In an attempt to understand how the police seize or come to acquire illegal firearms, this analysis described the characteristics of seized guns and the steps that led to their seizure. A sample of guns was chosen from the gun lab of the St. Louis Police Department to determine if there was a relationship between the manner in which the gun was seized and the nature of the firearm. The study continued with a descriptive analysis of the weapons and the events that led to their seizure. The most important finding was that guns were seized most often through nonviolent technical law violations in the course of routine police patrol activities. Routine patrol activities were the primary means by which the police came into possession of illegal firearms and reinforced the importance of such activities in violence prevention. However, these violations often involved violent exchanges between individuals. Handguns had the highest rate of seizure. The most common pistol seized was the 0.38 revolver. The model gun seizure involved a handgun taken during routine patrol, typically when a motorist or pedestrian was stopped. The research demonstrates that police are most successful seizing illegal firearms through routine patrol activities. Future research should identify officers most successful in seizing illegal firearms through routine activities and determine the tactics and strategies that they employ. References