New Everytown Report Exposes How Gun Dealers Are Driving, and Profiting From, America’s Illegal Gun Trafficking Crisis

New Analysis Projects Over 1.27 Million Guns Illegally Trafficked Between 2017-2026, Fueling Violence While Generating Nearly $700 Million in Revenue for Dealers

Investigation Finds Vast Majority of Trafficked Firearms Begin as Part of the Inventory of a Licensed Gun Dealer

NEW YORK – Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund today released a new report that finds gun trafficking is a significant and growing driver of gun violence in communities across the country – and that the gun industry plays a central role in enabling it. The report reveals that by the end of 2026, an estimated 1.27 million guns will have been illegally trafficked since 2017, with trafficked guns used in twice as many shootings as guns that are not trafficked. Far from being a victim of criminal activity, the gun industry profits substantially from this illegal flow, raking in a conservative estimate of $695 million in sales from trafficked firearms between 2017 and 2023.

The report details how gun dealers serve as the primary entry point for trafficked firearms into the illegal market, often through straw purchasing and unlicensed dealing – the two leading trafficking methods, which together account for more than half of all trafficked guns. It also highlights the federal government’s retreat from proper oversight under the Trump Administration, which has severely weakened efforts to identify and shut down trafficking pipelines. In the face of this federal abdication, the report outlines steps state leaders can take to fill the gap. 

“Gun trafficking is the lethal engine driving America’s gun violence crisis. Trafficked guns don’t appear out of thin air. They start with licensed dealers who look the other way, and end up in the hands of criminals who use them to terrorize our communities,” said Nick Suplina, Senior Vice President for Law and Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. “This steady supply chain of illegal activity thrives on loopholes, weak oversight, and willful ignorance. Until policymakers hold dealers accountable, the gun industry will continue profiting from the violence it helps create.”

“This report is a wake-up call, but my years at ATF taught me that states don’t have to wait for Washington to act,” said Marianna Mitchem, Senior Firearms Industry Advisor at Everytown for Gun Safety and Former Associate Assistant Director of Field Operations at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives. “By using crime gun intelligence – especially trace and NIBIN data – states can quickly identify shooters, the traffickers who arm them, and the federally licensed dealers supplying those traffickers. With the Trump Administration stepping back from crucial enforcement, strong state leadership is the only way to shut down these trafficking pipelines.”

Key findings from the report include:

• Trafficking is a primary way that prohibited individuals obtain firearms. Most recipients of trafficked firearms would be unable to purchase a gun through a transaction that required a background check: nearly 88 percent were prohibited from buying guns because of prior criminal convictions or other prohibitors.

• Gun trafficking fuels community violence. Data show trafficked guns are used to arm individuals who cannot legally purchase guns and are used in twice as many shootings as guns that are not trafficked.
  • Nearly 28 percent of trafficked firearms were used in furtherance of a drug offense or drug trafficking, 19 percent were used in aggravated assaults, 11 percent were used in homicides, and 9 percent were used in attempted homicides. What’s more, 15 percent of trafficked guns were linked to at least one shooting. 

• The vast majority of guns that end up trafficked begin as part of the inventory of a licensed gun dealer. The top two trafficking methods are straw purchasing and unlicensed dealing, which account for more than half of all trafficked firearms. When dealers fail to recognize the telltale signs of suspicious sales that indicate trafficking, they become suppliers of trafficked guns – prioritizing profit over safety. 

• According to ATF trace data, 96 percent of crime guns that were recovered and traced were originally purchased from a licensed gun dealer. Of the 2.3 million crime guns recovered and traced to a purchase from a gun dealer from 2017 to 2023, a significant portion show indicia of trafficking. 

• Trafficked firearms are big business. Everytown found that between 2017 and 2023, gun dealers were estimated to have earned approximately $695 million in sales of trafficked firearms.

• Although the Trump Administration purports to prioritize fighting crime, it has taken steps to severely weaken the ability of federal law enforcement agencies to identify gun traffickers and their suppliers and shut down trafficking pipelines. This will undoubtedly embolden criminal networks to continue funneling illegal guns into our communities. 

The report concludes with how State leaders can take action to address gun trafficking and fill the void created by the Trump Administration by adopting a comprehensive strategy that includes: (1) using data to identify, interrupt, and prosecute trafficking, (2) implementing robust regulatory oversight of gun dealers, (3) enacting foundational gun safety laws that deter trafficking, and more. Read the full report here.

Gun trafficking experts with Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund are available for comment. Please contact [email protected] to coordinate.