons may have a similar beneficial effect. It is not unreasonable to suggest that a moderate, vigorously enforced program for regulating the sale and use of guns would save a substantial number of lives. 37 notes