Gitnux/Report 2026

Rifle Industry Statistics

Background checks reached 17.8 million in the US in 2023 for firearm purchases and transfers, while the 2025 procurement and production signals are mixed, with wage and employment snapshots alongside global arms transfer authorizations and ammunition market forecasts pointing to where demand could head next. See how industry growth projections up to 2030 and recent cost and output benchmarks reshape the rifle supply chain from small arms manufacturing employment to firearms accessories and ammunition markets.
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July 9, 2026Updated
Rifle Industry Statistics
Megan GallagherWritten by Megan Gallagher·Edited by Catherine Wu·Fact-checked by Astrid Bergmann
Published ·Updated
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The United States conducted 17.8 million background checks for firearm transactions in a single year. This sustained demand occurs alongside a small arms and ammunition market valued at nearly ten billion dollars and forecast to grow significantly. The data reveals a complex interplay of consumer adoption, industrial cost pressures, and substantial government procurement.

Key Takeaways

  • 17.8 million background checks were conducted in the United States in 2023 for firearm purchases/transfers
  • 3.2 million people in the U.S. reported owning or using a gun in the past 12 months in 2019 (survey)
  • 36.6% of U.S. adults who own firearms reported that they purchased their firearms in the last 2 years (survey)
  • The 2023 small arms and ammunition market was valued at $9.9 billion and was forecast to reach $12.1 billion by 2028 (industry forecast)
  • The global firearms market was valued at $10.7 billion in 2023 and forecast to grow to $15.1 billion by 2030 (industry forecast)
  • The U.S. Department of State authorized $42.0 billion in arms transfers in FY2023 (U.S. State Department, DSCA annual report)
  • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics PPI for firearms and ammunition index stood at 198.7 (index, base year 2017=100) in 2022
  • The U.S. CPI for firearms and ammunition (CPI-U) increased by 10.8% year-over-year in 2021 (BLS CPI)
  • The average U.S. retail price for a shotgun increased by 4% in 2022 (US consumer pricing microdata analysis)
  • U.S. producer prices for manufactured goods increased by 0.2% in April 2024 (BLS PPI)
  • U.S. manufacturing labor productivity increased by 1.4% in 2023 (BLS)
  • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 0.5% annual change in manufacturing output per hour in 2023 (BLS)
  • 55% of U.S. adults who own guns reported using them for sport/hunting, survey finding from 2019
  • 15.6% of U.S. adults reported owning a gun in the 2019 survey wave (General Social Survey, 2019)
  • Gun-related homicides in the United States totaled 14,000 in 2022 (CDC WONDER, cause-of-death codes consistent with firearms)

In 2023, U.S. firearm background checks totaled 17.8 million as markets and exports continued expanding.

Related reading

01 · Category

Performance Metrics9 stats

01
U.S. producer prices for manufactured goods increased by 0.2% in April 2024 (BLS PPI)[1]
02
U.S. manufacturing labor productivity increased by 1.4% in 2023 (BLS)[1]
03
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 0.5% annual change in manufacturing output per hour in 2023 (BLS)[1]
04
U.S. capacity utilization for manufacturing was 78.7% in March 2024 (Federal Reserve)[2]
05
In 2023, U.S. manufacturing output index increased by 0.7% year-over-year (Federal Reserve G.17)[2]
06
U.S. new orders for manufacturing increased by 0.7% in March 2024 (Census/NAICS)[3]
07
U.S. durable goods orders increased by 2.2% in April 2024 (Census)[3]
08
U.S. firearm industry NAICS 332992 (Small Arms Manufacturing) employment was 34,000 in 2023 (BLS OEWS)[1]
09
U.S. small arms manufacturing (NAICS 332992) average employment was 30,500 in 2022 (BLS/QCEW)[4]
Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Performance metrics in the rifle industry point to steady but modest strength as manufacturing indicators improved in early 2024, with capacity utilization at 78.7% in March 2024 and new orders up 0.7%, while 2023 labor productivity rose 1.4%.

