Firearms Trace Data: Kentucky - 2023

Data Source: Firearms Tracing System

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023

 

Contents

  1. ATF Firearms Trace Data Disclaimer
  2. Table: Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced in Kentucky in Calendar Year 2023
  3. Table: Firearm Types with a Kentucky Recovery
  4. Table: Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces with a Kentucky Recovery
  5. Table: Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a Kentucky Recovery
  6. Table: Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a Kentucky Recovery
  7. Table: Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms with a Kentucky Recovery
  8. Table: Age of Possessors for Firearms with a Kentucky Recovery
  9. Table: Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a Kentucky 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 Kentucky in Calendar Year 2023

9,337

 

Firearm Types with a Kentucky Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Pistols 6,278
Rifles 1,344
Revolvers 754
Shotguns 743
Machinegun Conversion Devices 68
Machineguns 66
Derringers 62
Other* 22

* Other includes Unknown Types, Receivers/Frames, Silencers, Tear Gas Launchers, an Any Other Weapon and a Destructive Device.

 

Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces with a Kentucky Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
9mm 3,734
.22 Cal  977
.40 Cal 709
.380 Cal 654
12GA 531
.45 Cal 480
.38 Cal 356
5.56mm 177
7.62mm 173
.223 Cal 166

NOTE: There were 1,141 additional traces that were associated with other calibers.​ There were 239 traces with an unknown caliber.

 

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a Kentucky Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Dangerous Drugs 2,362
Firearm Under Investigation 2,185
Simple Assault 1,040
Possession of Weapon 913
Property Crimes 747
Weapon Offense 654
Found Firearm 269
Homicide 231
Burglary 168
Suicide 91

NOTE: There were 677 additional traces that were associated with other categories.

 

Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a Kentucky Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Kentucky 5,503
Ohio 346
Indiana 335
Tennessee 262
Florida 89
Georgia 84
Texas 74
Alabama 58
West Virginia 50
Illinois 46
Michigan 46
Virginia 42
North Carolina 35
Missouri 32
Mississippi 28

NOTE: An additional 33 states and Puerto Rico accounted for 315 other traces. The source state was identified in 7,345 total traces.

 

Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms with a Kentucky Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Under 3 Months 451
3 Months to Under 7 Months 431
7 Months to Under 1 Year 433
1 Year to Under 2 Years 1,012
2 Years to Under 3 Years 950
3 Years and Over 4,050

1/1/2023-12/31/2023 Kentucky Average Time-to-Crime: 7.35 Years

1/1/2023-12/31/2023 National Average Time-to-Crime: 6.76 Years

 

Age of Possessors for Firearms with a Kentucky Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
17 and Under 362
18 to 21 785
22 to 24 594
25 to 30 1,141
31 to 40 1,838
41 to 50 1,245
Over 50 1,397

1/1/2023-12/31/2023 Kentucky Average Age of Possessor: 37 Years

1/1/2023-12/31/2023 National Average Age of Possessor: 35 Years

 

Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a Kentucky Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Louisville 1,431
Lexington 1,042
Bowling Green 282
Covington 272
Owensboro 262
Richmond 214
Hopkinsville 174
Greenville 164
Paducah 141
Shelbyville 138

NOTE: There were 513 additional municipalities that accounted for 5,144 other traces. The recovery city could not be determined for 73 traces.

 

Analytical Criteria Used to Compile the Enclosed Statistics

Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced

  • Includes traces with a recovery state of Kentucky. Traces in which the recovery state was not provided were included when the requesting agency state was equal to Kentucky.
  • Includes Firearms Recovered and Traced between 1/1/2023 – 12/31/2023 or, if the recovery date was blank, firearms with trace entry dates between 1/1/2023 – 12/31/2023.
  • 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, 2024.​
  • All traces may not have been submitted or completed at the time of this study.​

Firearm Types and Calibers with a Kentucky Recovery

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

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a Kentucky Recovery

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

Top Source States for Firearms with a Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 2023 Firearms Trace Data

Last Reviewed December 9, 2024