The ATF, charged with policing the gun industry, lets dealers get away with falsifying records and selling firearms without background checks.
The programs, policies, and people driving positive change in America’s gun violence problem.
American lives, shaped by guns.
The National Rifle Association is one of the most powerful special interest groups in America. We’re investigating how it spends its money.
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Community Violence
Feds say nearly a third of firearms recovered in the state are homemade, unserialized, and untraceable.
Gun Trafficking
American firearms power a brutal conflict that has claimed more than 100,000 lives.
Law Enforcement
At least 245 people have been fatally shot by authorities while in possession of replica firearms in the last six years, according to a Washington Post database.
Extremism
The Not F---ing Around Coalition exploded in popularity at the height of 2020's protests against police brutality.
Ghost Guns
A June memo by the Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team warns that firearms made from DIY kits and 3D printers are growing in popularity among white supremacist groups.
ATF
If adopted, the rule would require brace owners to apply to the NFA Division, which has long been understaffed and routinely misses its own performance benchmarks.
Off Target
Fulfilling even basic FOIA requests can take months or years. Sometimes the agency ignores them altogether.
If confirmed, David Chipman will be in charge of reforming an agency that has repeatedly come under fire for going easy on gun sellers who break the law.
In a sweeping investigation, The Trace and USA TODAY found the federal agency charged with policing the gun industry let dealers get away with falsifying records and selling firearms without background checks.
The Business of Guns
The Boulder gunman had recently purchased an AR-556 with a stabilizing brace, an accessory that allows a category of firearms to evade strict federal regulations.
Gun Policy
He pledged to loosen gun restrictions, but his biggest contribution on gun policy was the ban on bump stocks.
Data
The ruling rejects arguments the federal government has used to habitually block the release of figures tracing crime weapons to their prior owners.
The department came under national scrutiny after officers used beanbag rounds on demonstrators, sending dozens to the hospital with serious injuries.
Coronavirus & Guns
Firearm sales are soaring, but manufacturers like Henry and Century Arms received coronavirus relief funds from the federal government.
Before they instigated some of the earliest protests against COVID-19 shutdowns, the Dorr brothers honed a brand of fiery Second Amendment activism that doesn’t sway lawmakers, but keeps the donations flowing.
Police are paying firms that preach extreme vigilance and deadly force.
