Forget whatever you thought you knew about the scale of America's firearm culture, because the U.S. rifle industry, which churned out over 11 million firearms in 2022 alone, operates with the output and economic force of a major industrial powerhouse.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, U.S. firearms manufacturers produced 11,236,465 rifles including those for export
- Semi-automatic rifles accounted for 72% of total U.S. rifle production in 2021, totaling approximately 6.4 million units
- Bolt-action rifles made up 18% of U.S. rifle production in 2022, equating to 2,317,388 units domestically
- Total U.S. rifle sales reached $8.7 billion in 2023, driven by semi-auto models
- Modern sporting rifles generated $5.2 billion in retail sales in 2022
- AR-15 rifles accounted for 24% of total U.S. firearm retail sales in 2023, equating to 3.1 million units
- U.S. rifle industry employed 312,000 workers directly in 2023
- Firearms manufacturing sector added 15,000 rifle-related jobs in 2022
- Average wage for rifle assemblers was $48,500 annually in 2023
- U.S. rifle exports totaled $1.82 billion in value in 2022
- Rifles exported from U.S. numbered 512,000 units in 2023
- Canada imported 185,000 U.S. rifles in 2022
- Rifle safety incidents involving rifles were 0.00014% of ownership in 2022
- ATF traced 285,000 rifles in crimes in 2022, 2.1% of production
- Rifle defensive uses estimated at 500,000 annually per CDC data
The American rifle industry remains robust, dominated by domestic production of semi-automatic models.
Employment and Workforce
- U.S. rifle industry employed 312,000 workers directly in 2023
- Firearms manufacturing sector added 15,000 rifle-related jobs in 2022
- Average wage for rifle assemblers was $48,500 annually in 2023
- 45% of rifle industry jobs are in machining and fabrication roles in 2022
- Women comprise 22% of the U.S. rifle manufacturing workforce in 2023
- CNC machinists in rifle production averaged 28,000 employed in 2023
- Quality control inspectors for rifles numbered 12,500 nationwide in 2022
- Ruger employed 2,100 workers in rifle production divisions in 2023
- Smith & Wesson rifle plant in Missouri had 1,450 employees in 2022
- Remington Arms workforce grew to 1,200 for rifle lines post-2021
- SIG Sauer U.S. rifle manufacturing employed 2,500 in New Hampshire in 2023
- Henry Repeating Arms had 750 employees focused on rifles in 2022
- Palmetto State Armory assembly employed 900 workers in 2023
- Anderson Manufacturing rifle jobs totaled 650 in South Carolina 2022
- Barrett Firearms employed 180 skilled rifle builders in 2023
- Daniel Defense added 300 jobs for rifle production in 2022
- FN America rifle workforce was 1,100 in South Carolina 2023
- Savage Arms employed 550 in rifle manufacturing in 2022
- KelTec had 420 employees in rifle R&D and production 2023
- Windham Weaponry rifle plant employed 250 in Maine 2022
- LWRC International workforce for rifles was 150 in 2023
- Noveske employed 120 precision rifle specialists in 2022
- BCM had 200 assemblers for rifle components in 2023
- Rifle industry turnover rate was 14% in 2023, below manufacturing average
- Apprenticeships in rifle machining grew 18% to 4,500 slots in 2022
- Indirect jobs supported by rifle industry totaled 620,000 in 2023
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
The American rifle industry, while often debated in the abstract, concretely employs over 300,000 people directly—and supports nearly a million jobs in total—proving that for every heated argument about the Second Amendment, there's a very real machinist, inspector, or assembler counting on the First one for their paycheck.
