Michigan Firearms Trafficking and Crime Gun Fact Sheet
Michigan is facing a crime gun crisis—and the evidence points squarely at the state’s own federally licensed gun dealers. In 2023 alone, law enforcement recovered and traced 11,460 crime guns across Michigan. Of those, 81 percent (9,305) were originally purchased through Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). Even more troubling, nearly three-quarters of those guns—7,370 firearms—were sold by FFLs operating within Michigan.1ATF, “Firearms Trace Data 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/firearms-trace-data-2023. See Firearm Types Recovered and Traced in the United States and Territories and Time-to-Crime – Firearms Sourced and Recovered in the United States and Territories.
Many Michigan crime guns show indicia of trafficking. Approximately 52 percent of all crime guns recovered in Michigan were purchased less than three years before their recovery—a key red flag for illegal trafficking.2ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Michigan – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/firearms-trace-data-michigan-2023. See Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms with a Michigan Recovery. Additionally, between 2017 and 2021, nearly 80 percent of crime guns were recovered in the possession of someone other than the purchaser, another significant indication of firearm trafficking. Based on this data, it is estimated that 3,800 crime guns recovered in Michigan in 2023 were likely funneled from FFLs to obvious traffickers and ultimately to violent criminals.
According to the ATF trafficking investigations studied in the National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), nearly 90 percent of trafficking cases involve a possessor that is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm. Additionally, possessors or recipients of trafficked guns tend to be convicted felons (60 percent), known gang members (29 percent), or drug users or drug traffickers (22 percent).3ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume III: Firearms Trafficking Investigations—Part VI: Characteristics of Firearm Traffickers, End Users, and Defendants,” April 2024, 1, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-iii-part-vi/download. See table CFT-25a. Trafficked firearms are more likely to be used in violent crimes.
Despite there being roughly 2,300 active FFLs in Michigan, it is estimated just 372 FFLs are actively selling firearms,4According to NFCTA research, actual sales are concentrated among a small subset of this overall group of licensees: just 15 percent of gun dealers account for 90 percent of all retail gun sales, 38 percent of pawnbrokers are responsible for 91 percent of pawnshop sales, and 17 percent of manufacturers are responsible for 96 percent of retail sales conducted by manufacturers. ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume I: Firearms in Commerce,” May 2022, 67–68, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/national-firearms-commerce-and-trafficking-assessment-firearms-commerce-volume/download. See Tables SD-03: “Total Type 01 FFLs and EMSV by EMSV Range, 2017–2020;” SD-04: “Type 02 FFLs and EMSV Range, 2017–2020”; and SD-05: “Type 07 FFLs and EMSV Range, 2017–2020.” and 22 FFLs are likely responsible for 1 out of every 4 crime guns recovered in Michigan. In other words, stop a few FFLs, and you can make a huge impact on violent gun crime.
This isn’t an abstract national issue—it’s a local supply chain problem. And, without meaningful action, it will continue to fuel violence in Michigan communities.
Traced Crime Guns by Type
In 2023, 11,460 crime guns were recovered in Michigan and subsequently traced. Michigan ranked 15th in the U.S. for most traces of crime guns recovered in 2023.5Everytown analysis of ATF Firearms Trace Data 2023.
| Type6ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Michigan – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/firearms-trace-data-michigan-2023. See “Firearm Types with a Michigan Recovery.” | Recovered and Traced | Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Pistols | 8,564 | 75% |
| Rifles | 1,291 | 11% |
| Revolvers | 726 | 6% |
| Shotguns | 535 | 5% |
| Machinegun Conversion Devices | 219 | 2% |
Top Five Source States for Crime Guns Recovered in Michigan7Source State known in 9,305 traces. ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Michigan – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/firearms-trace-data-michigan-2023.
Michigan FFLs supply 79% of all crime guns recovered in the state.8ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Michigan – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/firearms-trace-data-michigan-2023. See “Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a Michigan Recovery, 2023.” The state is its own source of crime guns, making it a viable target for trafficking reduction strategies aimed at local dealers.
| State | Number of Crime Guns Traced | Percentage of Traces |
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 7,370 | 79% |
| Ohio | 288 | 3% |
| Indiana | 183 | 2% |
| Kentucky | 163 | 2% |
| Tennessee | 154 | 2% |
Time-To-Crime of Traced Firearms Recovered in Michigan9TTC known in 9,290 traces. ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Michigan – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/firearms-trace-data-michigan-2023.
Fifty-two percent (4,786) of all crime guns were purchased less than three years prior to recovery in a crime. The rapid movement from purchase to use in a crime strongly indicates Michigan has a significant trafficking problem.
| TTC10ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Michigan – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/firearms-trace-data-michigan-2023. See Firearm Types with a Michigan Recovery. See Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms with a Michigan Recovery. | Number of Traces | Percentage of Traces |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 1 Year | 1,759 | 19% |
| Less Than 3 Years | 4,786 | 52% |
Federal Firearm Licensees in Michigan11ATF, State Federal Firearms Listings, September 2025, Michigan https://www.atf.gov/firearms/listing-federal-firearms-licensees/state?field_ffl_date_value%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=2025&ffl_date_month%5Bvalue%5D%5Bmonth%5D=9&field_state_value=MI.
