Firearms Trace Data: Wisconsin - 2020

Data Source: Firearms Tracing System

January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020

 

Contents

  1. ATF Firearms Trace Data Disclaimer
  2. Table: Total Number of Firearms Recovered and ​Traced in Wisconsin in Calendar Year 2020
  3. Table: Firearm Types with a Wisconsin Recovery
  4. Table: Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces with a Wisconsin Recovery
  5. Table: Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a Wisconsin Recovery
  6. Table: Top 15 Source States for Firearms​ with a Wisconsin Recovery
  7. Table: Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms​ with a Wisconsin Recovery
  8. Table: Age of Possessors for Firearms​ with a Wisconsin Recovery
  9. Table: Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a Wisconsin 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 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 Wisconsin in Calendar Year 2020

5,924

 

Firearm Types with a Wisconsin Recovery

January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020
Pistols 4,620
Rifles 561
Revolvers 379
Shotguns 317
Derringers 25
Other* 22

* Other includes Unknown Types, Machineguns, Receivers/Frames, Silencers and an Any Other Weapon.

 

Top Calibers Reported on Firearm Traces ​with a Wisconsin Recovery

January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020
9mm 2,537
.40 Cal 777
.380 Cal 487
.22 Cal 472
.45 Cal 391
12GA 244
.38 Cal 161
7.62mm 120
.357 Cal 97
5.56mm 74

NOTE: There were 516 additional traces that were associated with other calibers. There were 48 traces with an unknown caliber.

 

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a Wisconsin Recovery

January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020
Firearm Under Investigation 1,793
Possession of Weapon 1,464
Carrying Concealed Weapon 732
Found Firearm 349
Dangerous Drugs 253
Weapon Offense 242
Family Offense 172
Homicide 160
Suicide 117
Public Peace 84

NOTE: There were 558 additional traces that were associated with other categories.

 

Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a Wisconsin Recovery

January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020
Wisconsin 4,190
Illinois 98
Indiana 84
Minnesota 54
Texas 52
Mississippi 50
Georgia 41
Michigan 37
Florida 34
Missouri 30
Arizona 25
Ohio 25
North Carolina 23
Kentucky 20
Arkansas 18
Tennessee 18

NOTE: An additional 31 states and Puerto Rico accounted for 164 other traces. The source state was identified in 4,963 total traces.

 

Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms​ with a Wisconsin Recovery

January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020
Under 3 Months 776
3 Months to Under 7 Months 580
7 Months to Under 1 Year 340
1 Year to Under 2 Years 505
2 Years to Under 3 Years 417
3 Years and Over 2,298

1/1/2020-12/31/2020 Wisconsin Average Time-to-Crime: 5.81 Years

1/1/2020-12/31/2020 National Average Time-to-Crime: 7.01 Years

 

Age of Possessors for Firearms with a Wisconsin Recovery

January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020
17 and Under 147
18 to 21 582
22 to 24 578
25 to 30 1,062
31 to 40 1083
41 to 50 351
Over 50 357

1/1/2020-12/31/2020 Wisconsin Average Age of Possessor: 32 Years

1/1/2020-12/31/2020 National Average Age of Possessor: 34 Years

 

Top Recovery Cities for Firearms with a Wisconsin Recovery

January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020
Milwaukee 3,144
Madison 292
Kenosha 236
Racine 206
West Allis 160
Green Bay 152
Beloit 88
La Crosse 76
Waukesha 76
Janesville 75

NOTE: There were 236 additional municipalities that accounted for 1,414 other traces. The recovery city could not be determined for five traces.

 

Analytical Criteria Used to Compile the Enclosed Statistics

Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced

  • Includes traces with a recovery state of Wisconsin. Traces in which the recovery state was not provided were included when the requesting agency state was equal to Wisconsin.​
  • Includes Firearms Recovered and Traced between 1/1/2020 – 12/31/2020 or, if the recovery date was blank, firearms with trace entry dates between 1/1/2020 – 12/31/2020.
  • 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 12, 2021.​
  • All traces may not have been submitted or completed at the time of this study.​

Firearm Types and Calibers with a Wisconsin Recovery

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

Top Categories Reported on Firearm Traces with a Wisconsin Recovery

  • Includes same criteria as Total Number of Firearms Recovered and Traced. Beginning in CY 2010, attempted homicide, attempted suicide and negligent vehicular manslaughter are reported in separate categories.

Top Source States for Firearms with a Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 2020 Firearms Trace Data

Last Reviewed November 22, 2021