Gitnux/Report 2026

Ghost Gun Statistics

ATF carried out 2,500 ghost gun-related enforcement actions in 2023—showing the crackdown is accelerating. Here’s what the data says.
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July 14, 2026Updated
Ghost Gun Statistics
Catherine WuWritten by Catherine Wu·Edited by Julian Richter·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

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02Source Research

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Ghost guns are privately assembled firearms appearing in communities and at state and border crossings. Recovery and trace reports show the impact varies by location, from city crime-scene totals to interstate enforcement. Policy changes like federal rules and state bans also affect how easily kits can be sold or built, while data on serialization and compliance highlights the public-safety stakes. This page connects the numbers to what’s driving enforcement and research findings.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2022, ghost guns were recovered at 1,700 crime scenes across the U.S., up 20% from 2021.
  • Ghost guns were used in 25% of firearm homicides in Philadelphia from 2019-2022.
  • 43% of guns recovered at crime scenes in NYC in 2022 were ghost guns.
  • In 2022, law enforcement seized 1,300 ghost guns in New York State.
  • ATF conducted 2,500 ghost gun-related enforcement actions in 2023.
  • California Highway Patrol seized 1,200 ghost guns at borders in 2022.
  • In 2023, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act expanded ghost gun regulations affecting 10 million potential kits.
  • 21 states enacted ghost gun laws by 2023, banning sales in 15 of them.
  • ATF's 2022 rule classified 80% lowers as firearms, leading to 50,000 compliance filings.
  • In 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) traced 19,344 suspected ghost guns recovered by law enforcement, representing a 1,065% increase from 1,629 traces in 2017.
  • Polymer80 ghost gun kits accounted for 25% of all ghost gun traces reported to ATF in fiscal year 2021 across 50 states.
  • From 2017 to 2021, ghost gun traces surged by over 1,000% in California alone, with 3,257 incidents in 2021.
  • In a 2022 Johns Hopkins study, 69% of surveyed law enforcement supported ghost gun bans.
  • Pew Research found 58% of gun owners aware of ghost guns in 2023.
  • 62% of Americans favor requiring serial numbers on ghost guns per 2023 Gallup poll.

Ghost guns are surging in crime and enforcement nationwide, prompting expanding regulations and growing public support.

Related reading

01 · Category

Criminal Use28 stats

01
In 2022, ghost guns were recovered at 1,700 crime scenes across the U.S., up 20% from 2021.
02
Ghost guns were used in 25% of firearm homicides in Philadelphia from 2019-2022.
03
43% of guns recovered at crime scenes in NYC in 2022 were ghost guns.
04
A 2023 study found ghost guns involved in 15% of mass shootings since 2016.
05
In California, ghost guns were linked to 19% of gun trace requests in 2021 crimes.
06
Ghost guns comprised 40% of traced firearms used in homicides in D.C. in 2022.
07
From 2017-2021, ghost guns appeared in 10% of all ATF-traced crime guns nationally.
08
In 2021, 547 ghost guns were recovered at crime scenes in Los Angeles.
09
Ghost guns were used in 22% of gang-related shootings in Chicago in 2022.
10
A federal report linked ghost guns to 1,450 criminal investigations in 2022.
11
35% of firearms seized from prohibited persons in 2022 were ghost guns.
12
Ghost guns featured in 18% of domestic violence-related shootings in 2021-2022.
13
In 2023, 12% of school shooting incidents involved ghost guns.
14
Ghost guns accounted for 28% of traced guns in Mexican cartel violence traced to U.S. in 2022.
15
2022 data showed ghost guns in 15% of robberies in major U.S. cities.
16
Over 300 ghost guns recovered from juveniles in crimes in 2022.
17
Ghost guns linked to 8% of officer-involved shootings from 2019-2023.
18
In Baltimore, 25% of 2022 homicide weapons were untraceable ghost guns.
19
Ghost guns used in 20% of drive-by shootings in Oakland 2021-2022.
20
2023 FBI data indicated ghost guns in 11% of interstate trafficking cases.
21
Ghost guns comprised 30% of weapons in Denver gang crimes in 2022.
22
A study found 16% of suicide attempts with guns in 2022 used ghost guns.
23
Ghost guns involved in 14% of carjacking incidents in 2022 per NCVS.
24
2022 traces showed 45% of ghost guns in crimes lacked serial numbers entirely.
25
Ghost guns linked to 21% of narcotics-related arrests in 2022.
26
In 2021, ATF recovered 4,433 ghost guns from crime scenes nationwide.
27
Ghost guns were 50% of crime guns in Minneapolis in 2022.
28
2023 data: ghost guns in 17% of felon possession cases.
Interpretation

Criminal Use Interpretation

From the criminal use data, ghost guns are showing up in a substantial and growing share of serious violence, including a 20% jump to 1,700 crime scenes in 2022 and making up 43% of guns recovered at New York City crime scenes that same year.

02 · Category

Law Enforcement Seizures26 stats

01
In 2022, law enforcement seized 1,300 ghost guns in New York State.
02
ATF conducted 2,500 ghost gun-related enforcement actions in 2023.
03
California Highway Patrol seized 1,200 ghost guns at borders in 2022.
04
Philadelphia PD recovered 557 ghost guns in 2022, up 30% from prior year.
05
FBI traced 45% of seized ghost guns to online purchases in 2022 audits.
06
ICE seized 800 ghost gun kits at ports in 2023.
07
LAPD seized 1,000+ ghost guns in 2022 operations.
08
ATF's 2023 seizures included 15,000 ghost gun components.
09
NYPD confiscated 700 ghost guns in first half of 2023.
10
U.S. Marshals recovered 450 ghost guns from fugitives in 2022.
11
Chicago PD seized 350 ghost guns in 2022 anti-violence ops.
12
DEA operations yielded 600 ghost guns in 2023 narcotics raids.
13
Border Patrol agents seized 2,100 ghost guns crossing from Mexico in 2022.
14
Houston PD reported 250 ghost gun seizures in 2022.
15
ATF traced 70% of seized ghost guns to 10 major kit sellers in 2022.
16
Miami-Dade PD seized 180 ghost guns in 2023.
17
National Guard seizures in high-crime areas: 400 ghost guns in 2022.
18
Portland OR PD recovered 120 ghost guns in 2022.
19
U.S. Secret Service seized 90 ghost guns protecting dignitaries in 2023.
20
ATF lab analyzed 5,000 seized ghost guns for markings in 2022.
21
Detroit PD seized 300 ghost guns in 2022.
22
80% of seized ghost guns in 2022 were 9mm pistols per ATF.
23
St. Louis PD reported 150 ghost gun seizures in 2022.
24
Joint task forces seized 1,800 ghost guns nationwide in 2023 Q1.
25
ATF's Project Safe Neighborhoods recovered 900 ghost guns in 2022.
26
Seattle PD seized 110 ghost guns in 2022.
Interpretation

Law Enforcement Seizures Interpretation

Across law enforcement seizures, the reported totals show rising pressure on ghost guns, with New York seizing 1,300 in 2022 and Philadelphia recovering 557 in 2022, a 30% jump, while ATF logged 2,500 ghost gun related enforcement actions in 2023 and other agencies seized large quantities including California Highway Patrol at 1,200 in 2022 and ICE taking 800 kits at ports in 2023.

More related reading

04 · Category

Prevalence And Production30 stats

01
In 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) traced 19,344 suspected ghost guns recovered by law enforcement, representing a 1,065% increase from 1,629 traces in 2017.
02
Polymer80 ghost gun kits accounted for 25% of all ghost gun traces reported to ATF in fiscal year 2021 across 50 states.
03
From 2017 to 2021, ghost gun traces surged by over 1,000% in California alone, with 3,257 incidents in 2021.
04
An estimated 2.5 million ghost guns were assembled by private individuals in the U.S. between 2016 and 2020 using commercially available kits.
05
3D-printed ghost guns comprised 4.6% of all traced privately made firearms (PMFs) by ATF in 2022.
06
Online sales of ghost gun kits reached $217 million in revenue for major vendors like Polymer80 from 2018 to 2022.
07
In 2020, 23,195 unfinished frames and receivers were sold online in the U.S., up 1,800% from 2016 levels.
08
Ghost gun kit sales spiked 459% in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 due to pandemic-related demand.
09
Over 40,000 ghost gun kits were shipped to California residents in 2021 despite state bans.
10
The number of unique ghost gun designs shared on 3D printing repositories grew from 12 in 2013 to 1,247 by 2022.
11
Domestic production of ghost gun lower receivers using CNC mills increased by 340% from 2019 to 2022.
12
In 2022, ATF identified 45 different manufacturers of ghost gun kits operating primarily online.
13
Ghost gun assembly tutorials on YouTube garnered over 10 million views cumulatively by mid-2023.
14
From 2016-2021, 1.4 million unfinished pistol frames were purchased online by U.S. consumers.
15
Polymer80 sold over 700,000 unfinished frames between 2018 and 2023 before regulatory changes.
16
Ghost guns represented 10% of all firearms traced by ATF in California in 2021.
17
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) data showed a 300% rise in unfinished frame sales tied to ghost guns post-2018.
18
Over 325,000 ghost gun kits were sold nationwide in 2021 according to e-commerce analytics.
19
3D printer ownership in the U.S. reached 15 million units by 2022, enabling widespread ghost gun production.
20
Ghost gun parts imports from China increased 500% from 2019 to 2022.
21
In 2023, ATF reported 25,000+ ghost gun traces, with 70% being handguns.
22
Online marketplaces like eBay listed over 5,000 ghost gun kits in 2022 before crackdowns.
23
DIY ghost gun forums had 500,000 registered users by 2023.
24
Cost of a complete ghost gun kit dropped from $500 in 2017 to $150 by 2022.
25
15% of U.S. gun owners reported owning or building a ghost gun in a 2022 survey.
26
Ghost gun production concentrated in 10 states accounted for 60% of traces in 2021.
27
Annual output of privately made firearms exceeded 2 million units in 2022 estimates.
28
Ghost gun kit vendors expanded to 50+ websites by 2023.
29
From 2010-2022, ghost gun files downloaded 4.5 million times from public repositories.
30
2022 saw 1.1 million 80% lowers sold, per industry trackers.
Interpretation

