Firearms Trace Data: North Dakota - 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 North Dakota in Calendar Year 2023
  3. Table: Firearm Types with a North Dakota Recovery
  4. Table: Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces with a North Dakota Recovery
  5. Table: Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a North Dakota Recovery
  6. Table: Top 15 Source States for Firearms​ with a North Dakota Recovery
  7. Table: Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms​ with a North Dakota Recovery
  8. Table: Age of Possessors for Firearms​ with a North Dakota Recovery
  9. Table: Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a North Dakota 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 North Dakota in Calendar Year 2023

1,770

 

Firearm Types with a North Dakota Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Machinegun Conversion Devices 980
Pistols 473
Rifles 145
Shotguns 90
Revolvers 66
Derringers 5
Receivers/Frames 5
Silencers 4
Machinegun 1
Unknown Type 1

 

Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces ​with a North Dakota Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
9mm 305
.22 Cal 83
12GA 76
.45 Cal 43
.40 Cal 42
.380 Cal 38
5.56mm 18
.357 Cal 17
.223 Cal 16
7.62mm 13

NOTE: There were 128 additional traces that were associated with other calibers.​ There were 991 traces with an unknown caliber.

 

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a North Dakota Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Firearm Under Investigation 1,135
Possession of Weapon 200
Found Firearm 79
Dangerous Drugs 74
Suicide 45
Family Offense 34
Homicide 23
Suicide - Attempted 20
Threat 19
Firing Weapon 18

NOTE:  There were 123 additional traces that were associated with other categories.

 

Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a North Dakota Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
North Dakota 403
Montana 45
Minnesota 36
Texas 20
Arizona 11
South Dakota 11
Florida 9
Georgia 9
Michigan 9
Colorado 8
Oklahoma 8
Washington 8
Wyoming 8
California 6
Missouri 6
Oregon 6
Utah 6

NOTE: An additional 24 states accounted for 49 other traces. The source state was identified in 658 total traces.

 

Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms​ with a North Dakota Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Under 3 Months 61
3 Months to Under 7 Months 41
7 Months to Under 1 Year 32
1 Year to Under 2 Years 88
2 Years to Under 3 Years 72
3 Years and Over 354

1/1/2023-12/31/2023 North Dakota Average Time-to-Crime: 6.96 Years

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

 

Age of Possessors for Firearms with a North Dakota Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
17 and Under 15
18 to 21 53
22 to 24 47
25 to 30 116
31 to 40 152
41 to 50 118
Over 50 1,046

1/1/2023-12/31/2023 North Dakota Average Age of Possessor: 52 Years

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

 

Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a North Dakota Recovery

January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023
Fargo 1,114
Williston 147
Minot 95
Grand Forks 57
Dickinson 55
Watford City 47
Bismarck 35
Jamestown 34
West Fargo 28
Alexander 18

NOTE: There were 43 additional municipalities that accounted for 128 other traces. The recovery city could not be determined for 12 traces.

 

Analytical Criteria Used to Compile the Enclosed Statistics

Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced

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

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

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a North Dakota Recovery

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

Top Source States for Firearms with a North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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