Gun sales have hit all-time highs in recent years, and the proliferation of firearms in the United States may be contributing to a surge in gun-related fatalities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of Americans killed by a gun increased by 44% between 2014 and 2022, from about 33,500 deaths to over 48,200. While many of these deaths were accidental, a meaningful share were intentional homicides, as FBI data shows that firearms are the most commonly used murder weapons in the United States.

24/7 Wall St. Key Points:

• ATF gun tracing data suggests that over half a million firearms were linked to a crime in the U.S. in 2023. 
• While all firearms are deadly weapons that can be misused for illegal purposes, some guns are far more likely to be used in the commission of a crime than others.
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Of course, homicides represent only a small fraction of all gun crime. Each year in the United States, tens of thousands of firearms are linked to cases of assault, attempted murder, burglary, drug trafficking, and robbery.

Every firearm is a deadly weapon that can be misused for illegal purposes. Still, certain types of firearms are far more likely to be used to commit crimes than others.

Using 2023 firearm tracing data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 24/7 Wall St. identified the firearm calibers most likely to be used for crime in the United States. All calibers in this story are presented as noted by the ATF.

Federal firearm tracings offer a rough approximation of gun crime. When firearms are recovered at a crime scene or taken from a suspect, they are often reported to the ATF for tracing. In these cases, the ATF assists in criminal investigations by using serial numbers and other markings to determine when and where a firearm was originally purchased. While not all guns traced by the ATF were used in a crime — and not all firearms used for illicit purposes are traced — federal tracing data offers valuable insight into gun violence trends in the United States.

Within the last two decades, pistols have overtaken rifles as the best-selling type of firearm in the United States. As indicated by ATF manufacturing data, pistols have outsold every other firearm in the U.S. nearly every year since 2010. As of 2022, more than 6.1 million pistols were made domestically, compared to fewer than 3.6 million rifles, the second most popular type of firearm. (Here is a look at the best selling pistols of 2024.)

Given their popularity — and the fact that pistols are far more easily concealed than long guns, like rifles or shotguns — it is perhaps not surprising that pistols are the firearms most likely to be linked to crime in the United States. According to the ATF, pistols accounted for nearly 75% of all traced firearms nationwide in 2023. In keeping with these findings, each of the top five calibers on this list are common pistol calibers. (Here is a look at the states where gun crime is surging.)

The caliber most commonly traced by the federal government — and by a wide margin — is 9mm. The ATF traced over 230,000 9mm firearms in 2023 alone, nearly five times more than the second most commonly traced caliber. Pistols chambered for 9mm ammunition have exploded in popularity in recent years. According to the ATF, 9mm caliber pistols accounted for nearly 60% of all domestically manufactured pistols sold in the U.S. between 2016 and 2023.

Why It Matters

All firearms are deadly weapons that can be misused for illegal purposes — but when it comes to crime, certain types of guns are used more often than others — and the calibers and types of firearms most commonly traced by the ATF are also among the most popular firearms and calibers for law-aiding American gun owners.

28. .243 caliber

• .243 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 571
• Typical .243 caliber firearm type(s): Rifle
• Common legal usage(s) of .243 caliber firearms: Hunting for most game, cartridge dependent

27. 16 gauge

• 16 gauge firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 577
• Typical 16 gauge firearm type(s): Shotgun
• Common legal usage(s) of 16 gauge firearms: Upland and water-fowl hunting, deer hunting, recreational shooting, home defense

26. .50 caliber

• .50 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 640
• Typical .50 caliber firearm type(s): Pistol, rifle, revolver
• Common legal usage(s) of .50 caliber firearms: Anti-material, big game hunting

25. .30 caliber

• .30 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 645
• Typical .30 caliber firearm type(s): Rifle
• Common legal usage(s) of .30 caliber firearms: Small game hunting

24. .270 caliber

• .270 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 727
• Typical .270 caliber firearm type(s): Rifle
• Common legal usage(s) of .270 caliber firearms: Large and medium game hunting

23. .30-30 caliber

• .30-30 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 1,294
• Typical .30-30 caliber firearm type(s): Rifle
• Common legal usage(s) of .30-30 caliber firearms: Large and medium game hunting

22. .45 caliber/.410 Bore

• .45 caliber/.410 Bore firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 1,300
• Typical .45 caliber/.410 Bore firearm type(s): Revolver/shotgun
• Common legal usage(s) of .45 caliber/.410 Bore firearms: Self-defense

21. .410 Bore

• .410 Bore firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 1,518
• Typical .410 Bore firearm type(s): Shotgun
• Common legal usage(s) of .410 Bore firearms: Bird and small game hunting, home defense

20. .30-06 caliber

• .30-06 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 1,590
• Typical .30-06 caliber firearm type(s): Rifle
• Common legal usage(s) of .30-06 caliber firearms: Large and medium game hunting

19. .300 caliber

• .300 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 1,603
• Typical .300 caliber firearm type(s): Rifle
• Common legal usage(s) of .300 caliber firearms: Hunting for most game, cartridge dependent

18. .308 caliber

• .308 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 1,765
• Typical .308 caliber firearm type(s): Rifle
• Common legal usage(s) of .308 caliber firearms: Toughest game, large and medium game hunting

17. .44 caliber

• .44 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 1,958
• Typical .44 caliber firearm type(s): Revolver
• Common legal usage(s) of .44 caliber firearms: Hunting, self defense

16. 20 gauge

• 20 gauge firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 3,498
• Typical 20 gauge firearm type(s): Shotgun
• Common legal usage(s) of 20 gauge firearms: Upland and water-fowl hunting, deer hunting, recreational shooting, home defense

15. 5.7mm

• 5.7mm firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 3,805
• Typical 5.7mm firearm type(s): Pistol
• Common legal usage(s) of 5.7mm firearms: Self-defense

14. .32 caliber

• .32 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 3,971
• Typical .32 caliber firearm type(s): Pistol, revolver
• Common legal usage(s) of .32 caliber firearms: Self-defense

13. 10mm

• 10mm firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 4,464
• Typical 10mm firearm type(s): Pistol
• Common legal usage(s) of 10mm firearms: Hunting, self defense

12. .25 caliber

• .25 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 4,506
• Typical .25 caliber firearm type(s): Pistol
• Common legal usage(s) of .25 caliber firearms: Self-defense

11. .223 caliber

• .223 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 7,009
• Typical .223 caliber firearm type(s): Rifle
• Common legal usage(s) of .223 caliber firearms: Home defense, small to large game hunting – cartridge dependent

10. .357 caliber

• .357 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 8,770
• Typical .357 caliber firearm type(s): Revolver
• Common legal usage(s) of .357 caliber firearms: Hunting, self defense

9. 7.62mm

• 7.62mm firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 10,450
• Typical 7.62mm firearm type(s): Rifle
• Common legal usage(s) of 7.62mm firearms: Home defense, small to large game hunting – cartridge dependent

8. 5.56mm

• 5.56mm firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 11,982
• Typical 5.56mm firearm type(s): Rifle
• Common legal usage(s) of 5.56mm firearms: Home defense, small to large game hunting – cartridge dependent

7. .38 caliber

• .38 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 16,194
• Typical .38 caliber firearm type(s): Revolver
• Common legal usage(s) of .38 caliber firearms: Self-defense

6. 12 gauge

• 12 gauge firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 21,744
• Typical 12 gauge firearm type(s): Shotgun
• Common legal usage(s) of 12 gauge firearms: Upland and water-fowl hunting, deer hunting, recreational shooting, home defense

5. .45 caliber

• .45 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 28,676
• Typical .45 caliber firearm type(s): Pistol
• Common legal usage(s) of .45 caliber firearms: Self-defense

4. .380 caliber

• .380 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 29,732
• Typical .380 caliber firearm type(s): Pistol
• Common legal usage(s) of .380 caliber firearms: Self-defense

3. .22 caliber

• .22 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 37,864
• Typical .22 caliber firearm type(s): Pistol, rifle, and revolver
• Common legal usage(s) of .22 caliber firearms: Plinking, target shooting, small game hunting

2. .40 caliber

• .40 caliber firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 48,637
• Typical .40 caliber firearm type(s): Pistol
• Common legal usage(s) of .40 caliber firearms: Self-defense

1. 9mm

• 9mm firearms traced by the ATF in 2023: 231,681
• Typical 9mm firearm type(s): Pistol
• Common legal usage(s) of 9mm firearms: Self-defense

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