See which Tennessee gun stores made ATF list of places that sold most firearms used in crime

Joyce Orlando, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·5 min read

The federal government is keeping an eye on which gun stores are selling the most firearms used in crimes. And they have identified 47 in Tennessee.

More than 1,300 gun stores across the nation are on the watch list which has been kept secret for more than two decades, since 2003 under the George W. Bush administration. A Freedom of Information Act request by USA TODAY brought the information to light.

The information gained in the request showed that the vast majority of guns used in crimes are sold by a small fraction of America’s gun shops, including these 47 spread across Tennessee.

Here's a look at the data and which stores were flagged in the state.

Gun control in Tennessee and the South

The map created based on ATF data shows that a large concentration of guns involved in crimes came from the South, where gun control has been a hot-button issue in many states including Tennessee.

The Covenant School shooting in March 2023 sparked ongoing protests and bipartisan calls for gun safety reform in the state. For most of the last year, the topic has been at the forefront of the legislature. In January, the start of the 2024 legislative session, lawmakers filed more than a dozen firearm-related bills. Some range from arming teachers to establishing red flag laws.

Before the shooting that left seven dead, Tennessee legislatures had been rolling back restrictions on the carrying and purchase of firearms. Here are some of the state's recent actions on guns:

  • Tennessee became a permitless carry state in 2021, allowing for open and concealed carrying of handguns without a permit. State law originally applied to those ages 21 and up, and 18- to 20-year-olds serving in the military. However, the minimum age was dropped to 18 this year following a federal lawsuit from several younger Tennessee adults and a California gun rights group.

  • Federal law requires licensed firearms dealers to conduct background checks before a sale. However, the law does not apply to private, unlicensed sellers. Currently, 20 states have additional laws to require background checks for private sellers, but Tennessee is not one of them. Tennessee is also one of 13 states that conduct state background checks in addition to using the federal background check system.

  • Gov. Bill Lee pushed for an extreme risk protection law in 2023, but it never came to pass. Tennessee has no such extreme protection, or "red flag", law in place. The House Republican Caucus in a 2023 statement said “any red flag law is a non-starter” in that chamber. A bill looking to establish a red flag law in the state was proposed in January 2024.

How gun stores got on the list

The list of outlets targeted in 2023 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives includes large retailers – Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, Rural King and Sportsman’s Warehouse – as well as stores in smaller communities like Gallatin.

To make this list, the stores had to have at least at least 25 guns traced to a crime over a year that were purchased within the past three years. It’s known in the law enforcement lingo as “time to crime.” A short period is an indicator of the illegal trafficking of guns.

Being on the list adds more scrutiny by the ATF: Shops must submit additional quarterly reports on used firearm purchases to help expose the secondary market for guns used in crime.

Which stores in Tennessee were on the list?

Forty-seven stores across Tennessee made the list including ones in large cities such as Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis as well as small communities in places like Maryville and Clarksville.

The community with the most shops on the list? Memphis.

Twelve Memphis gun stores made the ATF list, along with five in Knoxville and four in Nashville. The rest of the shops were spread across the state.

See the Tennessee gun stores on the ATF list

Here's a list of the stores that made the list in metro areas.

Nashville

  • Bass Pro Outdoor World LLC, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World #009323, Opry Mills Drive, Nashville, 37214

  • Bellshire Hardware Co Inc., Bellshire Hardware, 3837 Dickerson Rd., Nashville, 37207

  • Lonestar Direct LLC, Shooters Guns & Ammo, 575 Murfreesboro Rd., Nashville, 37210

  • Nashville Armory LLC, Nashville Armory, 4290 Kenilwood Dr., Nashville, 37204

Knoxville

  • Crossroads Construction LLC, Crossroads Firearms, 5703 North Broadway, Knoxville, 37918

  • Harvey's Pistol & Pawn LLC, Harvey's Pistol & Pawn, 5305 Clinton Plaza Drive, Knoxville, 37912

  • Knoxville Operations LLC, Range USA, 620 Corporate Point Way, Knoxville, 37932

  • Knoxville Tactical LLC, Knoxville Tactical, 7609 Blueberry Rd., Powell, 37849

  • Rk Holdings LLP, Rural King Holdings LLP, 7340 Norris Freeway, Knoxville, 37918

Memphis

  • Abe's Gun Store, LLC, 2564 Appling Rd. Suite 104, Memphis, 38133

  • Accent Loan Store LLC, Accent Guns And Loans, 3632 Summer Ave., Memphis, 38122

  • Bass Pro Outdoor World LLC, Bass Pro Shops Sportsmans Warehouse #015, 6140 Macon Rd., Memphis, 38134

  • Bass Pro Outdoor World LLC, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World #061, 1 Bass Pro Drive, Memphis, 38105

  • Epsteins, Advantage Pawn, 1510 E. Shelby Dr., Memphis, 38116

  • Fcfs TN, Inc., Cash America Pawn Of Memphis #6, 3500 S Mendenhall Rd. #4, Memphis, 38115

  • Gjs Guns Enterprises LLC, 2437 Spey Dr., Memphis, 38119

  • Guns And Ammo Inc., Guns And Ammo, 3615 Summer Ave., Memphis, 38122

  • Krasner Loan Co Inc, American Loan Co, 636 Poplar Ave., Memphis, 38105

  • Memphis Operations LLC, Range Usa, 1740 Century Center Cove, Memphis, 38134

  • Top Gun Indoor Range & Full Auto Experience, Top Gun, 2770 Whitten Rd., Memphis, 38133

  • Viceco LLC, Big Daddys Pawn Guns Tools And Car Audio, 3700 Hickory Hill Rd., Memphis, 38115

USA TODAY contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee gun stores make ATF list of selling firearms used in crimes