The role of the gun industry in America’s gun violence epidemic.
Do you have questions about guns or gun violence in America? This is Ask The Trace, a question series driven by readers.
The National Rifle Association is one of the most powerful special interest groups in America. We’re investigating how it spends its money.
A newsletter spotlighting the people, policies, and programs grappling with the gun violence crisis.
Our team, our mission, our partners, and more. Plus: How to contact us.
We report stories that would go untold. Generous readers sustain our work.
Sign up now to get our latest stories and eye-opening briefings.
Ghost Guns
Less than a month after the ATF required serial numbers and background checks for "buy-build-shoot" kits, sellers have found a workaround.
On August 24, the Biden administration’s requirement to serialize ghost guns and require background checks on their sale goes into effect. But the regulation won’t apply to the estimated millions of weapons already in circulation.
Under the new policy all firearms, including 3D-printed guns, must have serial numbers.
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.
The Industry
Breaking down the technology, the legality, and the ideology of a growing movement.
After major social media platforms cracked down, makers of largely unregulated firearms flocked to Keybase. Now they must find a new home.
Extremism
The arrest of a white supremacist cell before the Richmond gun rally shows how extremist motives are colliding with easy access to ghost guns, homemade silencers, and unregulated tactical accessories.
Everything you need to know about the homemade, untraceable firearms that are increasingly turning up at crime scenes.
The perpetrator’s handgun was assembled from parts available for purchase without a background check.
After an international manhunt, Wilson pleaded guilty to a felony in Texas court. But the particulars of his deal left him in a legal gray area that allows him to own and work with firearms.
Bans on sharing 3D gun blueprints have proven porous, but the community that makes them is migrating to platforms more amenable to the cause.
Three weeks after The Trace reported that Twitter users were freely distributing design files for 3D-printed guns, the social media platform rolled out a new policy prohibiting the practice. The rule change is part of a wide-ranging update…
The platforms say they don’t allow users to post blueprints or how-tos for building ghost guns. But the files continue to circulate.
Community Violence
Feds say nearly a third of firearms recovered in the state are homemade, unserialized, and untraceable.
A string of high-profile crimes involving untraceable firearms has authorities on edge. Says one federal agent: “We have no way of knowing what’s out there."
