Firearms Trace Data: New Jersey - 2022

Data Source: Firearms Tracing System

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022

 

Contents

  1. ATF Firearms Trace Data Disclaimer
  2. Table: Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced in New Jersey in Calendar Year 2022
  3. Table: Firearm Types with a New Jersey Recovery
  4. Table: Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces with a New Jersey Recovery
  5. Table: Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a New Jersey Recovery
  6. Table: Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a New Jersey Recovery
  7. Table: Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms with a New Jersey Recovery
  8. Table: Age of Possessors for Firearms with a New Jersey Recovery
  9. Table: Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a New Jersey 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 New Jersey in Calendar Year 2022

5,248

 

Firearm Types with a New Jersey Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Pistols 3,844
Revolvers 618
Rifles 430
Shotguns 275
Receivers/Frames 45
Derringers 9
Other* 27

* Other includes Machineguns, Unknown Types, Silencers, Any Other Weapons, a Destructive Device and a Flare Gun.

 

Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces with a New Jersey Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
9mm 2,388
.40 Cal 507
.22 Cal 416
.380 Cal 328
.38 Cal 280
.45 Cal 278
12GA 225
.357 Cal 132
.32 Cal 101
5.56mm 79

NOTE: There were 402 additional traces that were associated with other calibers.​ There were 112 traces with an unknown caliber.

 

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a New Jersey Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Possession of Weapon 2,508
Found Firearm 1,316
Weapon Offense 301
Firearm Under Investigation 230
Aggravated Assault 132
Family Offense 80
Health - Safety 75
Dangerous Drugs 68
Homicide 67
Weapons Trafficking 60

NOTE: There were 411 additional traces that were associated with other categories.

 

Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a New Jersey Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Pennsylvania 617
New Jersey 609
Georgia 469
Virginia 321
North Carolina 282
South Carolina 281
Florida 191
Ohio 82
Texas 60
Alabama 59
West Virginia 56
Delaware 49
Tennessee 44
New York 38
California 36

NOTE: An additional 31 states accounted for 342 other traces. The source state was identified in 3,536 total traces.

 

Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms with a New Jersey Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Under 3 Months 141
3 Months to Under 7 Months 171
7 Months to Under 1 Year 243
1 Year to Under 2 Years 586
2 Years to Under 3 Years 385
3 Years and Over 1,973

1/1/2022-12/31/2022 New Jersey Average Time-to-Crime: 9.13 Years

1/1/2022-12/31/2022 National Average Time-to-Crime: 6.34 Years

 

Age of Possessors for Firearms with a New Jersey Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
17 and Under 235
18 to 21 499
22 to 24 375
25 to 30 686
31 to 40 898
41 to 50 383
Over 50 515

1/1/2022-12/31/2022 New Jersey Average Age of Possessor: 34 Years

1/1/2022-12/31/2022 National Average Age of Possessor: 34 Years

 

Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a New Jersey Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Newark 686
Camden 381
Trenton 371
Paterson 242
Elizabeth 135
Atlantic City 132
Jersey City 130
East Orange 112
Irvington 82
Secaucus 68

NOTE: There were 403 additional municipalities that accounted for 2,903 other traces. The recovery city could not be determined for six traces.

 

Analytical Criteria Used to Compile the Enclosed Statistics

Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced

  • Includes traces with a recovery state of New Jersey. Traces in which the recovery state was not provided were included when the requesting agency state was equal to New Jersey.
  • Includes Firearms Recovered and Traced between 1/1/2022 – 12/31/2022 or, if the recovery date was blank, firearms with trace entry dates between 1/1/2022 – 12/31/2022.
  • 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 10, 2023.
  • All traces may not have been submitted or completed at the time of this study.

Firearm Types and Calibers with a New Jersey Recovery

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

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a New Jersey Recovery

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

Top Source States for Firearms with a New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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 2022 Firearms Trace Data

Last Reviewed September 27, 2023