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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Data
About 1.6 million guns were sold in May, according to seasonally adjusted estimates.
Off Target
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.
Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, and Washington all closed dealers because of the coronavirus. Firearms were still flying off shelves.
In many cities, gun violence is dealing a double blow to black communities already ravaged by the pandemic. Community outreach workers are struggling to keep up.
Data shows gun violence outpacing other types of crime in several major cities and running higher than 2019 levels nationally.
A new study from RAND offers several decades of household firearm ownership estimates.
