Weapons Convictions for October 2025
The latest available data from the Justice Department show that during October 2025 the government reported 713 new weapons convictions. According to the case-by-case information analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), this number is down 30.2 percent over the previous month.
The comparisons of the number of defendants convicted for weapons-related offenses are based on case-by-case information obtained by TRAC under the Freedom of Information Act from the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (see Table 1).
When monthly 2025 convictions of this type are compared with those of the same period in the previous year, the number of convictions was up (3.3%). Convictions over the past year are still much higher than they were five years ago. Overall, the data show that convictions of this type are up 24.8 percent from levels reported in 2020.
Figure 1. Monthly Trends in Weapons Convictions
The increase from the levels five years ago in weapons convictions for these matters is shown more clearly in Figure 1. The vertical bars in Figure 1 represent the number of weapons convictions of this type recorded on a month-to-month basis. Where a prosecution was initially filed in U.S. Magistrate Court and then transferred to the U.S. District Court, the magistrate filing date was used since this provides an earlier indicator of actual trends. The superimposed line on the bars plots the six-month moving average so that natural fluctuations are smoothed out. The one and five-year rates of change in Table 1 and in the sections that follow are all based upon this six-month moving average. To view trends year-by-year rather than month-by-month, see TRAC's annual report series for a broader picture.
Within the broad category of weapons, cases were classified by prosecutors into more specific types.
Case types within weapons are
Armed Career Criminal Act
Firearms/Triggerlock
Other Operation Triggerlock Prosecutions
The largest number of convictions of these matters in October 2025 was for "Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major", accounting for 100 percent of convictions. See Figure 2.
The lead investigative agency for weapons convictions in October 2025 was ATF accounting for 60 percent of convictions. Other agencies with substantial numbers of weapons convictions were: FBI (12% ), Local (12%), DHS (8%), DEA (3%). See Figure 3.
Weapons Convictions in U.S. Magistrate Courts
Top Ranked Lead Charges
In October 2025, no defendants in weapons cases for these matters were convicted in U.S. Magistrate Courts. These courts handle less serious misdemeanor cases, including what are called "petty offenses." In addition, complaints are sometimes filed in the magistrate courts before an indictment or information is entered. In these cases, the matter starts in the magistrate courts and later moves to the district court where subsequent proceedings take place.
Weapons Convictions in U.S. District Courts
In October 2025, 713 defendants in new cases for these matters were charged in the U.S. District Courts. In addition during October there were an additional 0 defendants whose cases moved from the magistrate courts to the U.S. district courts after an indictment or information was filed. The sections which follow cover both sets of cases and therefore cover all matters filed in district court during October.
Top Ranked Lead Charges
Table 2 shows the top lead charges recorded in the convictions of weapons matters filed in U.S. District Court during October 2025.
Lead Charge Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago 18 USC 922 - Firearms; Unlawful acts 584 1 1 1 More 18 USC 1951 - Hobbs Act 19 3 4 3 More 18 USC 554 - Smuggling goods from the United States 15 4 7 7 More 18 USC 924 - Firearms; Penalties 14 5 5 2 More 21 USC 841 - Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A 12 6 3 5 More 21 USC 846 - Attempt and conspiracy 5 7 8 6 More 26 USC 5861 - Tax on Making Firearms - Prohibited acts 5 7 6 8 More 18 USC 2113 - Bank robbery and incidental crimes 3 9 19 11 More 18 USC 2114 - Mail, money, or other property of United States 3 9 11 28 More Table 2. Top Charges for Convictions
"Firearms; Unlawful acts" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 922) was the most frequent recorded lead charge. "Firearms; Unlawful acts" (Title 18 U.S.C Section 922) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 five years ago.
Ranked 2nd in frequency was the lead charge "Other US Code Section" under Title U.S.C Section. "Other US Code Section" under Title U.S.C Section was ranked 2 a year ago, while it was ranked 4 five years ago.
Ranked 3rd was "Hobbs Act" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951. "Hobbs Act" under Title 18 U.S.C Section 1951 was ranked 4 a year ago, while it was ranked 3 five years ago.
