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(STACKER) — 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.

FILE – In this March 25, 2020, file photo semi-automatic handguns are displayed at shop in New Castle, Pa. The number of people stopped from buying guns though the U.S. background check system hit an all-time high of more than 300,000 last year amid a surge of firearm sales, according to new records obtained by the group Everytown for Gun Safety. The FBI numbers provided to The Associated Press show the background checks blocked nearly twice as many gun sales in 2020 as in the year before. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

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.

51. Hawaii

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

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

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

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

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

46. New Jersey

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

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

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

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

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

41. Washington

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

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

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

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

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

36. South Dakota

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

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

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

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

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

FILE – AR-15-style rifles are on display at Burbank Ammo & Guns in Burbank, Calif., June 23, 2022. Gun manufacturers have made more than $1 billion from selling AR-15-style guns over the past decade, and for two companies those revenues have tripled over the last three years, a House investigation unveiled Wednesday, July 27, found. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

31. Nebraska

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

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

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

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

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

26. Michigan

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

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

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

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

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

21. Kansas

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

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

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

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

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

16. Florida

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

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

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

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

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

11. Delaware

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

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

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

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

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

6. South Carolina

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

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

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

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

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

1. Washington DC

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