People also express themselves unmistakably through their pocketbooks and wallets. All the hype and marketing in the world will not save an industry if the public does not value its products and buy into what it’s selling.
The firearm and ammunition industry is no exception.
A report by the National Shooting Sports Foundation spotlighted just how important the weapons industry is to U.S. consumers. Remember, this comes at a time when self-serving politicians and the mainstream media want nothing more than to convince the American people that the Second Amendment is the root of all evil.
They apparently have their work cut out for them, as the total impact of the firearm and ammunition industry in the U.S. skyrocketed by a startling 322% between 2008 and 2022. The industry’s economic weight was $19.1 billion in 2008.
Fast forward 14 short years, and that impact reached $80.73 billion.
Furthermore, the number of people employed full-time in the sector increased by a whopping 136% during the same period. Roughly 166,000 Americans were employed in the industry in 2008, but last year’s total reached over 393,696.
Within the last two years, there has been substantial strengthening in the gun and ammunition industry. Year-over-year, the industry’s economic impact soared from $70.52 billion in 2021 to $80.73 billion in 2022.
And as the NSSF rightly noted, the industry has a broader impact across the economy, supporting numerous other positions in areas such as banking, accounting, metalworking, printing, and retail. A sector with an $80 billion dollar impact is serious business.
Joe Bartozzi, President and CEO of NSSF, touted the accomplishments of this industry that valiantly supports the Second Amendment protections to keep and bear arms. “Our industry’s economic input is undeniably contributing to every state and every community. This milestone achievement of over $80 billion in economic impact proves that the American firearm and ammunition industry is strong.”
The steady growth is proven by any conceivable measurable. Bartozzi noted that more than 4.2 million Americans from a broad cross-section of the nation became new firearm owners last year, with many participating in recreational shooting.
Want more striking numbers from the rock-solid U.S. firearm and ammunition industry? Zippia collects data from a broad range of American industries and presents it to job seekers and those analyzing various career fields. Here’s some of the details they reported on the domestic weapons industry.
Last year saw 16.4 million firearms sold in the U.S., and the total of American households that now own at least one firearm rose to 45%.
For the five-year period ending in 2022, between seven and nine million weapons were manufactured in the U.S. each year. The peak year in U.S. history came in 2016 when just under 11.5 million were produced.
These numbers compare favorably to the early 2000s when the national output hovered around three million per year.
According to industry statistics, three highly reputable manufacturers produce 58% of handguns produced in the U.S. They are Smith & Wesson Corp., Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc., and SIG SAUER Inc.
Despite the headwinds produced by those who exploit tragedies to target the Second Amendment, the firearm and ammunition industry is alive and well. Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers enjoyed a strong surge for well over a decade as more and more Americans choose to protect themselves and exercise their right to keep and bear arms.