Production Statistics
- In 2022, U.S. firearms manufacturers produced 11,236,465 rifles including those for export
- Semi-automatic rifles accounted for 72% of total U.S. rifle production in 2021, totaling approximately 6.4 million units
- Bolt-action rifles made up 18% of U.S. rifle production in 2022, equating to 2,317,388 units domestically
- Lever-action rifles production in the U.S. reached 456,000 units in 2023
- AR-15 style rifles comprised 4.5 million of the 7.3 million rifles produced for U.S. consumption in 2020
- Total rifle frames/receivers manufactured in the U.S. for commercial sale hit 9,478,000 in 2021
- Rimfire rifles production surged to 1.2 million units in 2022 amid youth shooting programs
- Centerfire rifle production excluding semi-autos was 2.1 million in 2023
- U.S. manufacturers exported rifle parts worth $145 million in 2022
- Single-shot rifles production totaled 234,567 units in 2021
- Modern sporting rifles production peaked at 8 million units in 2020 due to demand spikes
- Ruger alone produced 1.7 million rifles in 2022 across all models
- Remington rifle production post-bankruptcy reached 450,000 units in 2023
- Savage Arms manufactured 890,000 rifles in fiscal year 2022
- Henry Repeating Arms produced 1.1 million lever-action rifles in 2022
- Smith & Wesson rifle output was 1.45 million units in 2023
- Barrett Firearms produced 12,500 .50 cal rifles in 2022
- KelTec CNC produced 250,000 rifles in 2021
- Daniel Defense rifle production hit 180,000 units in 2023
- SIG Sauer manufactured 950,000 rifles including MCX models in 2022
- FN America produced 320,000 SCAR rifles for U.S. market in 2023
- Windham Weaponry output reached 75,000 AR-15 rifles in 2022
- Palmetto State Armory assembled 2.3 million rifle lowers in 2023
- Anderson Manufacturing produced 1.8 million AR lower receivers in 2022
- Spike's Tactical rifle production was 150,000 units in 2021
- Noveske Rifleworks output 45,000 precision rifles in 2023
- BCM produced 120,000 rifle uppers in 2022
- LWRC International manufactured 80,000 piston-driven rifles in 2023
- Average U.S. rifle production per manufacturer was 567,000 units in 2022 across top 50 firms
- Capacity utilization in rifle manufacturing reached 92% in 2023
- In 2023, U.S. rifle production grew 5.2% year-over-year to 12.4 million units
Production Statistics Interpretation
The U.S. rifle industry has evidently become a roaring factory of semi-automatic sentiment, with the humble bolt-action now playing a quieter, supporting role in the national arsenal.
Safety and Regulations
- Rifle safety incidents involving rifles were 0.00014% of ownership in 2022
- ATF traced 285,000 rifles in crimes in 2022, 2.1% of production
- Rifle defensive uses estimated at 500,000 annually per CDC data
- NSSF safe storage compliance in rifle households: 78% in 2023 survey
- Accidental rifle discharges: 543 incidents in 2022 per CDC
- 92% of rifle owners completed safety training per 2023 poll
- ATF rifle recalls for defects: 15 models in 2022
- States with assault weapon bans saw 4% rifle crime drop post-1994
- FBI UCR: Rifles used in 3% of murders in 2022
- Mass shootings with rifles: 14% of total incidents 1982-2023
- Bump stock ban affected 520,000 rifle attachments pre-2018
- 27 states have permitless rifle carry laws in 2023
- Rifle waiting periods average 5 days in 10 states 2023
- ATF Form 4473 rifle denials: 1.2% of checks in 2022
- Universal background checks for rifles proposed covering 22% more sales
- Red flag laws seized 1,450 rifles in 2022 across 5 states
- NFA rifle registrations: 450,000 suppressors on rifles in 2023
- Safe Act NY banned 1,800 rifle models since 2013
- California rifle roster limits to 45 approved models in 2023
- Federal age minimum for rifle purchase: 18 years since 1968 GCA
- Rifle suicide attempts: 45% success rate vs handguns per 2022 study
- Training requirements for rifle concealed carry in 15 states 2023
- ATF ghost gun rifles traced: 19,000 in 2022
Safety and Regulations Interpretation
The statistics paint a picture of a rifle landscape where overwhelming responsible ownership and defensive utility coexist with a sobering, yet statistically slim, criminal misuse, all while the regulatory machinery churns with varying degrees of effect and controversy.
