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 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.