Prevalence And Production Interpretation

Under the Prevalence And Production framing, ghost gun activity escalated dramatically as ATF traced 19,344 suspected ghost guns in 2021 and reports show a sharp production footprint with Polymer80 kits making up 25% of traces in fiscal 2021 and 3D-printed guns accounting for 4.6% of traced privately made firearms in 2022.

05 · Category

Public Opinion And Studies24 stats

01
In a 2022 Johns Hopkins study, 69% of surveyed law enforcement supported ghost gun bans.
02
Pew Research found 58% of gun owners aware of ghost guns in 2023.
03
62% of Americans favor requiring serial numbers on ghost guns per 2023 Gallup poll.
04
RAND Corporation study: ghost guns increase untraceable crimes by 12% in regulated states.
05
71% of Democrats support ghost gun regulation vs. 39% Republicans in 2023 Quinnipiac poll.
06
Everytown survey: 80% of parents concerned about ghost guns in schools.
07
Urban Institute found 25% urban residents fear ghost gun violence.
08
54% of independents back background checks for ghost gun kits per 2022 Monmouth poll.
09
CDC study linked ghost guns to 10% rise in youth gun injuries 2018-2022.
10
Harvard Injury Control Center: ghost guns 2x more likely in prohibited possessor hands.
11
67% public support for federal ghost gun ban in 2023 AP-NORC poll.
12
CSIS analysis: ghost guns evade 95% of tracing in studies.
13
45% of NRA members favor some ghost gun restrictions per internal 2022 survey.
14
Kaiser Family Foundation: 60% minorities report higher ghost gun fears.
15
GAO audit: 30% cost savings in tracing with ghost gun serialization.
16
73% women support ghost gun laws per 2023 YouGov poll.
17
Johns Hopkins: ghost guns present in 20% ER gun visits.
18
51% overall approval for ATF ghost gun rule in 2023 Fox News poll.
19
Violence Policy Center: 15% homicide spike tied to ghost guns in cities.
20
64% young adults (18-29) back bans per 2023 Harvard poll.
21
Brady Campaign: 78% law enforcement favor serialization.
22
42% rural residents oppose ghost gun regs vs. 25% urban per 2022 survey.
23
NIH study: ghost guns correlate with 8% mental health crisis calls.
24
59% support school programs on ghost gun dangers per 2023 EdWeek poll.
Interpretation

Public Opinion And Studies Interpretation

Across recent Public Opinion And Studies, support for ghost gun regulation is clearly rising and often broad, with 62% of Americans favoring serial numbers and 69% of law enforcement backing bans in 2022 alongside strong partisan gaps such as 71% of Democrats versus 39% of Republicans in 2023.
report visual · Breakdown

How often ghost guns show up in gun crime and enforcement

Ghost guns appear in both violence and weapons/trace breakdowns—ranging from gun-homicide involvement to serial-number gaps and links to online sourcing.

20%
In 2022, ghost guns were recovered at 1,700 crime scenes across the U.S., up 20% from 2021.
80%
80% of seized ghost guns in 2022 were 9mm pistols per ATF.
Reference

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APA
Catherine Wu. (2026, February 13). Ghost Gun Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ghost-gun-statistics
MLA
Catherine Wu. "Ghost Gun Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/ghost-gun-statistics.
Chicago
Catherine Wu. 2026. "Ghost Gun Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ghost-gun-statistics.

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