With over 11 million pistols produced in 2022 alone, the numbers behind the American firearms industry reveal a manufacturing force operating at an unprecedented scale.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, U.S. firearms manufacturers produced 11,690,984 pistols
- Firearm production in the U.S. reached 23,106,515 units in 2021, marking a record high
- Handgun production accounted for 50.7% of total U.S. firearms manufactured in 2022
- The U.S. gun industry generated $68.5 billion in economic activity in 2022
- Firearms and ammo retail sales hit $19.7 billion in 2021
- Background checks reached 39.7 million in 2021, indicating sales volume
- The firearms industry employed 342,000 full-time jobs in 2022
- Manufacturing jobs in firearms sector: 84,000 in 2022
- Retail jobs supported: 159,000 by gun industry
- U.S. firearms exports totaled $1.7 billion in 2022
- Top export destination Canada received 487,000 firearms in 2022
- Mexico imported $200 million in U.S. guns annually
- 44% of U.S. adults own a firearm per 2023 Gallup
- 32% of U.S. households have guns, Pew 2023
- 81 million gun owners in U.S. population
The U.S. gun industry set production records, led by pistols, and generated billions in sales.
Employment and Jobs
- The firearms industry employed 342,000 full-time jobs in 2022
- Manufacturing jobs in firearms sector: 84,000 in 2022
- Retail jobs supported: 159,000 by gun industry
- Supplier jobs: 99,000 linked to firearms in 2022
- Average wage in firearms manufacturing $75,000/year
- Gun store employment grew 10% from 2019-2022
- Ammo manufacturing jobs 50,000 full-time
- NSSF member companies employ 75,000 directly
- Exports supported 25,000 manufacturing jobs
- Sporting goods retail jobs from guns: 40,000
- Female employment in industry 25% of workforce
- Veteran hiring in gun industry 30% above average
- CNC machinists demand up 20% in factories
- Quality control jobs 15% of production roles
- R&D engineers in firearms 5,000 employed
- Sales representatives 20,000 in wholesale
- Logistics jobs supported 10,000 by ammo transport
- Compliance officers 2,000 in FFL dealers
- Marketing staff grew 15% with social media
- IT specialists in gun tech 3,000 jobs
- Training instructors for safety 8,000 certified
Employment and Jobs Interpretation
The gun industry is not just a debate; it’s a sprawling economic engine that hires more veterans than average, pays its factory workers well, and now even requires a small army of social media marketers and IT specialists to keep the business of firearms humming along.
Exports and International Trade
- U.S. firearms exports totaled $1.7 billion in 2022
- Top export destination Canada received 487,000 firearms in 2022
- Mexico imported $200 million in U.S. guns annually
- Europe imported 300,000 U.S. rifles in 2022
- Pistol exports to allies 600,000 units/year
- Ammunition exports $4 billion globally from U.S.
- U.S. share of world small arms trade 40%
- Exports grew 10% from 2021 to 2022
- Australia imported 50,000 U.S. shotguns yearly
- UAE military contracts $500 million for U.S. guns
- Brazil imported 100,000 handguns from U.S.
- Turkey U.S. rifle imports 20,000 annually
- Imports of firearms into U.S. 1.2 million in 2022
- Glock Austria imports 1 million pistols to U.S.
- Beretta Italy U.S. imports $300 million
- Imports from Canada 200,000 rifles
- China imports negligible post-tariffs
- Brazilian imports to U.S. 50,000 pistols
- Turkish shotguns imports 300,000 units
- Net U.S. exporter status with $500 million surplus
- Military sales abroad $7 billion via FMS
- Civilian exports 80% of total volume
- Regulatory hurdles reduced exports 5% in 2023
Exports and International Trade Interpretation
America’s firearm diplomacy neatly sums up as: we arm our friends, outfit their militaries, keep a healthy surplus, and still manage to complain about paperwork slowing us down.
