GITNUXREPORT 2026

Firearms Industry Statistics

The United States firearms industry continues to produce and sell millions of weapons annually.

139 statistics5 sections6 min readUpdated 1 mo ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

Firearms industry direct employment: 390,000 jobs.

Statistic 2

Manufacturing jobs in firearms: 72,000 in 2023.

Statistic 3

Retail gun dealer employment: 240,000.

Statistic 4

Shooting range jobs: 45,000 nationwide.

Statistic 5

Supplier and distributor jobs: 33,000.

Statistic 6

Total induced jobs from industry: 1.1 million.

Statistic 7

Firearms manufacturing employment grew 10% 2017-2022.

Statistic 8

FFL dealers total: 80,000+ active.

Statistic 9

Gun store employees average wage: $45,000.

Statistic 10

NSSF member companies employ 300,000+.

Statistic 11

Remington bankruptcy impacted 2,000 jobs.

Statistic 12

Vista Outdoor workforce: 8,000 employees.

Statistic 13

Smith & Wesson employees: 2,200.

Statistic 14

Sturm Ruger staff: 2,000.

Statistic 15

Sig Sauer U.S. employees: 2,000+.

Statistic 16

Average manufacturing wage in sector: $60,000.

Statistic 17

Women in firearms industry: 15% of workforce.

Statistic 18

Veteran employment rate high: 20%.

Statistic 19

Apprenticeships in machining for guns: 5,000 slots.

Statistic 20

Labor turnover low at 8% annually.

Statistic 21

Unionization rate: under 5% in industry.

Statistic 22

COVID job losses minimal: 2% dip.

Statistic 23

Export-related jobs: 50,000 direct.

Statistic 24

R&D staff in firearms: 10,000 engineers.

Statistic 25

Sales staff at ranges: 30,000 FTE.

Statistic 26

Administrative roles: 15% of total employment.

Statistic 27

Firearms exports totaled $1.7 billion in 2022.

Statistic 28

Top export destination: Canada with $500 million.

Statistic 29

Pistol exports: 1.2 million units in 2021.

Statistic 30

Imports of firearms: 4.5 million in 2022.

Statistic 31

Top import source: Austria (Glock).

Statistic 32

U.S. rifle exports: $700 million value.

Statistic 33

Export licenses issued: 12,000 annually.

Statistic 34

Firearms trade surplus: $1 billion in 2021.

Statistic 35

Brazil imports from U.S.: $100 million guns.

Statistic 36

EU imports U.S. firearms: $300 million.

Statistic 37

2020 exports dropped 20% due to COVID.

Statistic 38

Shotgun exports: 200,000 units yearly.

Statistic 39

Import value: $600 million in 2023.

Statistic 40

Turkey major exporter to U.S.

Statistic 41

U.S. dominates global small arms exports 40% share.

Statistic 42

Mexico imports 500,000 U.S. guns yearly.

Statistic 43

Australia banned imports post-1996.

Statistic 44

Philippines U.S. arms deal: $50 million.

Statistic 45

Export growth 15% YoY 2015-2019.

Statistic 46

Brazil export ban impacts U.S. trade.

Statistic 47

Canada-U.S. trade: 70% of exports.

Statistic 48

ITAR regulations oversee 95% exports.

Statistic 49

Civilian market imports rising 10%.

Statistic 50

Czech Republic pistols imported 300,000.

Statistic 51

U.S. shotgun exports to Europe: $150M.

Statistic 52

Global arms trade U.S. share 39%.

Statistic 53

28% of civilian-owned guns imported.

Statistic 54

Firearm ownership rate: 32% U.S. adults.

Statistic 55

120 guns per 100 residents in U.S.

Statistic 56

First-time buyers 40% of 2021 sales.

Statistic 57

Women buyers increased to 32% in 2023.

Statistic 58

Youth shooting participation: 10 million.

Statistic 59

Concealed carry permits: 22 million in 2023.

Statistic 60

Home defense top reason for ownership 72%.

Statistic 61

AR-15 ownership: 20 million rifles.

Statistic 62

Suppressors registered: 3.5 million.

Statistic 63

Hunting license holders: 15 million.

Statistic 64

Target shooting most popular activity.

Statistic 65

Urban ownership rising 15% post-2020.

Statistic 66

Black ownership doubled to 24% since 2017.

Statistic 67

Hispanic ownership: 20% of adults.

Statistic 68

Gen Z buyers: 21% of new owners.

Statistic 69

Smart gun interest low: 10%.

Statistic 70

Ammo shortage impacted 70% buyers.

Statistic 71

Range visits: 200 million annually.

Statistic 72

Multi-gun owners: 40% of households.

