March 18, 2026

Positive Data Reveals NSSF and ATF’s Joint Operation Secure Store Effective at Keeping Communities Safer

By Larry Keane

Across America, the country is seeing a historic drop in violent crime. One factor contributing to such a monumental decline in violent crime is a long-standing cooperative initiative between the firearm industry, NSSF and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), known as  Operation Secure Store^®.

New data from ATF reveals a 60 percent drop in the number of firearms stolen during burglaries and robberies at Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). That also includes a more than 40 percent drop in the number of incidents. Last year’s data shows the trend line continued on a historic downward trajectory.

This data is great news. Fewer firearm thefts mean fewer illegally obtained firearms in the hands of criminals who would misuse them to commit acts of violence. The numbers of firearm thefts and burglaries has dropped every year since Operation Secure Store (OSS) began, except in 2021 during the nation-wide crime spike that occurred during the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic and the defund-the-police movement. The significant drop between 2024 and 2025 shows firearm retailers are heeding the OSS message and are taking steps to protect their inventory and make themselves less vulnerable to being the victim of a burglary.

Since Operation Secure Store began in 2017, over 40,000 FFL firearm retailers have benefitted from NSSF’s OSS educational materials and resources and that number grows monthly.

Long Downward Trend

Compared to last year, 2025’s totals are encouraging. In calendar 2025, there were a total of 181 firearm burglary incidents in the United States, down from 318 in 2024. Altogether that amounted to 1,748 firearms stolen during a burglary last year compared to 4,389 firearms stolen during a burglary in 2024.

The ATF report puts the data in clear terms: “In CY [calendar year] 2025, the number of FFL burglary incidents declined by 43% and the number of firearms reported stolen declined 60%, when compared to the same period in CY 2024.”

The bigger picture is even better news for everyone. The total number of firearms stolen at retail by criminals in all types of crimes had reached recent lows at around 6,000 total each year in 2020 and 2021, before jumping to more than 12,000 in 2022 and slightly higher in 2024. That figure, however, returned back down to just above 7,000 last year, a marked reduction in firearms landing in the hands of those who shouldn’t have them.

Source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Federal Firearms Licensee Theft/Loss Report, Years 2017-2025

First Line of Defense

Neighborhood firearm retailers are the first line of defense in keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals who would commit acts of violence. Retailers and their staff will tell you they keep constant vigilance in their stores to ensure firearms do not fall into the wrong hands.

The firearm industry understands this and it is why NSSF invests significant resources into the OSS program — a cooperative effort between the firearm industry, NSSF and ATF to provide retailers with educational resources, consultation feedback and services to better secure their inventory to reduce robberies and burglaries.

Ensuring firearm inventories remain safe doesn’t just mean extra locks on the doors or shelves to keep guns secured. With the OSS program, ATF, NSSF and firearm retailers work together and focus on five key areas: “Education and Awareness,” “Assessment and Risk Analysis,” “Planning and Strategy,” “Engagement” and “Response.” This thorough multipronged approach to keeping firearm inventory secure is critical.

Additionally, as part of OSS, NSSF matches ATF reward offers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible burglarizing retailers and stealing firearms. Offering rewards often helps spur community cooperation and encourages anyone with information to help authorities bring criminals to justice. ATF will issue FFL Alerts to communicate with firearm retailers in a community when a store has been burglarized to let them know to be on the lookout for suspicious activity. ATF knows that most burglaries are committed by gangs who will often target more than one retailer in particular areas.

Also, as part of the initiative, the ATF has a 100 percent response rate to burglaries and robberies of firearm retailers and uses the expertise of its trained special agents to work with the victim retailer to determine which firearms were stolen and help the retailer to timely file the required ATF “Theft/Lost Report”. This helps get those stolen guns into the stolen gun database which can help to apprehend those responsible and recover the stolen firearms and return them to the retailer.

Real Solutions. Safer Communities.

Operation Secure Store is one of several NSSF Real Solutions. Safer Communities.^® initiatives. Don’t Lie for the Other Guy™ works to educate retailers on the warning signs of illegal straw purchases. Project ChildSafe^® has partnered with more than 15,000 local law enforcement agencies in all 50 states and the five U.S. territories to distribute more than 41 million free firearm safety kits that include a locking device. FixNICS^® is an ongoing effort to provide resources and encourage states and federal agencies to submit disqualifying records to the FBI NICS system to ensure people who shouldn’t own a firearm are unable to purchase one from a retailer. NSSF also partners with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to give tools to firearm retailers and ranges to have a “Brave Conversation” before a tragedy and prevent suicide.

The newly released ATF data is welcomed news and should be celebrated. It represents the continued and undeniable progress that results from a strong cooperative effort between all stakeholders to keep communities safe. But the hard work continues. Even one illegally obtained firearm is one too many.

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