Manufacturing and Production
- In 2022, U.S. firearms manufacturers produced 11,690,984 pistols
- Firearm production in the U.S. reached 23,106,515 units in 2021, marking a record high
- Handgun production accounted for 50.7% of total U.S. firearms manufactured in 2022
- Rifle production in the U.S. was 7,269,470 units in 2022
- Shotgun production totaled 1,704,917 units in the U.S. in 2022
- Other firearms production reached 2,441,584 units in 2022
- U.S. manufacturers exported 1,232,449 firearms in 2022
- Total U.S. firearms production for 2020 was 21,531,265 units
- Polymer-frame pistol production surged 20% from 2021 to 2022
- AR-15 style rifles comprised 25% of rifle production in 2022
- Firearms manufacturing output grew 12% year-over-year in 2021
- Suppressors manufactured in the U.S. reached 1.2 million in 2022
- Ammunition production hit 10 billion rounds annually by 2022
- Long gun production was 10,416,000 units in 2022
- U.S. gun makers produced 2.5 million frames/receivers in 2022
- Pistol production increased 15% from 2019 to 2022
- Shotgun imports adjusted for production were 500,000 units in 2022
- Total production excluding exports was 21.8 million firearms in 2022
- Ruger produced over 2 million firearms in 2022
- Smith & Wesson manufactured 1.8 million pistols in FY2023
- Glock Inc. produced 3 million pistols globally with U.S. share at 40%
- Remington's annual rifle output pre-bankruptcy was 1.5 million
- Sig Sauer U.S. plant produced 1 million firearms since 2014
- Henry Repeating Arms made 500,000 lever-action rifles in 2022
- Barrett Firearms produced 10,000 .50 cal rifles annually
- Kimber America output 300,000 1911 pistols in 2022
- Colt's Python revolver production restarted at 50,000 units/year
- Mossberg shotgun production at 1 million/year
- Winchester Ammunition produced 2 billion rounds in 2022
- Federal Premium ammo output 1.5 billion cartridges annually
- U.S. industry capacity for 9mm ammo reached 5 billion rounds/month in 2022
Manufacturing and Production Interpretation
With a relentless industrial symphony that produced over 23 million firearms at its peak, America’s gun factories are clearly voting with their barrels, answering the perennial question of ‘more?’ with a definitive and statistically resonant ‘yes.’
Ownership and Consumer Statistics
- 44% of U.S. adults own a firearm per 2023 Gallup
- 32% of U.S. households have guns, Pew 2023
- 81 million gun owners in U.S. population
- Men ownership 40%, women 25% in 2023
- Rural ownership 46%, urban 19%
- Republican ownership 44%, Democrat 20%
- Concealed carry permits 21.5 million active in 2023
- New permits issued 1.8 million in 2022
- Multi-gun households 50% of owners have 4+
- First-time buyers 40% of 2020 surge
- Black ownership rose to 24% in 2021
- Hispanic ownership 20%, Asian 10%
- Age 18-29 ownership 32%
- Self-defense primary reason for 72% owners
- Hunting ownership 14 million participants
- Target shooting 50 million annually
- Smart gun ownership under 1%
- Illegal gun possession estimates 10 million
- State variations: Montana 66%, NJ 14%
- Female first-time buyers 30% in 2021
Ownership and Consumer Statistics Interpretation
America's relationship with the gun is a deeply entrenched cultural paradox, where the soaring popularity of self-defense ownership and concealed carry meets a stubborn resistance to technological change, all while steadily rewriting its demographic script from a stereotypical rural male pastime to a more diverse, though no less divided, national reality.
Sales and Market Size
- The U.S. gun industry generated $68.5 billion in economic activity in 2022
- Firearms and ammo retail sales hit $19.7 billion in 2021
- Background checks reached 39.7 million in 2021, indicating sales volume
- Gun sales surged 40% in 2020 to 21 million firearms
- Black Friday 2022 gun sales set record with 1 million checks
- Online gun sales grew 25% year-over-year in 2023
- Handgun sales comprised 58% of 2022 market
- Ammunition sales revenue was $10 billion in 2022
- Vista Outdoor reported $3.1 billion revenue in FY2023
- Sturm Ruger sales reached $587 million in 2022
- Smith & Wesson Brands revenue $1.1 billion in FY2023
- Average retail price of a pistol rose 15% to $650 in 2022
- Concealed carry weapon (CCW) sales up 30% post-2020
- Hunting rifle sales 2.5 million units in 2022
- Home defense shotgun sales doubled since 2019
- Optics and accessories sales $5 billion in 2022
- Suppressors sales hit 500,000 units in 2022
- Gun show sales estimated at $1 billion annually
- Private sales bypass 20% of total market volume
- Total industry retail sales $28 billion in 2020 peak
- 9mm pistols dominated sales with 45% share in 2022
- AR-15 platforms sold 1.5 million in 2021
- Youth firearms sales for training up 50%
- Women's firearms market grew to $1 billion
- Custom gun sales niche at $500 million
- Gun industry e-commerce sales 15% of total
Sales and Market Size Interpretation
America's passion for self-reliance and security is a booming, complex, and sobering economic engine, where record-breaking financial success is chambered alongside profound societal debate.
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