Wal-Mart Tightens Standards on Gun Sales

Washington, D.C. Wal-Mart, the largest seller of firearms in the country, is striking a deal with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an outspoken gun control advocate, on tighter standards for gun sales.

 Bloomberg is announcing the initiative Monday as he meets with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group he founded to try to crack down on the unlawful traffic of weapons that are often used in crimes.

Under the group's Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will agree to retain records of all sales in which guns are later found to be used in crimes, said mayoral spokesman Jason Post. The company will also conduct background checks on employees who handle guns.

The retailer said it will develop a first-of-its-kind computerized crime-gun trace log that will flag purchases by customers who have previously bought guns later recovered in crimes.