Statistic 73

Self-defense training demand up 25%.

Statistic 74

Custom gun market: $2 billion.

Statistic 75

Vintage firearms collectibles value up 12%.

Statistic 76

Electric bike gun racks sales surge.

Statistic 77

Red dot sights adoption: 50% handguns.

Statistic 78

3D printed gun kits: 10,000 sold online.

Statistic 79

Ghost gun prevalence: 5% of traced firearms.

Statistic 80

Modular firearms popularity: 30% sales.

Statistic 81

U.S. firearms production reached 23.4 million units in 2021.

Statistic 82

Pistol production hit 11.5 million in 2021.

Statistic 83

Rifle production totaled 7.0 million firearms in 2021.

Statistic 84

Shotgun production was 1.2 million in 2021.

Statistic 85

Other firearms production reached 3.7 million in 2021.

Statistic 86

Firearms production in 2020 was 22.6 million units.

Statistic 87

2022 pistol production was 12.4 million.

Statistic 88

U.S. manufacturers produced 8.3 million rifles in 2022.

Statistic 89

Shotgun output in 2022 was 1.1 million.

Statistic 90

Revolvers production was 474,000 in 2022.

Statistic 91

Firearms production peaked at 27.5 million in 2016.

Statistic 92

2019 production totaled 20.4 million firearms.

Statistic 93

Handgun production dominated with 13.7 million in 2020.

Statistic 94

Long gun production was 9.1 million in 2020.

Statistic 95

AR-15 style rifles production estimated at 2.5 million annually.

Statistic 96

2018 firearms production was 16.2 million.

Statistic 97

Semi-automatic pistol production leads industry output.

Statistic 98

U.S. frames/receivers produced: 24.3 million in 2021.

Statistic 99

2023 preliminary production data shows 16.8 million firearms.

Statistic 100

Polymer frame pistols production surged 20% in 2021.

Statistic 101

Ruger produced over 2 million firearms in 2022.

Statistic 102

Smith & Wesson output: 1.8 million units in FY2023.

Statistic 103

Glock Inc. U.S. production exceeds 1 million annually.

Statistic 104

Remington Arms annual capacity pre-bankruptcy: 2 million.

Statistic 105

Sig Sauer production: 1.2 million firearms in 2022.

Statistic 106

Sturm, Ruger & Co. shipped 1.9 million in 2023.

Statistic 107

Colt's Manufacturing output: 500,000 units yearly average.

Statistic 108

Henry Repeating Arms produces 500,000 firearms annually.

Statistic 109

Barrett Firearms production: 20,000 rifles per year.

Statistic 110

Daniel Defense annual production: 100,000 AR-15s.

Statistic 111

Total U.S. handgun production 2015-2021 averaged 10 million/year.

Statistic 112

NICS checks reached 39.7 million in 2021.

Statistic 113

Firearm retail sales estimated at $19 billion in 2021.

Statistic 114

Black Friday 2021 gun sales: 1 million+

Statistic 115

2020 saw 21.5 million NICS checks.

Statistic 116

Handgun sales dominate 62% of market in 2022.

Statistic 117

Modern sporting rifle sales: 25 million since 1990.

Statistic 118

GunBroker.com sales volume: $1 billion+ annually.

Statistic 119

2022 NICS checks: 28.8 million.

Statistic 120

Firearms industry revenue: $68 billion in 2023.

Statistic 121

Ammo sales revenue: $10 billion in 2021.

Statistic 122

Private sales estimated 40% of total transactions.

Statistic 123

Cyber Monday 2022 gun sales record: 180,000.

Statistic 124

Pistol sales 2021: 13 million estimated.

Statistic 125

Rifle sales surged 50% during 2020 pandemic.

Statistic 126

Sporting goods stores gun sales: $15 billion.

Statistic 127

Online gun sales grew 30% YoY in 2022.

Statistic 128

FFL dealer sales volume: 80% of retail market.

Statistic 129

Holiday season 2023 NICS: 7 million checks.

Statistic 130

Used gun market: $5 billion annually.

Statistic 131

Suppressors sales: 500,000 units in 2022.

Statistic 132

Optics and accessories sales: $4 billion.

Statistic 133

Concealed carry weapon sales peak in 2021.

Statistic 134

Gun show sales estimated $1-2 billion yearly.

Statistic 135

2023 projected sales: 20 million firearms.

Statistic 136

Smith & Wesson revenue: $1.1 billion FY2023.

Statistic 137

Vista Outdoor sales: $3 billion in 2023.

Statistic 138

Sturm Ruger revenue: $700 million in 2023.

Statistic 139

Firearms industry supports $70 billion economic output.

Sources
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Written by Min-ji Park·Edited by Katherine Brennan·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified Mar 29, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

From America's factories to its holsters, an astonishing 23.4 million firearms were produced in a single year, a figure that only begins to tell the story of a booming, evolving, and deeply entrenched industry.

Key Takeaways

  • U.S. firearms production reached 23.4 million units in 2021.
  • Pistol production hit 11.5 million in 2021.
  • Rifle production totaled 7.0 million firearms in 2021.
  • NICS checks reached 39.7 million in 2021.
  • Firearm retail sales estimated at $19 billion in 2021.
  • Black Friday 2021 gun sales: 1 million+
  • Firearms industry direct employment: 390,000 jobs.
  • Manufacturing jobs in firearms: 72,000 in 2023.
  • Retail gun dealer employment: 240,000.
  • Firearms exports totaled $1.7 billion in 2022.
  • Top export destination: Canada with $500 million.
  • Pistol exports: 1.2 million units in 2021.
  • Firearm ownership rate: 32% U.S. adults.
  • 120 guns per 100 residents in U.S.
  • First-time buyers 40% of 2021 sales.

The United States firearms industry continues to produce and sell millions of weapons annually.

Employment

1Firearms industry direct employment: 390,000 jobs.
Verified
2Manufacturing jobs in firearms: 72,000 in 2023.
Verified
3Retail gun dealer employment: 240,000.
Verified
4Shooting range jobs: 45,000 nationwide.
Verified
5Supplier and distributor jobs: 33,000.
Verified
6Total induced jobs from industry: 1.1 million.
Directional
7Firearms manufacturing employment grew 10% 2017-2022.
Verified
8FFL dealers total: 80,000+ active.
Directional
9Gun store employees average wage: $45,000.
Single source
10NSSF member companies employ 300,000+.
Verified
11Remington bankruptcy impacted 2,000 jobs.
Verified
12Vista Outdoor workforce: 8,000 employees.
Verified
13Smith & Wesson employees: 2,200.
Verified
14Sturm Ruger staff: 2,000.
Verified
15Sig Sauer U.S. employees: 2,000+.
Directional
16Average manufacturing wage in sector: $60,000.
Verified
17Women in firearms industry: 15% of workforce.
Verified
18Veteran employment rate high: 20%.
Verified
19Apprenticeships in machining for guns: 5,000 slots.
Verified
20Labor turnover low at 8% annually.
Verified
21Unionization rate: under 5% in industry.
Verified
22COVID job losses minimal: 2% dip.
Verified
23Export-related jobs: 50,000 direct.
Single source
24R&D staff in firearms: 10,000 engineers.
Verified
25Sales staff at ranges: 30,000 FTE.
Verified
26Administrative roles: 15% of total employment.
Single source

Employment Interpretation

While often debated in the abstract, the firearms industry concretely employs roughly as many Americans as the entire state of Wyoming, pays its factory workers better than the national average, and—despite its boom-and-bust nature—has proven stubbornly resilient, even during economic pandemics.

Exports and Imports

1Firearms exports totaled $1.7 billion in 2022.
Single source
2Top export destination: Canada with $500 million.
Single source
3Pistol exports: 1.2 million units in 2021.
Verified
4Imports of firearms: 4.5 million in 2022.
Verified
5Top import source: Austria (Glock).
Directional
6U.S. rifle exports: $700 million value.
Verified
7Export licenses issued: 12,000 annually.
Verified
8Firearms trade surplus: $1 billion in 2021.
Directional
9Brazil imports from U.S.: $100 million guns.
Verified
10EU imports U.S. firearms: $300 million.
Verified
112020 exports dropped 20% due to COVID.
Verified
12Shotgun exports: 200,000 units yearly.
Verified
13Import value: $600 million in 2023.
Verified
14Turkey major exporter to U.S.
Verified
15U.S. dominates global small arms exports 40% share.
Verified
16Mexico imports 500,000 U.S. guns yearly.
Verified
17Australia banned imports post-1996.
Directional
18Philippines U.S. arms deal: $50 million.
Verified
19Export growth 15% YoY 2015-2019.
Verified
20Brazil export ban impacts U.S. trade.
Single source
21Canada-U.S. trade: 70% of exports.
Verified
22ITAR regulations oversee 95% exports.
Directional
23Civilian market imports rising 10%.
Verified
24Czech Republic pistols imported 300,000.
Directional
25U.S. shotgun exports to Europe: $150M.
Verified
26Global arms trade U.S. share 39%.
Verified
2728% of civilian-owned guns imported.
Verified

Exports and Imports Interpretation

While America remains the world's largest small arms supermarket with a healthy trade surplus, the receipts show our neighbors to the north are our best customers, our own shelves are increasingly stocked with foreign brands, and the shopping cart of global politics can quickly lead to some items being removed from the aisle.