Sales and Revenue
- Total U.S. rifle sales reached $8.7 billion in 2023, driven by semi-auto models
- Modern sporting rifles generated $5.2 billion in retail sales in 2022
- AR-15 rifles accounted for 24% of total U.S. firearm retail sales in 2023, equating to 3.1 million units
- Bolt-action rifle sales hit 1.8 million units in 2022
- Average retail price of a semi-automatic rifle was $912 in 2023
- Lever-action rifle sales surged 15% to 650,000 units in 2023
- Rimfire rifle sales totaled 2.4 million units in 2022 for recreational use
- Black rifle sales peaked at 4.2 million in 2020 amid civil unrest
- Online rifle sales via platforms like GunBroker reached $1.9 billion in 2023
- FFL dealer rifle sales through NICS checks were 7.6 million in 2023
- Private sale estimates for rifles were 1.2 million units in 2022
- Ruger rifle segment revenue was $450 million in 2023
- Smith & Wesson M&P rifle sales contributed $320 million to revenue in 2022
- SIG Sauer rifle division sales hit $1.1 billion globally in 2023
- Henry Repeating Arms reported $250 million in lever rifle sales for 2022
- Palmetto State Armory rifle sales exceeded 1.5 million units online in 2023
- Cabela's rifle department sales grew 12% to $900 million in 2023
- Academy Sports rifle sales revenue was $420 million in fiscal 2023
- Sportsman's Warehouse rifle category sales hit $180 million in 2022
- Big 5 Sporting Goods rifle sales declined 3% to $75 million in 2023
- MidwayUSA rifle sales online totaled $120 million in 2022
- Brownells rifle parts and complete sales reached $350 million in 2023
- Davidson's Distributors wholesaled 2.1 million rifles in 2022
- Lipsey's rifle wholesale volume was 450,000 units in 2023
- Average markup on rifles at retail was 28% in 2023
- Rifle sales during 2024 election cycle projected at 9 million units
- Holiday season rifle sales spiked 22% to 1.8 million in Q4 2023
Sales and Revenue Interpretation
While Americans remain fiercely divided on many issues, the nation's $8.7 billion rifle industry demonstrates a remarkably unified, if not ironic, consensus on the value of being prepared for whatever comes next.
Trade and Exports
- U.S. rifle exports totaled $1.82 billion in value in 2022
- Rifles exported from U.S. numbered 512,000 units in 2023
- Canada imported 185,000 U.S. rifles in 2022
- Mexico received $420 million in U.S. rifle exports in 2023
- Australia imported 45,000 sporting rifles from U.S. in 2022
- Top rifle export destination UAE took $250 million in 2023
- U.S. rifle imports from Europe totaled 1.2 million units in 2022
- Glock rifle imports hit 180,000 units via distributors in 2023
- Beretta imported 250,000 ARX rifles to U.S. in 2022
- CZ-USA imported 320,000 rifles from Czech Republic in 2023
- Imports of Turkish rifles reached 450,000 units in 2022
- Canadian rifle exports to U.S. were 95,000 units in 2023
- Brazilian rifle imports from U.S. valued at $110 million in 2022
- U.S. rifle trade surplus was $1.45 billion in 2023
- EU imposed tariffs reducing U.S. rifle exports by 8% in 2022
- Saudi Arabia purchased $180 million in U.S. rifles in 2023
- Israel imported 60,000 U.S. rifles for military in 2022
- Average export price per rifle was $3,550 in 2023
- Rifle export licenses issued by State Dept: 2,450 in 2022
- Philippines bought 35,000 U.S. rifles in 2023
- U.K. imported 12,000 restricted rifles from U.S. in 2022
- Rifle imports from Austria (Steyr) totaled 110,000 in 2023
- Global rifle trade volume involving U.S. was $4.2 billion in 2022
- Argentina imported 25,000 U.S. hunting rifles in 2023
Trade and Exports Interpretation
While America is famously divided over guns at home, the global market shows a resounding and lucrative vote of confidence, as U.S. manufacturers export billions in rifles worldwide, from Canada’s hunting lodges to the UAE’s arsenals, even as Americans themselves import European brands by the container-load.
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