The United States has nearly 121 guns per 100 people, according to the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based research project. That figure may be higher today since it was reported in the organization’s report published in 2018 and was already an increase from 88 guns per 100 people in 2011. (These are states with the most gun purchases per person.)
With so many firearms legally or illegally moving around the country, law enforcement agencies often seek to identify the origin and history of firearms they discover at crime scenes. This job falls to the National Tracing Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
To determine the states with the most trafficked guns, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the ATF Firearms Trace Data – 2020. States were ranked based on the percentage of guns recovered and traced by the ATF whose origins were determined to be in another state (not all firearms are traced). All data came from the ATF except for violent crime rates — number of violent crimes per 100,000 people, which came from the FBI.
Among the 50 U.S. states, between 13% and 89% of firearms collected at crime scenes and were traceable were found to originate in other states, especially in states with stricter gun control laws like New York and California.
New Jersey, which has among the strictest gun regulations in the country and is also the fourth least-violent state, led the nation in the percentage of guns found at crime scenes that were traced to other states. About 4,200 guns found at New Jersey crime scenes that were traced back, originated in other states. And about 10% of those came from neighboring Pennsylvania. (Here are the most violent and peaceful states.)
Indeed, out-of-state guns traced from crime scenes tend to originate in neighboring states. For example, the largest out-of-state supplier of firearms discovered at crime scenes in the four states that border Texas originate in Texas. Arizona is the most common source of out-of-state firearms found in California, while guns originating in California are found at crime scenes in Nevada and Arizona.
Not all firearms are traced and not all traced. Tracing occurs when the ATF or any other U.S. law enforcement agency discovers a firearm at a crime scene and wants to learn where it came from. A gun trace uses serial numbers to identify the wholesale and retail history of the gun back to its original manufacturer or importer. Firearms with illegally removed serial numbers can be traced using forensic expertise and technology, according to the ATF. Unregulated firearms that can be built from kits, known as ghost guns, are untraceable.
Here is where guns are most trafficked across state lines.
50. Alaska
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 13.1%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 643 (8th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Florida (9 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 837.8 per 100,000 (the highest)
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49. Texas
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 14.1%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 31,827 (the highest)
> Top supplier state: Louisiana (747 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 446.5 per 100,000 (15th highest)
48. Virginia
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 15.3%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 9,910 (9th highest)
> Top supplier state: North Carolina (259 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 208.7 per 100,000 (6th lowest)
47. Wisconsin
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 15.6%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 4,963 (22nd highest)
> Top supplier state: Illinois (98 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 323.4 per 100,000 (20th lowest)
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46. Arizona
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 15.8%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 8,994 (12th highest)
> Top supplier state: California (171 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 484.8 per 100,000 (9th highest)
45. Indiana
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 15.8%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 7,174 (17th highest)
> Top supplier state: Kentucky (203 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 357.7 per 100,000 (24th lowest)
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44. Ohio
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 16.2%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 14,072 (6th highest)
> Top supplier state: Kentucky (501 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 308.8 per 100,000 (18th lowest)
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43. Maine
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 17.3%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 469 (5th lowest)
> Top supplier state: New Hampshire (19 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 108.6 per 100,000 (the lowest)
42. Alabama
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 17.6%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 6,574 (18th highest)
> Top supplier state: Georgia (256 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 453.6 per 100,000 (14th highest)
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41. Louisiana
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 18.6%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 9,201 (11th highest)
> Top supplier state: Texas (525 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 639.4 per 100,000 (5th highest)
40. Michigan
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 19.1%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 9,504 (10th highest)
> Top supplier state: Ohio (292 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 478.0 per 100,000 (10th highest)
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39. Georgia
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 19.5%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 16,409 (4th highest)
> Top supplier state: Alabama (497 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 400.1 per 100,000 (22nd highest)
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38. Oklahoma
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 19.7%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 2,877 (21st lowest)
> Top supplier state: Texas (153 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 458.6 per 100,000 (13th highest)
37. Mississippi
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 19.7%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 3,856 (24th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Louisiana (133 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 291.2 per 100,000 (14th lowest)
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36. Missouri
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 19.9%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 7,918 (15th highest)
> Top supplier state: Kansas (512 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 542.7 per 100,000 (6th highest)
35. Florida
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 20.0%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 22,530 (3rd highest)
> Top supplier state: Georgia (818 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 383.6 per 100,000 (25th highest)
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34. New Mexico
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 20.1%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 2,869 (20th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Texas (173 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 778.3 per 100,000 (2nd highest)
33. New Hampshire
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 20.9%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 517 (6th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Maine (26 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 146.4 per 100,000 (2nd lowest)
32. Utah
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 20.9%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 2,236 (18th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Nevada (47 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 260.7 per 100,000 (12th lowest)
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31. South Carolina
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 21.2%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 7,969 (14th highest)
> Top supplier state: North Carolina (290 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 530.7 per 100,000 (7th highest)
30. Kentucky
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 21.8%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 4,673 (23rd highest)
> Top supplier state: Indiana (240 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 259.1 per 100,000 (11th lowest)
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29. Arkansas
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 21.8%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 2,788 (19th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Texas (122 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 671.9 per 100,000 (4th highest)
28. West Virginia
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 23.6%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 1,668 (15th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Ohio (95 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 355.9 per 100,000 (23rd lowest)
27. Oregon
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 23.8%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 4,001 (25th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Washington (224 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 291.9 per 100,000 (15th lowest)
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26. North Carolina
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 24.3%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 15,352 (5th highest)
> Top supplier state: South Carolina (927 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 419.3 per 100,000 (21st highest)
25. Montana
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 24.6%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 953 (11th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Washington (24 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 469.8 per 100,000 (11th highest)
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24. Washington
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 26.2%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 4,071 (25th highest)
> Top supplier state: Oregon (224 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 293.7 per 100,000 (16th lowest)
23. Vermont
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 27.2%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 228 (3rd lowest)
> Top supplier state: New Hampshire (26 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 173.4 per 100,000 (3rd lowest)
22. Kansas
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 27.8%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 3,006 (22nd lowest)
> Top supplier state: Missouri (351 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 425.0 per 100,000 (19th highest)
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21. Tennessee
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 28.0%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 10,427 (8th highest)
> Top supplier state: Mississippi (784 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 672.7 per 100,000 (3rd highest)
20. Iowa
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 28.2%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 2,062 (17th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Illinois (71 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 303.5 per 100,000 (17th lowest)
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19. Minnesota
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 29.3%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 3,247 (23rd lowest)
> Top supplier state: Wisconsin (178 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 277.5 per 100,000 (13th lowest)
18. Colorado
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 29.4%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 5,197 (20th highest)
> Top supplier state: Texas (238 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 423.1 per 100,000 (20th highest)
17. Nevada
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 29.5%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 5,060 (21st highest)
> Top supplier state: California (315 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 460.3 per 100,000 (12th highest)
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16. South Dakota
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 31.2%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 570 (7th lowest)
> Top supplier state: North Dakota (17 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 501.4 per 100,000 (8th highest)
15. Delaware
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 31.4%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 1,195 (13th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Pennsylvania (111 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 431.9 per 100,000 (17th highest)
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14. Pennsylvania
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 32.9%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 8,850 (13th highest)
> Top supplier state: Massachusetts (270 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 389.5 per 100,000 (24th highest)
13. North Dakota
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 33.4%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 656 (9th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Minnesota (41 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 329.0 per 100,000 (21st lowest)
12. Idaho
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 34.2%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 983 (12th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Washington (51 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 242.6 per 100,000 (9th lowest)
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11. Nebraska
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 34.8%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 1,735 (16th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Iowa (154 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 334.1 per 100,000 (22nd lowest)
10. California
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 44.9%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 27,536 (2nd highest)
> Top supplier state: Arizona (3,352 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 442.0 per 100,000 (16th highest)
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9. Rhode Island
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 46.0%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 326 (4th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Massachusetts (17 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 230.8 per 100,000 (7th lowest)
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8. Illinois
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 50.2%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 11,708 (7th highest)
> Top supplier state: Indiana (1,954 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 425.9 per 100,000 (18th highest)
7. Wyoming
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 50.5%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 198 (2nd lowest)
> Top supplier state: Colorado (14 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 234.2 per 100,000 (8th lowest)
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6. Hawaii
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 54.3%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 70 (the lowest)
> Top supplier state: California (6 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 254.2 per 100,000 (10th lowest)
5. Maryland
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 55.2%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 6,357 (19th highest)
> Top supplier state: Virginia (1,070 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 399.9 per 100,000 (23rd highest)
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4. Connecticut
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 58.3%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 786 (10th lowest)
> Top supplier state: Georgia (72 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 181.6 per 100,000 (4th lowest)
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3. Massachusetts
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 78.8%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 1,324 (14th lowest)
> Top supplier state: New Hampshire (172 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 308.8 per 100,000 (19th lowest)
2. New York
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 87.5%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 7,254 (16th highest)
> Top supplier state: Georgia (632 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 363.8 per 100,000 (25th lowest)
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1. New Jersey
> Pct. of recovered guns from other states: 88.5%
> Total guns recovered and identified: 4,225 (24th highest)
> Top supplier state: Pennsylvania (431 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 195.4 per 100,000 (5th lowest)
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