Firearms Trace Data: California - 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 California in Calendar Year 2021
  3. Table: Firearm Types with a California Recovery
  4. Table: Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces with a California Recovery
  5. Table: Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a California Recovery
  6. Table: Top 15 Source States for Firearms​ with a California Recovery
  7. Table: Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms​ with a California Recovery
  8. Table: Age of Possessors for Firearms​ with a California Recovery
  9. Table: Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a California 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 California in Calendar Year 2021

54,338

 

Firearm Types with a California Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Pistols 36,768
Rifles 7,695
Revolvers 5,356
Shotguns 3,456
Unknown Types 417
Derringers 233
Other* 413

* Other includes Machineguns, Receivers/Frames, Combinations, Any Other Weapons, Silencers, Flare Guns, Destructive Devices and a Tear Gas Launcher.

 

Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces ​with a California Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
9mm 21,437
.40 Cal 5,504
.22 Cal 4,989
.45 Cal 3,721
12GA 2,833
.38 Cal 2,375
.380 Cal 2,034
5.56mm 1,425
.357 Cal 1,367
.223 Cal 1,254

NOTE: There were 5,647 additional traces that were associated with other calibers.​ There were 1,752 traces with an unknown caliber.

 

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a California Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Possession of Weapon 22,493
Weapon Offense 7,909
Found Firearm 3,358
Dangerous Drugs 2,566
Carrying Concealed Weapon 2,442
Firearm Under Investigation 2,197
Aggravated Assault 1,236
Obstruction of Justice 1,175
Homicide 1,127
Traffic Offense 1,047

NOTE: There were 8,788 additional traces that were associated with other categories.

 

Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a California Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
California 15,667
Arizona 4,725
Nevada 2,275
Texas 1,653
Utah 648
Georgia 565
Oregon 539
Oklahoma 454
Washington 407
Florida 383
Idaho 329
Arkansas 244
Missouri 241
Colorado 240
Tennessee 225

NOTE: An additional 35 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico accounted for 3,014 other traces. The source state was identified in 31,609 total traces.

 

Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms​ with a California Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Under 3 Months 2,103
3 Months to Under 7 Months 2,641
7 Months to Under 1 Year 2,749
1 Year to Under 2 Years 3,596
2 Years to Under 3 Years 1,986
3 Years and Over 18,354

1/1/2021-12/31/2021 California Average Time-to-Crime: 8.92 Years

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

 

Age of Possessors for Firearms with a California Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
17 and Under 1,191
18 to 21 4,391
22 to 24 3,930
25 to 30 8,308
31 to 40 10,480
41 to 50 5,537
Over 50 5,420

1/1/2021-12/31/2021 California Average Age of Possessor: 35 Years

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

 

Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a California Recovery

January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021
Los Angeles 8,036
Sacramento 2,246
San Diego 1,463
Oakland 1,348
Stockton 1,132
San Bernardino 1,083
Fresno 963
San Francisco 873
Ontario 710
Modesto 699

NOTE: There were 934 additional municipalities that accounted for 35,675 other traces. The recovery city could not be determined for 110 traces.

 

Analytical Criteria Used to Compile the Enclosed Statistics

Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced

  • Includes traces with a recovery state of California. Traces in which the recovery state was not provided were included when the requesting agency state was equal to California.​
  • 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 a California Recovery

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

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a California Recovery

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

Top Source States for Firearms with a California 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 a California 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 a California 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 a California 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