Among these top ten lead charges, the one showing the greatest increase in convictions — up 150 percent — compared to one year ago was Title 18 U.S.C Section 2113 that involves " Bank robbery and incidental crimes ". Compared to five years ago, the largest increase — 900 percent — was registered for convictions under " Mail, money, or other property of United States " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 2114 ).
Again among the top ten lead charges, the one showing the sharpest decline in convictions compared to one year ago — down 35.7 percent — was " Drug Abuse Prevention & Control-Prohibited acts A " (Title 21 U.S.C Section 841 ). Compared to five years ago, the most significant decline in convictions — 44.1 percent — was for convictions where the lead charge was " Firearms; Penalties " (Title 18 U.S.C Section 924 ).
Top Ranked Judicial Districts
In October 2025 the Justice Department's case-by-case records show that the government obtained 251.6 weapons convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
Understandably, there is great variation in the per capita number of weapons convictions in each of the nation's ninety-four federal judicial districts.
The districts registering the largest number of convictions per capita for these matters last month are shown in Table 3. Districts must have at least 5 weapons convictions to receive a ranking.
Judicial District Percapita Count Rank 1yr ago 5yrs ago Iowa, N 2,956 33 1 14 15 More Mo, E 2,745 67 2 1 1 More Montana 2,110 20 3 31 28 More D. C. 1,538 9 4 60 58 More Ark, E 1,525 21 5 4 9 More S Dakota 1,185 9 6 31 33 More Vermont 1,110 6 7 64 65 More Ala, S 1,095 8 8 62 30 More Wash, E 973 14 9 79 65 More W Virg, N 902 7 10 46 75 More Table 3. Top 10 Districts (per ten million people)
The Northern District of Iowa (Cedar Rapids) — with 2956 convictions as compared with 251.6 convictions per ten million population in the United States — was the most active during October 2025.
The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) ranked 2nd. The Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) was ranked 1 a year ago, while it was ranked 1 for most frequent use five years ago.
District of Montana is now ranking 3rd.
Recent entrants to the top 10 list were Northern District of Iowa (Cedar Rapids), now ranked 1st , and Montana at 3rd In the same order, these districts ranked 14th and 31st one year ago and 15th and 28th five years ago.
The federal judicial district which showed the greatest growth in the rate of weapons convictions compared to one year ago — 113.3 percent — was Eastern District of Washington (Spokane). Compared to five years ago, the district with the largest growth — 200 percent — was Northern District of West Virginia (Wheeling).
In the last year, the judicial District Court recording the largest drop in the rate of weapons convictions — 44.8 percent — was Washington, D.C. (Washington). This was the same district that had the largest increase — 27.3 percent — when compared with five years ago.
Top Ranked District Judges
At any one time, there are about 680 federal District Court judges working in the United States. The judges recorded with the largest number of new weapons crime cases resulting in convictions of this type during October 2025 are shown in Table 4.
Judge Count Rank Strand, Leonard T. Iowa, N 11 1 More Limbaugh, Stephen Nathaniel, Jr. Mo, E 11 1 More Clark, Stephen Robert, Sr. Mo, E 10 3 More Watters, Susan Pamela Montana 10 3 More Sippel, Rodney W. Mo, E 9 5 More Moody, James Maxwell, Jr. Ark, E 8 6 More Autrey, Henry Edward Mo, E 7 7 More Fleissig, Audrey Goldstein Mo, E 7 7 More Morris, Brian Matthew Montana 7 7 More Flanagan, Louise W. N Car, E 6 10 More Eagles, Catherine Caldwell N Car, M 6 10 More Reiss, Christina Clair Vermont 6 10 More Table 4. Top Ten Judges
A total of 10 out of the "top ten" judges were in districts which were in the top ten with the largest number of weapons convictions per capita, while the remaining 2 judges were from other districts. (Because of ties, there were a total of 12 judges in the "top ten" rankings.)
Judges Leonard T. Strand in the Northern District of Iowa (Cedar Rapids) and Stephen Nathaniel Limbaugh, Jr. in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) ranked 1st with 11 convicted in weapons convictions.
Judges Stephen Robert Clark, Sr. in the Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis) and Susan Pamela Watters in the District of Montana ranked 3rd with 10 convicted in weapons convictions.
Report Generated: February 19, 2026
