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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The Industry
About 1.3 million guns were sold in April, according to seasonally adjusted estimates.
Ask The Trace
A reader asks about the differences between firearm homicide and suicide rates in the United States and the rest of the world.
Aftershocks
Se aprueban menos de cuatro de cada 10 solicitudes del programa de compensación a víctimas del Illinois, según el análisis.
Less than 40 percent of applicants are compensated, but many more never apply in the first place.
Off Target
Fulfilling even basic FOIA requests can take months or years. Sometimes the agency ignores them altogether.
The Trace and USA TODAY’s database of nearly 2,000 ATF inspection reports is a useful tool for reporters, policymakers, and members of the public.
Use our database to search for law-breaking firearm businesses near you.
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
Google, Facebook, and Etsy all facilitated sales of the accessories, which are the target of an executive action announced by Biden today.
Coronavirus & Guns
In over a dozen cities, homicides rose by 50 percent or more this year. “It’s very likely that these increases are larger than any on record,” said one criminologist.
Election 2020
Spending by groups on either side of the gun issue is nearly even in federal races this year.
Bang for the Buck
Documents show that the NRA's new anti-Biden ad emerged from the same web of firms involved in potentially illegal coordination in 2016 races.
National Rifle Association
At the same time, 94 percent of Republican candidates remain in the group's good graces.
We’re tracking the gun group’s 2020 election expenditures in real time.
Firearm sales are soaring, but manufacturers like Henry and Century Arms received coronavirus relief funds from the federal government.
Background Checks
The FBI ran 3.9 million screenings last month, topping the previous record for the second time this year.
