Understanding the life years lost by assault and suicide due to firearms among white and black Americans can help us understand the race-specific and intent-specific firearm mortality burden and inform prevention programmes. The objective was to assess national and race-specific life expectancy loss related to firearms in the USA due to assault and suicide. We used firearm mortality data available from Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research to calculate the life expectancy loss between 2000 and 2016 separately for assaults and suicides among white and black Americans. The total national life expectancy loss due to firearms was 2.48 (2.23 whites, 4.14 blacks) years. The total life expectancy loss in years due to firearm assault was 0.95 (0.51 whites, 3.41 blacks) and suicide was 1.43 (1.62 whites, 0.60 blacks), respectively. Firearm life expectancy loss in years at birth, 20, 40 and 60 years of age was 0.29 (0.22 whites, 0.56 blacks), 0.25 (0.21 whites, 0.47 blacks), 0.09 (0.10 whites, 0.08 blacks) and 0.03 (0.03 whites, 0.01 blacks) years. National firearm life expectancy loss in days from 20 to 60 years declined by 79.5 (65.8 whites, 166.3 blacks); for assault by 37.5 (18.9 whites, 141.0 blacks) and suicides by 38.7 (43.9 whites, 20.3 blacks). Americans lose substantial years of life due to firearm injury. This loss in life years is characterised by a large racial gap by age and intent. Tailored prevention programmes are needed to reduce this loss and lessen the racial gaps.