Firearms Trace Data: Arizona - 2021

Data Source: Firearms Tracing System

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021

 

Contents

  1. ATF Firearms Trace Data Disclaimer
  2. Table: Total Number of Firearms Recovered and ​Traced in Arizona in Calendar Year 2021
  3. Table: Firearm Types with an Arizona Recovery
  4. Table: Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces with an Arizona Recovery
  5. Table: Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces ​with an Arizona Recovery
  6. Table: Top 15 Source States for Firearms​ with an Arizona Recovery
  7. Table: Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms​ with an Arizona Recovery
  8. Table: Age of Possessors for Firearms​ with an Arizona Recovery
  9. Table: Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with an Arizona Recovery
  10. Analytical Criteria Used to Compile the Enclosed Statistics

 

ATF Firearms Trace Data Disclaimer

Firearm traces are designed to assist law enforcement authorities in conducting investigations by tracking the sale and possession of specific firearms. Law enforcement agencies may request firearms traces for any investigative reason, and those reasons are not necessarily reported to the federal government. Not all firearms used in crime are traced and not all firearms traced are used in crime.

Firearms selected for tracing are not chosen for purposes of determining which types, makes or models of firearms are used for illicit purposes. The firearms selected do not constitute a random sample and should not be considered representative of the larger universe of all firearms used by criminals, or any subset of that universe. Firearms are normally traced to the first retail seller, and sources reported for firearms traced do not necessarily represent the sources or methods by which firearms in general are acquired for use in crime.

 

Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced in Arizona in Calendar Year 2021

12,113

 

Firearm Types with an Arizona Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Pistols 8,963
Rifles 1,393
Revolvers 649
Shotguns 611
Machineguns 345
Receivers/Frames 75
Other* 77

* Other includes Derringers, Silencers, Unknown Types, Any Other Weapons, Destructive Devices and a Combination.

 

Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces ​with an Arizona Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
9mm 5,215
.40 Cal 1,119
.22 Cal 934
.45 Cal 858
.380 Cal 733
12GA 520
5.56mm 378
7.62mm 335
.38 Cal 293
MULTI 216

NOTE: There were 1,053 additional traces that were associated with other calibers.​ There were 459 traces with an unknown caliber.

 

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with an Arizona Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Possession of Weapon 1,968
Weapon Offense 1,735
Firearm Under Investigation 1,655
Aggravated Assault 1,140
Dangerous Drugs 1,072
Found Firearm 772
Health - Safety 377
Homicide 316
Family Offense 286
Property Crimes 283

NOTE: There were 2,509 additional traces that were associated with other categories.

 

Top 15 Source States for Firearms with an Arizona Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Arizona 8,523
California 203
Texas 144
New Mexico  101
Colorado 71
Florida 64
Washington 63
Nevada 57
Pennsylvania 45
Georgia 42
Illinois 42
Oregon 40
Utah 40
Ohio 37
Indiana 36
Michigan 36

NOTE: An additional 34 states and Puerto Rico accounted for 553 other traces. The source state was identified in 10,097 total traces.

 

Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms​ with an Arizona Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Under 3 Months 1,658
3 Months to Under 7 Months 1,144
7 Months to Under 1 Year 1,179
1 Year to Under 2 Years 1,528
2 Years to Under 3 Years 644
3 Years and Over 3,914

1/1/2021-12/31/2021 Arizona Average Time-to-Crime: 5.28 Years

1/1/2021-12/31/2021 National Average Time-to-Crime: 6.24 Years

 

Age of Possessors for Firearms with an Arizona Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
17 and Under 277
18 to 21 835
22 to 24 1,013
25 to 30 1,486
31 to 40 1,621
41 to 50 1,073
Over 50 788

1/1/2021-12/31/2021 Arizona Average Age of Possessor: 34 Years

1/1/2021-12/31/2021 National Average Age of Possessor: 34 Years

 

Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with an Arizona Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Phoenix 4,317
Tucson 1,946
Glendale 1,093
Tempe 885
Scottsdale 421
Yuma 273
Chandler 247
Goodyear 194
Peoria 191
Avondale 175

NOTE: There were 152 additional municipalities that accounted for 2,363 other traces. The recovery city could not be determined for eight traces.

 

Analytical Criteria Used to Compile the Enclosed Statistics

Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced

  • Includes traces with a recovery state of Arizona. Traces in which the recovery state was not provided were included when the requesting agency state was equal to Arizona.​
  • Includes Firearms Recovered and Traced between 1/1/2021 – 12/31/2021 or, if the recovery date was blank, firearms with trace entry dates between 1/1/2021 – 12/31/2021.
  • Duplicate traces, Firearms Not Recovered, Gun Buyback and Firearms Turned In are not included in this figure.​
  • Data was extracted from the Firearms Tracing System (FTS) on April 18, 2022.​
  • All traces may not have been submitted or completed at the time of this study.​

Firearm Types and Calibers with an Arizona Recovery

  • Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced.

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with an Arizona Recovery

  • Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced. 

Top Source States for Firearms with an Arizona Recovery​

  • Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced.
  • Traces must identify a purchaser and the state in which the final dealer is located.

Time-to-Crime Rates for Firearms with an Arizona Recovery

  • Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced.
  • Traces must identify a purchaser.
  • Time-to-Crime was calculated for those traces in which the purchase date could be subtracted ​from the recovery date.

Age of Possessors for Firearms with an Arizona Recovery

  • Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced.
  • Includes traces that provide a possessor and the possessor’s date of birth.
  • Possessor’s age is calculated by subtracting the possessor’s date of birth from the recovery date.

Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with an Arizona Recovery

  • Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced.
  • Includes traces with a recovery city or, if the recovery city was not provided, traces requested by agencies with jurisdiction only within that city.

 

View All 2021 Firearms Trace Data

Last Reviewed September 15, 2022