Firearms/Weapons · National · FY2015–FY2025
Firearms
41% of classifiable Firearms sentences landed below the guideline range - rarer below-guideline share (≤ 44%).
- 53.6
- Avg months FY2025
- near the national average
- 8,009
- Federal cases
- 52%
- Within guidelines
- typical guideline adherence
- 75%
- Guilty plea
Departure profile · Firearms FY2025
41% of classifiable Firearms outcomes landed below guidelines (rarer below-guideline share (≤ 44%)). Case-level mean OL 6.8 · mean CH 0.96 across 8,009 USSC rows, the departure share is the sheet signature.
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Firearms ranks #3 of 30 by caseload (8,009 cases) and #13 of 30 by average sentence (53.6 months).
- #3
- Caseload of 30
- #13
- Avg sentence of 30
- 53.6 months
- This offense avg FY2025
- 8,009
- This offense cases FY2025
Caseload rank covers every district with at least one FY case. Average-sentence rank covers districts with at least 100 cases so a thin docket cannot top the list. Offense ranks cover the 30 published guideline types. Averages follow offense mix, not court character.
Firearms FY2024→FY2025: +0.5 mo
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | GL Min | GL Max | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 8,009 | 53.6 | 55.3 | 66.9 | 52% | 7% | 41% |
| FY2024 | 8,107 | 53.1 | 56.2 | 66.0 | 53% | 7% | 40% |
| FY2023 | 8,809 | 52.8 | 55.5 | 66.0 | 52% | 6% | 41% |
| FY2022 | 9,294 | 51.7 | 54.4 | 64.9 | 53% | 6% | 41% |
| FY2021 | 8,123 | 51.1 | 53.1 | 64.1 | 51% | 5% | 44% |
| FY2020 | 7,523 | 50.6 | 52.7 | 63.4 | 52% | 5% | 43% |
| FY2019 | 8,454 | 53.3 | 56.6 | 66.3 | 55% | 4% | 41% |
| FY2018 | 7,489 | 55.7 | 62.3 | 67.8 | 56% | 5% | 39% |
Firearms · hardest district slice
Among districts with ≥5 FY2025 cases, Rhode Island posts the longest average (105.5 mo, 3 cases , +96.8% vs national).
Where firearms sentences sit among all federal sentences (FY2025)
Each bar counts imposed federal prison terms in that length band; the marker is this offense's average.
54 69th percentile longer than 69% of 61,431 federal sentences
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more federal sentences. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles · FY2025
Firearms - Top District Disparities (FY2025)
District Comparison (FY2025)
Districts with ≥5 FY2025 Firearms cases. Averages still mix case factors (history, quantity, cooperation).
| District | Cases | Avg (mo) | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 3 | 105.5 | +96.8% |
| Virgin Islands | 7 | 99.3 | +85.3% |
| Middle Georgia | 79 | 82.9 | +54.7% |
| Eastern Louisiana | 79 | 78.1 | +45.7% |
| Eastern Arkansas | 181 | 75.9 | +41.6% |
| Southern Illinois | 50 | 71.5 | +33.5% |
| Southern Indiana | 86 | 71.0 | +32.5% |
| Western Michigan | 65 | 69.4 | +29.4% |
| Western Tennessee | 101 | 69.3 | +29.4% |
| Middle North Carolina | 138 | 68.2 | +27.3% |
| South Carolina | 118 | 67.6 | +26.2% |
| Western Missouri | 188 | 66.7 | +24.4% |
| Southern Iowa | 77 | 66.3 | +23.7% |
| Western Oklahoma | 129 | 66.0 | +23.1% |
| Minnesota | 71 | 66.0 | +23.1% |
| Southern Georgia | 65 | 65.7 | +22.7% |
| Northern Iowa | 89 | 65.5 | +22.3% |
| Western Pennsylvania | 76 | 63.6 | +18.7% |
| Middle Tennessee | 117 | 63.1 | +17.7% |
| Middle Florida | 217 | 62.8 | +17.2% |
Nationwide peers · caseload or average sentence
Similar FY caseload
Nearest by ABS(8,009 cases).
- Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement · 5,061 cases · Fraud/Financial
- Other Offenses · 1,665 cases · Other
- Child Pornography · 1,416 cases · Sex Offenses
- Sexual Abuse · 1,403 cases · Sex Offenses
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide offense types by ABS(53.6 mo here; ≥50-case types).
- Extortion/Racketeering · 60.3 mo avg · Violent Crime
- Money Laundering · 68.4 mo avg · Fraud/Financial
- Arson · 71.9 mo avg · Violent Crime
- Individual Rights · 74.2 mo avg · Other
Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025 · Methodology
What the Firearms data shows
In FY2025, 8,009 federal defendants were sentenced for firearms, with an average sentence of 53.6 months -- 1.7 months above the national average across all offenses.
- 52% of firearms sentences in FY2025 fell within the guideline range, with 41% below (downward departures or variances, often for cooperation). The below-range rate reflects how frequently prosecutors offer departure motions for substantial assistance. How the guidelines work
- The highest-average district for firearms in FY2025 was Rhode Island, averaging 105.5 months -- 51.9 months above the national average. Case-specific factors within this offense (criminal history, quantity or aggravating circumstances, cooperation) drive that gap as much as any district-level pattern; the comparison below shows the full spread. Rhode Island data
- The average sentence for firearms has fallen 2.1 months since FY2018 (FY2018: 55.7 mo; FY2025: 53.6 mo). The trend chart above compares actual sentences against the guideline midpoint each year. Post-Booker sentencing trends
Descriptive USSC aggregates, not legal advice; individual sentences depend on case-specific facts.
PlainSentencing is rendered directly from the United States Sentencing Commission Individual Offender Datafiles, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Report a data issue on this page.