Every gun starts out legal, but somewhere along the way firearms can end up in the wrong hands.

Cutting off access to criminals is no easy task, but it's one on the minds of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, police, activists and gun dealers.

Guns seem to be falling into younger hands these days, Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller said. Last summer, Hammond had a shooting involving an 11-year-old and 9-year-old, he said.

"I don't know how they got (the gun)," he said. "It wasn't reported stolen. Sometimes, a gun is taken and the owner doesn't know the serial number and doesn't report it stolen. It's still an illegal gun or stolen gun, but we just don't know it."

Lake County had 350 gun-related homicides from January 2004 through September 2008, according to a Times analysis of Lake County coroner records. It's hard to say how many of those guns were purchased legally or illegally or whether any of those crimes could have been prevented.

But two problems contribute to the stockpile of illegal guns: burglaries and straw purchasers who buy guns for others, Miller said.

"The challenge is just the huge number of guns that are available," he said.

Gun owners can do their part to help ensure guns stay out of the hands of criminals, by keeping their guns in gun safes, Miller said. They should also write down serial numbers and videotape their collection and keep it outside of their homes, he said.

Hammond police work very closely with the ATF, especially when it comes to guns, narcotics and gangs, Miller said.

When it comes to straw buyers and firearms trafficking in the United States, the ATF takes the lead. In 2007, ATF referred 1,905 firearms trafficking related cases involving 3,536 defendants for prosecution and believes nearly 50,000 firearms were trafficked in 2007.

The agency conducted more than 10,000 compliance inspections of licensed firearms dealers in fiscal year 2007. Only a small percentage of gun dealers actually have violations, ATF director Michael Sullivan said.

"Most are in business because they want to be in business," he said.

Chris DeYoung, owner of Glenwood Gun & Pistol Range, said he does his part to deter straw buyers and doesn't hesitate to ask customers questions about types of bullets or gun safety. If they don't know, he's kicks them out, he said.

"They send their girlfriend in here with a list of calibers of guns," he said.

While some dealers are lax and regulations vary from state to state, he said, there is no incentive to skimp on rules.

"You could lose everything," he said, adding that the ATF could be watching and he lives in the community too. "It's not worth it."

There are already plenty of gun laws on the books, Miller said, but enforcement and resources could always be stepped up.

One big problem the ATF faces is a manpower shortage, said Matt Bennett, vice president of public affairs for Third Way.

"A tiny percentage of licensed gun dealers are inspected every year," he said, adding that there needs to be better enforcement.

More transparency could also help counter problems and help local enforcement, Bennett said. It's no longer possible for the public or media to get data on the number of crime guns traced to specific gun dealers, he said. Ever since the Tiahrt Amendment was approved in 2003, the ATF hasn't had funding to give out the data, Bennett said.