Currently, there are 2,344 active FFLs in Michigan;12ATF, “State Federal Firearms Listings,” September 2025, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/listing-federal-firearms-licensees/. Includes Type 01, Type 02, and Type 07 FFLs. however, based on NFCTA research, just 15 percent of retail dealers, 38 percent of pawnbrokers, and about 17 percent of manufacturers account for 90 percent of all firearm sales. Based on this information, there are about 372 FFLs actively selling firearms, providing a more manageable number for oversight.13ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume I: Firearms in Commerce—Part V: Selling and Distribution,” May 2022, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/national-firearms-commerce-and-trafficking-assessment-firearms-commerce-volume/download. NFCTA Volume I, Part V, See tables SD-03, 04, and 05.
| Type of FFL | Number of Active FFLs | Percentage of FFLs |
|---|---|---|
| Type 01 – Dealer | 1,673 | 83% |
| Type 02 – Pawnbroker | 67 | 4% |
| Type 07 – Manufacturer | 563 | 12% |
| Type 08 – Importer | 41 | 1% |
Method of Firearm Trafficking
According to ATF trafficking investigations between 2017 and 2021 conducted in the ATF Detroit Field Division, which covers the entire state, the top three methods of trafficking involved theft from an FFL, straw purchasing, and unlicensed dealing.14The cases encompass the entire ATF Detroit Field Division, which encompasses the state of Michigan. Data is from the NFCTA Volume III, Part III, Appendix FTC-05. Nationally, nearly 24 percent of straw purchasing trafficking cases, 16 percent of unlicensed dealing, and nearly 7 percent of FFL theft trafficking cases were linked to at least one shooting.15ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume III: Firearms Trafficking Investigations—Part IX: Investigation Outcomes,” April 2024, 5, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-iii-part-ix/download. See Table IO-06. Between 2017 and 2021, Michigan saw the 10th most intrastate trafficking investigations (139) initiated by the ATF.16ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTANFTCA), Volume III: Firearms Trafficking Investigations—Part IV: Source-to-Market Type,” April 2024, 2, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-iii-part-iv/download. See Table STM-07.
FFL oversight and accountability are critical in reducing firearm trafficking and gun violence.
| Method of Trafficking | Number of Cases | Percentage of Total Cases |
|---|---|---|
| FFL Theft | 61 | 34% |
| Unlicensed Dealing | 49 | 28% |
| Straw Purchasing | 43 | 24% |
| Private Party Theft | 25 | 14% |
Additional Data on Crime Gun Recoveries Between 2017–202117ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Michigan State Report,” November 2023, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/michigan-state-report/download. See page 3.
Between 2017 and 2021, more than 43,000 crime guns were recovered in Michigan and traced by law enforcement, of which more than 81 percent were traced to a purchase from an FFL. Further, more than 78 percent of these crime guns were purchased from FFLs operating within Michigan. During this time, more than 54 percent of these crime guns were purchased less than three years prior to recovery, and less than 20 percent were recovered in the possession of the purchaser. These statistics further highlight the fact that Michigan’s violent gun crime is fueled by traffickers who obtain their crime guns from local FFLs.
| Total Crime Guns Recovered and Traced | 43,599 |
| Total Traced to a Purchaser from an FFL | 35,443 |
| Total Traced to a Purchase at a MI FFL | 27,780 |
Top Source Cities for Crime Guns
Between 2017 and 2021, it is likely that 22 FFLs operating in four cities in Michigan were the source of more than 25 percent of all crime guns purchased and recovered in Michigan. These same FFLs are still selling guns in 2025.
| City | Number of Crime Guns Recovered and Traced18ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTANFTCA), Michigan State Report,” November 2023, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/michigan-state-report/download. See page 3. | Number of FFLs Active Between ’17—’21 and Still Operational |
|---|---|---|
| Southfield | 2,361 | 6 |
| Eastpointe | 2,033 | 4 |
| Warren | 1,580 | 7 |
| Taylor | 1,329 | 5 |
Distance Between FFL Purchase Location and Crime Gun Recovery Location
More than 65 percent of all crime guns were recovered within 25 miles of the FFL they were purchased from.19ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Michigan State Report,” November 2023, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/michigan-state-report/download. See Crime Guns Recovered and Traced, 2017-2021. To reduce gun violence you must identify and investigate the FFLs located in the areas with the most crime gun recoveries. More than 61% of all Michigan crime guns were recovered in Detroit.
| Distance in Miles | Number of Crime Guns Recovered and Traced | Percentage of Total Traces |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10 | 12,003 | 41% |
| 11-25 | 6,970 | 24% |
| 26-50 | 1,670 | 6% |
| 51-100 | 1,743 | 6% |
| 101-200 | 1,501 | 5% |
| 201-300 | 1,176 | 4% |
| More than 300 | 4,398 | 15% |
Shootings and NIBIN Leads
According to NFCTA research of ATF firearm trafficking investigations, approximately 15 percent of trafficked firearms are used in shootings.20ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume III: Firearms Trafficking Investigations—Part IX: Investigation Outcomes,” April 2024, 5, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-iii-part-ix/download. In order to disrupt those who pull the trigger, you must stop the traffickers and the FFL suppliers. The median time-to-first-shooting of just two years for recovered pistols in Michigan indicates the perpetrators were likely armed by traffickers.21ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Michigan State Report,” November 2023, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/michigan-state-report/download. See page 6.
| Total Casings and Test Fires Entered into NIBIN | 73,027 |
| NIBIN Leads | 15,369 |
| NIBIN Lead Rate | 21% |
| Total Pistols Recovered and Test Fired | 41,987 |
| Pistols with NIBIN Leads | 3,331 |
| Lead Rate from Pistol Test Fires | 8% |
| Median Time-to-First-Shooting (TTFS) | 2 Years |
Learn More:
Everytown Research & Policy is a program of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, an independent, non-partisan organization dedicated to understanding and reducing gun violence. Everytown Research & Policy works to do so by conducting methodologically rigorous research, supporting evidence-based policies, and communicating this knowledge to the American public.