Where are most illegal guns sold?
Asked by: Dr. Gwendolyn Mohr | Last update: April 9, 2026Score: 4.8/5 (34 votes)
Most illegal guns originate from the legal market before being diverted through various trafficking methods. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the primary sources for firearms used in crimes are licensed gun dealers, with the majority being diverted into the illegal market via trafficking and theft.
What country sells the most illegal guns?
Europe has been an overall large exporter of illicit weapons with the United Kingdom, Germany, and France in the national lead for the most exports.
How do people get unregistered firearms?
This can include firearms that were inherited, purchased out of state, or acquired through private sales without proper documentation. Regardless of how the firearm was obtained, failing to register it is considered illegal in California.
What weapons are on the black market?
The most common categories were handguns (70.5%), followed by rifles (10.3%), ammunition (3.7%), submachine guns (1.9%), explosives (1.7%), shotguns (1.6%) and accessories (1.1%). Digital products (5.3%), CBRN (0.64%) and miscellaneous weapons (3.3%) were only listed on omnibus markets.
Where are the most guns sold?
Wyoming leads with 161 guns sold per 1,000 residents in 2024, while D.C. has just 7.5 per 1,000—a 21-fold difference driven by local regulations and cultural factors. High gun sales don't correlate with high gun crime: Wyoming has the nation's highest sales rate, but only 29% of assaults involve firearms.
Where Illegal Guns REALLY Come From
Which state is the hardest to buy a gun?
Report Highlights:
- Hawaii is the #1 worst state for gun owners due to strict purchasing and carry laws, as well as defying the Supreme Court on the individual's right to carry.
- Massachusetts is the #2 worst state for gun owners due to its permit-to-purchase and reciprocity laws.
What state sells most guns?
Texas sells the most guns by total volume, followed closely by Florida and California, largely due to their large populations, with Texas leading in 2023 sales with over 1.3 million firearms sold. When adjusted for population (per capita), states like Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska often rank highest, reflecting strong gun culture and easier ownership laws, according to SafeHome.org analysis of 2023/2024 data.
What drives demand in black markets?
Motivations that create demand for black market goods and services come from underlying desire, greed, or needs. Social norms and desire to satisfy wants and needs drive demand. As a result, humans seek out various goods and services, whether through illegal or legal means.
What is the most sold gun in the world?
The polymer-framed, striker-fired Glock is currently the most sold pistol platform in the world and enjoys a substantial share of both the American law enforcement and civilian markets. The Glock family, the best selling handgun in the world today.
What is the most common way that individuals get guns illegally?
Another large source of guns used in crimes are unlicensed street dealers who either get their guns through illegal transactions with licensed dealers, straw purchases, or from gun thefts. These illegal dealers turn around and sell these illegally on the street.
What is a ghost gun?
What are ghost guns? Ghost Guns are unserialized (and therefore untraceable) firearms that are put together by components purchased either as a kit or as separate pieces. These firearms are fully functioning guns that are as lethal as a fully finished, serialized firearm.
What guns are illegal to own in the US?
NFA weapons are weapons that are heavily restricted at a federal level by the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986. These include automatic firearms (such as machine guns), short-barreled shotguns, and short-barreled rifles.
Who is the biggest buyer of US weapons?
The USA supplied major arms to 107 states in 2020–24. For the first time in two decades, the largest share of US arms exports in 2020–24 went to Europe (35 per cent) rather than the Middle East (33 per cent). Nevertheless, the top single recipient of US arms was Saudi Arabia (12 per cent of US arms exports).
What country does not allow guns at all?
In some countries, including Cambodia, Eritrea, and the Solomon Islands, private ownership of firearms by civilians is completely prohibited.
What city has the highest gun crime?
Our data placed St. Louis at the top of the list for the highest number of gun-related injuries per 10,000 residents (18.6) as well as the highest incidence of gun-related deaths (9.1 per 10,000 people). However, Ocala, Florida is another city that has to be in the spotlight when it comes to firearm-related incidents.
What is the no. 1 gun?
The Ruger No. 1 is a single-shot rifle introduced and manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co. since 1967.
Why do Mexicans like .38 super?
Apart from its popularity in shooting sports, the . 38 Super +P is one of the most popular pistol cartridges in Latin America due to local restrictions on civilian ownership of firearms chambered for military cartridges, such as 9mm Parabellum and . 45 ACP.
What hits harder, 357 or 45?
357 Mag. usually produces more energy and offers a better trajectory. These 125-grain pills from Sig Sauer, for example, produce 583 foot-pounds (ft. -lbs.)
Does the black market still exist?
Yes, the black market absolutely still exists and is thriving, operating through physical locations, online dark web markets, and informal networks to trade illegal goods like drugs, weapons, counterfeit items, and trafficked wildlife, as well as providing illegal services, fueled by high demand, profit motives, and restrictions on legal access. Despite law enforcement crackdowns, these markets adapt, with the digital world creating new avenues for illicit trade, making them a significant, persistent part of the global economy.
How big is the black market in the US?
However, according to different sources, it is about 12% of the US gross domestic product (GDP). In 2020, the US GDP was worth $21.48 trillion. That would make the US black market worth around $2.55 trillion; still, that number is only an estimate.
What state has the most illegal firearms?
U.S. states with highest number of trafficked guns in 2021
Georgia, Texas, Indiana, and South Carolina rounded out the top five in that year.
What state is the most gun-friendly?
There isn't one single "most" gun-friendly state, as rankings vary, but New Hampshire, West Virginia, Montana, Arkansas, and South Dakota consistently appear at the top for having permissive gun laws, permitless carry, no sales tax on firearms, and strong "stand your ground" protections, with New Hampshire often leading due to its "Live Free or Die" stance and Constitutional Carry. States like Mississippi and Missouri also have very lenient laws, while California and New Jersey have the strictest.
How many guns does the average gun owner have?
The average American owns between one and five firearms. Men are more likely than women to own more than one, and those with only one firearm typically have a handgun or pistol. 62% of gun owners with only one firearm have a handgun. 66% of gun owners have more than one firearm.