The Hidden Life of Guns series

The Hidden Life of Guns, a year-long investigation by The Washington Post, traced guns recovered in crimes in the region. The Post's analysis found a small number of gun stores in the region were linked to a vast majority of the guns recovered in crimes. "Since 1992, more than 2,500 guns recovered by police and tied to crimes in the Washington area have been traced back to their original sale at Realco Guns in Forestville, Md. The total is four times that of the dealer with the next highest number of gun traces." In Virginia, 60 percent of the 6,800 guns seized since 1998 can be linked to just 40 dealers — one percent of the licensed firearms dealers in the state.