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Firearms Publications

ATF occasionally issues publications to inform the industries it regulates and the general public about the laws and regulations administered and enforced by ATF. These include guidebooks, newsletters, brochures, studies, and reports.

Document type Title and Description
Regulatory National Tracing Center (NTC) Trace Request - ATF Form 3312.1 [PDF - 358.92 KB]

This form is used by federal, state and local law enforcement officials to request that the ATF trace firearms used or suspected to have been used in crimes.

Published/Revised:

Publication Bump Stock Destruction Instructions [PDF - 2 MB]

For destruction, regardless of manufacturer or model, a bump stock must be made incapable of being readily restored to its intended function by, e.g., crushing, melting or shredding the bump stock. The bump stock must be completely severed in each area indicated by the red line.

Published/Revised:

Regulatory 2009 - January - All FFLs - Reporting Theft or Loss of Firearms From Inventory [PDF - 47.79 KB]

The purpose of this open letter is to reminder Federal firearms licensees of their responsibility in reporting any theft or loss of firearms from their inventory to ATF.

Published/Revised:

Regulatory 2018R–22F - Bump-Stock-Type-Devices - Dec. 26, 2018 [PDF - 425.03 KB]

The Department of Justice is amending the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives regulations to clarify that “bump fire” stocks, slide-fire devices, and devices with certain similar characteristics (“bump-stock-type devices”) are “machineguns” as defined by the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) and Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA), because such devices allow a shooter of a semiautomatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger.

Published/Revised:

Report Firearms Trace Data: Canada - 2012-2017 [PDF - 866.63 KB]

This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1, 2012 - Dec. 31, 2017.

Published/Revised:

Report Firearms Trace Data: Caribbean - 2017 [PDF - 910.01 KB]

This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2017.

Published/Revised:

Report Firearms Trace Data: Central America - 2017 [PDF - 899.4 KB]

This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2017.

Published/Revised:

Report Firearms Trace Data: Mexico - 2012-2017 [PDF - 895 KB]

This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1, 2012 - Dec. 31, 2017.

Published/Revised:

Report Firearms Trace Data: New Hampshire - 2017 [PDF - 826.09 KB]

This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2017.

Published/Revised:

Report Firearms Trace Data: United States and Territories - 2017 - Time-to-Crime - Firearms Sourced and Recovered [XLSX - 18.06 KB]

This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2017.

Published/Revised:

Report Firearms Trace Data: New Jersey - 2017 [PDF - 861.2 KB]

This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2017.

Published/Revised:

Report Firearms Trace Data: New Mexico - 2017 [PDF - 820.72 KB]

This report provides detailed firearms trace data to assist law enforcement with criminal investigations. It includes statistics from Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2017.

Published/Revised:

Last Updated: December 2, 2025

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