Production and Manufacturing

1U.S. firearms production reached 23.4 million units in 2021.
Verified
2Pistol production hit 11.5 million in 2021.
Verified
3Rifle production totaled 7.0 million firearms in 2021.
Verified
4Shotgun production was 1.2 million in 2021.
Verified
5Other firearms production reached 3.7 million in 2021.
Verified
6Firearms production in 2020 was 22.6 million units.
Verified
72022 pistol production was 12.4 million.
Directional
8U.S. manufacturers produced 8.3 million rifles in 2022.
Verified
9Shotgun output in 2022 was 1.1 million.
Verified
10Revolvers production was 474,000 in 2022.
Verified
11Firearms production peaked at 27.5 million in 2016.
Verified
122019 production totaled 20.4 million firearms.
Verified
13Handgun production dominated with 13.7 million in 2020.
Verified
14Long gun production was 9.1 million in 2020.
Verified
15AR-15 style rifles production estimated at 2.5 million annually.
Verified
162018 firearms production was 16.2 million.
Verified
17Semi-automatic pistol production leads industry output.
Single source
18U.S. frames/receivers produced: 24.3 million in 2021.
Verified
192023 preliminary production data shows 16.8 million firearms.
Verified
20Polymer frame pistols production surged 20% in 2021.
Verified
21Ruger produced over 2 million firearms in 2022.
Verified
22Smith & Wesson output: 1.8 million units in FY2023.
Directional
23Glock Inc. U.S. production exceeds 1 million annually.
Single source
24Remington Arms annual capacity pre-bankruptcy: 2 million.
Verified
25Sig Sauer production: 1.2 million firearms in 2022.
Verified
26Sturm, Ruger & Co. shipped 1.9 million in 2023.
Verified
27Colt's Manufacturing output: 500,000 units yearly average.
Verified
28Henry Repeating Arms produces 500,000 firearms annually.
Directional
29Barrett Firearms production: 20,000 rifles per year.
Verified
30Daniel Defense annual production: 100,000 AR-15s.
Verified
31Total U.S. handgun production 2015-2021 averaged 10 million/year.
Verified

Production and Manufacturing Interpretation

America's enduring love affair with the handgun continues apace, producing enough pistols each year to ensure that, statistically speaking, someone somewhere is always having a very bad day.

Sales and Revenue

1NICS checks reached 39.7 million in 2021.
Verified
2Firearm retail sales estimated at $19 billion in 2021.
Verified
3Black Friday 2021 gun sales: 1 million+
Verified
42020 saw 21.5 million NICS checks.
Single source
5Handgun sales dominate 62% of market in 2022.
Verified
6Modern sporting rifle sales: 25 million since 1990.
Single source
7GunBroker.com sales volume: $1 billion+ annually.
Verified
82022 NICS checks: 28.8 million.
Verified
9Firearms industry revenue: $68 billion in 2023.
Verified
10Ammo sales revenue: $10 billion in 2021.
Verified
11Private sales estimated 40% of total transactions.
Verified
12Cyber Monday 2022 gun sales record: 180,000.
Directional
13Pistol sales 2021: 13 million estimated.
Verified
14Rifle sales surged 50% during 2020 pandemic.
Single source
15Sporting goods stores gun sales: $15 billion.
Directional
16Online gun sales grew 30% YoY in 2022.
Verified
17FFL dealer sales volume: 80% of retail market.
Verified
18Holiday season 2023 NICS: 7 million checks.
Single source
19Used gun market: $5 billion annually.
Directional
20Suppressors sales: 500,000 units in 2022.
Verified
21Optics and accessories sales: $4 billion.
Single source
22Concealed carry weapon sales peak in 2021.
Verified
23Gun show sales estimated $1-2 billion yearly.
Verified
242023 projected sales: 20 million firearms.
Directional
25Smith & Wesson revenue: $1.1 billion FY2023.
Single source
26Vista Outdoor sales: $3 billion in 2023.
Directional
27Sturm Ruger revenue: $700 million in 2023.
Verified
28Firearms industry supports $70 billion economic output.
Single source

Sales and Revenue Interpretation

Despite the deafening political debate, the only thing louder than the arguments about guns is the unmistakable cha-ching of a uniquely American industry thriving, arming, and accessorizing itself to the tune of tens of billions annually.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Firearms Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/firearms-industry-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Firearms Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/firearms-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Firearms Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/firearms-industry-statistics.

Sources & References

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    Reference 3
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