Law enforcement uses time-to-crime, the duration between a firearm's last legal purchase and its use in a criminal act, to identify potential arms trafficking. The shorter the amount of time, the more likely the gun was purchased with criminal intent.
A recent Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) report compared the time-to-crime for men and women and revealed that guns bought by women had a quicker turnaround for being used in a crime. Thirty-six percent of guns traced back to female buyers were used in a crime within one year of purchase, 12 points higher than men (24%).
