A person who illegally smuggles and sells firearms across borders or to prohibited buyers.
From 'gun' plus 'runner,' where 'runner' refers to someone who illegally transports contraband. The term emerged in 20th-century English in response to illegal weapons trafficking, particularly during Prohibition and subsequent conflicts.
The Irish Republican Army acquired many of its weapons from gunrunners smuggling American-made firearms across the Atlantic in the 1920s-30s, showing how weapons easily cross borders despite laws—a problem that continues today with cartels and terrorist organizations.
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