A firearms trace tracks a crime gun from the place of manufacture to what?

A firearms trace is a crucial investigative tool used in law enforcement to track a firearm's history and ownership. By following the path from the manufacturer, the trace aims to identify key points in the gun's journey to understand how it ended up in the hands of a criminal or at a crime scene.

The correct choice highlights the importance of tracing the gun to the place of sale. This step is significant because it reveals the legal transaction history of the firearm, helping to identify where it was sold and, potentially, who purchased it. The place of sale is essential for establishing a legal chain of custody and may lead to identifying straw purchasers or illegal diversion of firearms to the black market.

Tracing the firearm only to the place of arrest, inspection, or storage would not provide the complete picture necessary to understand how the gun was acquired by the end user committing the crime. It is the sale point that often holds the key to unraveling the firearm's ownership history and preventing future crimes by targeting the sources of illegal gun sales.