Data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reveals that over 17,200 firearms were reported lost or stolen from federally licensed firearms dealers in 2024. This statistic sheds light on how criminals manage to obtain firearms and raises questions about the effectiveness of restrictive gun laws.
Minnesota recorded a significant number of missing or stolen firearms at 4,847. Ashlee Sherrill, a public information officer with the ATF in St. Paul, suggested that this issue might be linked to a single retailer but could not provide further details.
Other states following Minnesota in the top ten for lost or stolen firearms include Texas (984), North Carolina (661), Florida (637), California (631), Tennessee (586), Pennsylvania (568), New York (473), Indiana (453), and Georgia (405).
The impact of these thefts is significant as it leads to more weapons entering criminal circles. Meanwhile, law-abiding gun owners often face penalties for crimes they did not commit. Critics use such incidents to accuse gun dealers of carelessness, though thefts are frequently carried out through forceful entries into stores.
According to the ATF website: “Federal firearms licensees (FFLs) must report to ATF each missing, lost, or stolen firearm from the FFL’s inventory or collection within 48 hours of discovery of the loss or theft by completing and forwarding a Federal Firearms Licensee Theft/Loss Report (ATF Form 3310.11). In addition, the FFL must also report the firearm theft or loss to the appropriate local law enforcement agency.”
A notable case highlighting inventory oversight involved the “D.C. Sniper” attacks in 2002 when John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo used a rifle stolen from a Tacoma store. The store only realized the theft after their arrest.
Statistics indicate that more guns are stolen from private citizens than retailers. An Everytown for Gun Safety report found that gun thefts from cars are a major source of stolen guns in cities reporting data to the FBI.
In response to these issues, some organizations have provided advice on securing firearms in vehicles due to restrictions on carrying them into certain places.
Everytown’s analysis noted: “Everytown analyzed crime data from 337 small- to large-size cities across 44 states — covering roughly 63 million people — obtained from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Analyses revealed that in 2022, nearly 112,000 guns were reported stolen in these cities.” They emphasized that half were taken from cars.
A Twin Cities Pioneer Press report highlighted an increase in guns stolen from vehicles over a decade based on Everytown’s findings.
Despite ongoing debates about gun control laws’ effectiveness in preventing crime, evidence suggests that both retailers and individuals face challenges with gun thefts. This has been acknowledged even by groups advocating for stricter regulations.
Republished with permission from AmmoLand.
