Officer’s Guide to Recovered Firearms

The International Association of Chiefs of Police has made ATF’s Police Officer’s Guide to Recovered Firearms available now on your mobile device. This free app is designed specifically for members of law enforcement to aid with processing recovered firearms while in the field.

Do you know where to find serial numbers on firearms? Do you know how to interpret the results of a firearms query from NCIC? Having accurate information and details to report on a recovered firearm could mean the difference between getting a criminal off the streets and letting him walk. The Officer’s Guide to Recovered Firearms app is a critical tool to help officers properly identify and describe guns associated with crimes, which will result in more complete reports, and ultimately help prosecutors build a stronger case against armed criminals.

Features
The app features information on:
- Firearms safety
- Identifying markings on a revolver, pistol, rifle, and shotgun, as well as a visual guide to a variety of firearms
- Using the NCIC gun file
- Tracing firearms and utilizing ATF’s National Tracing Center (e-Trace)
- Identifying persons prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms and questions to ask unlawful firearms possessors

Test Your Firearms ID Knowledge
Once you have reviewed the Officer’s Guide to Recovered Firearms, test your comprehension by taking the quiz. Respond correctly to every question and receive a certificate of completion by email to print and add to your file.


"This app is a large step toward accessible resources in law enforcement, it provides line officers with up to date, quality, interactive information, for accurately reporting stolen or recovered firearms." -Chief Robert L. Champagne, Peabody Police Department-

“This application is built upon the premise that every gun misused in a crime holds a story. When uncovered, this story can generate information of tactical and strategic value in solving and preventing violent crimes. We know that it takes a combination of people, processes, and technology to turn this data it into actionable intelligence in order to stop armed criminals, which is why this application is an excellent first step toward that objective.” -Pete Gagliardi – Author of The 13 Critical Tasks: An Inside-Out Approach to Solving More Gun Crime

“When ATF created the Police Officer’s Guide to Recovered Firearms, we didn’t know what an app was, or the possibilities it could hold for getting this information directly into the hands of law enforcement. We are thrilled to see that this useful information will be so easy to access.” –Senior Special Agent Benjamin Hayes, ATF

This app was developed through a partnership between the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance.