U.S. Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report: Aggregate Time Series Dataset 2000-2020
Description
This dataset compiles yearly records from the Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report (AFMER) published by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The records were digitized, cleaned, and merged by RDS key, indicating unique firearm manufacturing locations, across different firearm type, and across multiple years, from 2000-2020. The result of this archival digitizing project is a dataset that enables researchers to compare trends in manufacturing over time and place. Manufacturing locations that contributed over one percent of total manufactured firearms (2000-2020) were selected and georeferenced. These 100 locations are included in the GIS database.
Files
Steps to reproduce
1. Obtain original AFMER reports from the following locations: U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Data & Statistics [Internet]. Data & Statistics | Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Annual Firearms Manufacturers and Export Report (2007-2020). 2022 [cited 2021 Jun 03]. Available from: https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/data-statistics U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Annual Firearms Manufacturers and Export Report (2000, 2002, 2003) U.S. Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Homeland Security Digital Library. Homeland Security Digital Library. 2021 [accessed 2021 Jun 11]. https://www.hsdl.org/?search=&searchfield=&all=annual+firearms+and+export+report&collection=public&submitted=Search U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Annual Firearms Manufacturers and Export Report (2001, 2004-2006), Distributed by Jones R. ryjones/AFMER. 2020. https://github.com/ryjones/AFMER/tree/default/SOURCE/NU 2. Convert .PDF data to excel or speadsheet form. The authors used Adobe Acrobat software; however, there are other software translations tools as well. 3. Clean Excel data to ensure that each row contains only one record, eliminate ancillary formatting (total rows, redundant header rows, unnecessary lines, rows, or columns). Ensure that for each spreadsheet, only one header row exists. 4. Verify digital translation and cleaning work by calculating and comparing totals in the spreadsheets with totals reported in the published AFMER documents. Also, verify by spot-checking values in spreadsheet with values in original .PDF documents and reports. 5. Merge data across firearm type and year by RDS Key. Keep last FFL license name. Create variable titles based on year and type of firearm (e.g. rifle00 for rifles manufactured in 2000). Stata statistical software was used to merge across years; however, other statistical, database or GIS software could also be used to complete this task. 6. Calculate aggregate values of firearms manufactured across firearm type and across years. Identify cumulative percentage of for manufactured firearms by dividing total per facility by total manufactured by all facilities reported in AFMER. 7. Sort aggregate manufacturing totals to identify large manufacturing locations for firearms, selecting locations that contributed over one percent of total firearms manufactured. 8. Use geocoding services or software to identify the latitude and longitude numerical locations for top manufacturer based on address information listed in the AFMER. The authors used ArcGIS Online geocoding services. 9. Use GIS software to convert point locations to centroid coordinates (latitude and longitude values) as attributes.