Firearms Trace Data: South Carolina - 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 South Carolina in Calendar Year 2022
  3. Table: Firearm Types with a South Carolina Recovery
  4. Table: Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces with a South Carolina Recovery
  5. Table: Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a South Carolina Recovery
  6. Table: Top 15 Source States for Firearms​ with a South Carolina Recovery
  7. Table: Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms​ with a South Carolina Recovery
  8. Table: Age of Possessors for Firearms​ with a South Carolina Recovery
  9. Table: Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a South Carolina 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 South Carolina in Calendar Year 2022

12,106

 

Firearm Types with a South Carolina Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Pistols 9,183
Rifles 1,015
Revolvers 894
Shotguns 572
Machineguns 368
Derringers 40
Other* 34

* Other includes Unknown Types, Receivers/Frames, Silencers, an Any Other Weapon and a Combination.

 

Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces ​with a South Carolina Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
9mm 5,573
.40 Cal 1,162
.380 Cal 905
.22 Cal 748
.45 Cal 621
12GA 452
.38 Cal 403
5.56mm 306
7.62mm 205
.357 Cal 191

NOTE: There were 1,091 additional traces that were associated with other calibers.​ There were 449 traces with an unknown caliber.

 

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a South Carolina Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Weapon Offense 3,088
Firearm Under Investigation 1,670
Possession of Weapon 1,558
Found Firearm 1,404
Dangerous Drugs 1,008
Selling Weapon 584
Homicide 311
Aggravated Assault 303
Carrying Concealed Weapon 298
Property Crimes 289

NOTE: There were 1,593 additional traces that were associated with other categories.

 

Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a South Carolina Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
South Carolina 8,247
North Carolina 550
Georgia 477
Florida 129
Virginia 116
Tennessee 86
Texas 76
Alabama 60
Ohio 53
Pennsylvania 49
Kentucky 47
Michigan 32
West Virginia 27
Illinois 26
Indiana 26
New York 26

NOTE: An additional 31 states accounted for 304 other traces. The source state was identified in 10,331 total traces.

 

Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms​ with a South Carolina Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Under 3 Months 1,019
3 Months to Under 7 Months 934
7 Months to Under 1 Year 1,012
1 Year to Under 2 Years 2,016
2 Years to Under 3 Years 1,202
3 Years and Over 4,099

1/1/2022-12/31/2022 South Carolina Average Time-to-Crime: 5.27 Years

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

 

Age of Possessors for Firearms with a South Carolina Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
17 and Under 517
18 to 21 1,357
22 to 24 958
25 to 30 1,679
31 to 40 1,838
41 to 50 909
Over 50 649

1/1/2022-12/31/2022 South Carolina Average Age of Possessor: 32 Years

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

 

Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a South Carolina Recovery

January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022
Columbia 2,265
North Charleston 1,188
Charleston 641
Summerville 601
Myrtle Beach 568
Spartanburg 493
Anderson 388
Conway 319
Rock Hill 292
Sumter 282

NOTE: There were 246 additional municipalities that accounted for 4,939 other traces. The recovery city could not be determined for 130 traces.

 

Analytical Criteria Used to Compile the Enclosed Statistics

Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced

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

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

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a South Carolina Recovery

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

Top Source States for Firearms with a South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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