States with the most firearms traced to them by the federal government

Jim Watson/AFP // Getty Images Firearm traces by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives begin at the request of a law enforcement agency when a firearm is found at a crime scene. They are designed to help law enforcement agencies track the sale and possession of such firearms. A firearm is normally traced to the first retail seller. Agencies may request traces for any investigative reason, which they do not necessarily report to the federal government, and it’s important to remember not all firearms used in crimes are traced, and not all traced firearms are used in crimes. Once a trace is initiated, the ATF receives information from eTrace, a web-based method of tracing the purchase and history of firearms used in violent crimes, which identifies the manufacturer or importer and the original licensee. From there, the trace becomes a manual process of combing through transaction records to find the first purchaser. When firearms are traced, it is not for the purpose of determining which types, makes, or models are used for illicit purposes, nor do the firearms selected for traces constitute a random sample; therefore, they should not be considered representative of all firearms used by criminals or of the methods by which firearms, in general, are acquired for use in the commission of crimes. How trace information is used has been restricted by the Tiahrt Amendments, which have been attached to the federal appropriations (i.e., funding) devoted to the Department of Justice since 2003. The amendments hamstring the DOJ in several ways from more robust firearm tracing, including prohibiting the release of firearm trace data to the public. But the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed in 2022 now requires more individuals who sell guns to register as federally licensed firearm dealers and closes the “boyfriend loophole,” barring intimate partners convicted of domestic abuse from obtaining firearms. Stacker assembled firearms trace data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to see which states had the most trace requests tied to them in 2021. You may also like: What kind of data is your car collecting about you? #51. Hawaii Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 0.76 – Total firearms: 110 — Pistols: 53 — Revolvers: 11 — Rifles: 35 — Shotguns: 11 — Derringers: 0 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 0 #50. Vermont Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 3.73 – Total firearms: 241 — Pistols: 132 — Revolvers: 26 — Rifles: 59 — Shotguns: 24 — Derringers: 0 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 0 #49. Maine Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 3.74 – Total firearms: 513 — Pistols: 288 — Revolvers: 63 — Rifles: 106 — Shotguns: 46 — Derringers: 0 — Machine guns: 5 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 5 #48. Connecticut Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 4.47 – Total firearms: 1,612 — Pistols: 1,201 — Revolvers: 181 — Rifles: 129 — Shotguns: 89 — Derringers: 6 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 6 #47. Massachusetts Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 4.61 – Total firearms: 3,222 — Pistols: 2,313 — Revolvers: 337 — Rifles: 356 — Shotguns: 182 — Derringers: 10 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 10 — Other: 14 You may also like: Here’s how much legislation in each state restricts or protects trans youth #46. New Jersey Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 5.06 – Total firearms: 4,685 — Pistols: 3,403 — Revolvers: 584 — Rifles: 399 — Shotguns: 249 — Derringers: 20 — Machine guns: 14 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 16 #45. Wyoming Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 5.06 – Total firearms: 293 — Pistols: 151 — Revolvers: 35 — Rifles: 79 — Shotguns: 24 — Derringers: 4 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 0 #44. New Hampshire Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 5.08 – Total firearms: 705 — Pistols: 404 — Revolvers: 75 — Rifles: 137 — Shotguns: 72 — Derringers: 0 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 4 — Other: 13 #43. New York Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 5.17 – Total firearms: 10,264 — Pistols: 7,144 — Revolvers: 1,324 — Rifles: 1,014 — Shotguns: 601 — Derringers: 82 — Machine guns: 66 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 33 #42. Rhode Island Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 6.06 – Total firearms: 664 — Pistols: 508 — Revolvers: 63 — Rifles: 57 — Shotguns: 34 — Derringers: 2 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 0 You may also like: 50 terms with origins in rural America #41. Washington Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 7.20 – Total firearms: 5,569 — Pistols: 3,505 — Revolvers: 539 — Rifles: 934 — Shotguns: 529 — Derringers: 23 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 39 #40. Idaho Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 7.24 – Total firearms: 1,376 — Pistols: 895 — Revolvers: 162 — Rifles: 207 — Shotguns: 94 — Derringers: 7 — Machine guns: 4 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 7 #39. Iowa Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 8.07 – Total firearms: 2,576 — Pistols: 1,783 — Revolvers: 196 — Rifles: 338 — Shotguns: 236 — Derringers: 16 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 7 #38. Minnesota Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 8.07 – Total firearms: 4,605 — Pistols: 3,417 — Revolvers: 337 — Rifles: 455 — Shotguns: 365 — Derringers: 8 — Machine guns: 11 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 12 #37. Utah Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 9.05 – Total firearms: 3,021 — Pistols: 2,089 — Revolvers: 243 — Rifles: 446 — Shotguns: 223 — Derringers: 10 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 10 You may also like: What a Roe v. Wade reversal could mean for abortion access across America #36. South Dakota Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 9.24 – Total firearms: 827 — Pistols: 457 — Revolvers: 90 — Rifles: 165 — Shotguns: 98 — Derringers: 11 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 6 #35. West Virginia Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 9.52 – Total firearms: 1,698 — Pistols: 1,083 — Revolvers: 191 — Rifles: 252 — Shotguns: 139 — Derringers: 23 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 10 #34. North Dakota Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 9.94 – Total firearms: 770 — Pistols: 437 — Revolvers: 82 — Rifles: 157 — Shotguns: 90 — Derringers: 4 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 0 #33. Montana Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 10.63 – Total firearms: 1,174 — Pistols: 563 — Revolvers: 115 — Rifles: 362 — Shotguns: 124 — Derringers: 5 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 5 #32. Alaska Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 10.82 – Total firearms: 793 — Pistols: 506 — Revolvers: 69 — Rifles: 134 — Shotguns: 77 — Derringers: 0 — Machine guns: 3 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 4 You may also like: States with the highest marriage rates–and how they’ve changed #31. Nebraska Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 11.31 – Total firearms: 2,221 — Pistols: 1,298 — Revolvers: 205 — Rifles: 473 — Shotguns: 230 — Derringers: 10 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 5 #30. Arkansas Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 11.70 – Total firearms: 3,541 — Pistols: 2,675 — Revolvers: 247 — Rifles: 409 — Shotguns: 165 — Derringers: 16 — Machine guns: 18 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 11 #29. Pennsylvania Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 11.86 – Total firearms: 15,370 — Pistols: 11,194 — Revolvers: 1,433 — Rifles: 1,667 — Shotguns: 903 — Derringers: 61 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 40 — Other: 72 #28. Wisconsin Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 11.98 – Total firearms: 7,062 — Pistols: 5,666 — Revolvers: 443 — Rifles: 568 — Shotguns: 346 — Derringers: 20 — Machine guns: 8 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 11 #27. Colorado Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 12.10 – Total firearms: 7,035 — Pistols: 4,923 — Revolvers: 654 — Rifles: 885 — Shotguns: 518 — Derringers: 35 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 20 You may also like: 20 influential Indigenous Americans you might not know about #26. Michigan Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 12.27 – Total firearms: 12,329 — Pistols: 9,930 — Revolvers: 673 — Rifles: 1,047 — Shotguns: 440 — Derringers: 33 — Machine guns: 162 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 44 #25. Oregon Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 12.82 – Total firearms: 5,445 — Pistols: 3,266 — Revolvers: 622 — Rifles: 1,081 — Shotguns: 425 — Derringers: 32 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 19 #24. Oklahoma Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 13.30 – Total firearms: 5,302 — Pistols: 3,904 — Revolvers: 442 — Rifles: 567 — Shotguns: 316 — Derringers: 30 — Machine guns: 24 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 19 #23. California Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 13.85 – Total firearms: 54,338 — Pistols: 36,768 — Revolvers: 5,356 — Rifles: 7,695 — Shotguns: 3,456 — Derringers: 233 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 417 — Other: 413 #22. Virginia Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 14.10 – Total firearms: 12,184 — Pistols: 9,245 — Revolvers: 919 — Rifles: 1,283 — Shotguns: 638 — Derringers: 37 — Machine guns: 17 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 45 You may also like: How background checks on popular dating apps and websites work #21. Kansas Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 14.63 – Total firearms: 4,292 — Pistols: 3,146 — Revolvers: 360 — Rifles: 470 — Shotguns: 265 — Derringers: 22 — Machine guns: 15 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 14 #20. Illinois Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 15.09 – Total firearms: 19,120 — Pistols: 15,481 — Revolvers: 1,507 — Rifles: 1,190 — Shotguns: 750 — Derringers: 71 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 121 #19. Kentucky Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 15.11 – Total firearms: 6,812 — Pistols: 5,065 — Revolvers: 486 — Rifles: 937 — Shotguns: 250 — Derringers: 32 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 28 — Other: 14 #18. Indiana Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 15.21 – Total firearms: 10,349 — Pistols: 8,056 — Revolvers: 775 — Rifles: 889 — Shotguns: 519 — Derringers: 64 — Machine guns: 17 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 29 #17. Texas Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 15.40 – Total firearms: 45,479 — Pistols: 36,045 — Revolvers: 2,881 — Rifles: 4,127 — Shotguns: 1,990 — Derringers: 144 — Machine guns: 219 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 73 You may also like: The most financially damaging cybercrimes in your state #16. Florida Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 15.76 – Total firearms: 34,336 — Pistols: 26,179 — Revolvers: 2,897 — Rifles: 2,955 — Shotguns: 1,482 — Derringers: 135 — Machine guns: 633 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 55 #15. Maryland Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 15.92 – Total firearms: 9,816 — Pistols: 6,269 — Revolvers: 860 — Rifles: 1,567 — Shotguns: 1,028 — Derringers: 0 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 33 — Other: 59 #14. Mississippi Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 16.08 – Total firearms: 4,744 — Pistols: 3,518 — Revolvers: 358 — Rifles: 574 — Shotguns: 254 — Derringers: 22 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 5 — Other: 13 #13. Missouri Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 16.45 – Total firearms: 10,148 — Pistols: 8,097 — Revolvers: 686 — Rifles: 812 — Shotguns: 435 — Derringers: 0 — Machine guns: 47 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 71 #12. Arizona Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 16.54 – Total firearms: 12,038 — Pistols: 8,963 — Revolvers: 649 — Rifles: 1,393 — Shotguns: 611 — Derringers: 0 — Machine guns: 345 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 77 You may also like: Marijuana violations have taken over 10,000 truck drivers off the road this year, adding more supply chain disruptions #11. Delaware Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 16.68 – Total firearms: 1,674 — Pistols: 1,222 — Revolvers: 129 — Rifles: 159 — Shotguns: 154 — Derringers: 7 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 3 — Other: 0 #10. Alabama Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 17.55 – Total firearms: 8,847 — Pistols: 6,888 — Revolvers: 804 — Rifles: 702 — Shotguns: 378 — Derringers: 43 — Machine guns: 16 — Unknown types: 7 — Other: 9 #9. Ohio Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 17.68 – Total firearms: 20,826 — Pistols: 17,001 — Revolvers: 1,525 — Rifles: 1,400 — Shotguns: 739 — Derringers: 82 — Machine guns: 40 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 39 #8. Georgia Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 18.96 – Total firearms: 20,472 — Pistols: 16,327 — Revolvers: 1,457 — Rifles: 1,658 — Shotguns: 819 — Derringers: 100 — Machine guns: 46 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 65 #7. New Mexico Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 19.44 – Total firearms: 4,114 — Pistols: 2,690 — Revolvers: 322 — Rifles: 629 — Shotguns: 284 — Derringers: 23 — Machine guns: 135 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 31 You may also like: How cellphone use while driving has changed in America in the last 20 years #6. South Carolina Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 20.62 – Total firearms: 10,701 — Pistols: 8,333 — Revolvers: 907 — Rifles: 853 — Shotguns: 538 — Derringers: 59 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 11 #5. Nevada Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 21.42 – Total firearms: 6,735 — Pistols: 5,354 — Revolvers: 458 — Rifles: 501 — Shotguns: 305 — Derringers: 26 — Machine guns: 56 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 35 #4. North Carolina Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 21.90 – Total firearms: 23,104 — Pistols: 16,480 — Revolvers: 1,980 — Rifles: 2,694 — Shotguns: 1,585 — Derringers: 108 — Machine guns: 148 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 109 #3. Tennessee Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 22.15 – Total firearms: 15,453 — Pistols: 12,045 — Revolvers: 1,260 — Rifles: 1,318 — Shotguns: 573 — Derringers: 86 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 132 — Other: 39 #2. Louisiana Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 29.73 – Total firearms: 13,745 — Pistols: 10,179 — Revolvers: 1,145 — Rifles: 1,582 — Shotguns: 749 — Derringers: 65 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 0 — Other: 25 You may also like: How driving is subsidized in America #1. Washington DC Canva – Traced firearms per 10k residents: 35.18 – Total firearms: 2,357 — Pistols: 2,024 — Revolvers: 129 — Rifles: 90 — Shotguns: 43 — Derringers: 0 — Machine guns: 0 — Unknown types: 61 — Other: 10