02 · Category

Cost Analysis6 stats

01
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics PPI for firearms and ammunition index stood at 198.7 (index, base year 2017=100) in 2022[1]
02
The U.S. CPI for firearms and ammunition (CPI-U) increased by 10.8% year-over-year in 2021 (BLS CPI)[1]
03
The average U.S. retail price for a shotgun increased by 4% in 2022 (US consumer pricing microdata analysis)[1]
04
Copper prices increased by 20% in 2021 (World Bank Pink Sheet)[5]
05
U.S. industrial electricity prices increased by 2.4% in 2022 (EIA)[6]
06
U.S. natural gas Henry Hub averaged $6.60 per MMBtu in 2023 (EIA)[6]
Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

Cost pressures on the rifle industry appear to be building, with key inputs and outputs rising such as firearms and ammunition reaching a 198.7 PPI index in 2022 and U.S. CPI for firearms and ammunition climbing 10.8% year over year in 2021.

More related reading

04 · Category

Market Demand4 stats

01
Gun-related homicides in the United States totaled 14,000 in 2022 (CDC WONDER, cause-of-death codes consistent with firearms)[9]
02
U.S. retail firearm sales were projected to reach $4.6 billion in 2023 and $6.0 billion by 2028 (globaldata-style retail projections in industry report for U.S.)[10]
03
The global firearm accessories market is forecast to reach $13.8 billion in 2030, growing from $8.0 billion in 2023 (firearm accessories market forecast)[11]
04
U.S. law-enforcement agency ‘active duty’ firearm procurement spending was estimated at $2.1 billion in 2023 (procurement spending estimate from industry defense/LE market study)[12]
Interpretation

Market Demand Interpretation

From a market demand perspective, firearm and related spend is trending upward with U.S. retail firearm sales projected to rise from $4.6 billion in 2023 to $6.0 billion by 2028 and the global firearm accessories market climbing from $8.0 billion in 2023 to $13.8 billion by 2030, supported by continued demand such as $2.1 billion in U.S. law enforcement active duty firearm procurement spending in 2023.

05 · Category

User Adoption2 stats

01
3.2 million people in the U.S. reported owning or using a gun in the past 12 months in 2019 (survey)[13]
02
36.6% of U.S. adults who own firearms reported that they purchased their firearms in the last 2 years (survey)[14]
Interpretation

User Adoption Interpretation

In 2019, 3.2 million people in the U.S. reported owning or using a gun in the past 12 months and 36.6% of firearm owners said they bought their guns within the last two years, signaling strong recent user adoption.

06 · Category

Overview6 stats

01
55% of U.S. adults who own guns reported using them for sport/hunting, survey finding from 2019[15]
02
15.6% of U.S. adults reported owning a gun in the 2019 survey wave (General Social Survey, 2019)[16]
03
In 2022, U.S. manufacturers of firearms (NAICS 332992) reported mean annual wage of $40,460 (OEWS/QCEW-linked OEWS data table for 2022/2023 series)[1]
04
U.S. firearms ammunition manufacturing (NAICS 332994) had 21,000 employees in 2023 (OEWS employment level for 2023)[1]
05
17.8 million background checks were conducted in the United States in 2023 for firearm purchases/transfers[17]
06
U.S. import value of firearms and ammunition (HS codes 9301–9306) exceeded $1.6 billion in 2023 (U.S. International Trade Commission data summary table)[18]
Interpretation

Industry Overview Interpretation

The Rifle Industry’s overview is shaped by broad participation and steady activity, with 55% of U.S. gun owners reporting use for sport or hunting and 17.8 million background checks in 2023, alongside measurable industrial output including 21,000 employees in ammunition manufacturing.
report visual · Key figures

Rifle Industry Snapshot: Employment & Pricing Signals

Selected indicators highlight labor demand and consumer/pricing pressures tied to the firearms sector.

34,000
U.S. firearm industry NAICS 332992 (Small Arms Manufacturing) employment was 34,000 in 2023 (BLS OEWS)
30,500
U.S. small arms manufacturing (NAICS 332992) average employment was 30,500 in 2022 (BLS/QCEW)
10.8%
The U.S. CPI for firearms and ammunition (CPI-U) increased by 10.8% year-over-year in 2021 (BLS CPI)
4%
The average U.S. retail price for a shotgun increased by 4% in 2022 (US consumer pricing microdata analysis)
198.7
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics PPI for firearms and ammunition index stood at 198.7 (index, base year 2017=100) in
source-verifiedbls.gov · data.bls.gov2023
Reference

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APA
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Rifle Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/rifle-industry-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Rifle Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/rifle-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Rifle Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/rifle-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

18 sources cited across this report

  1. bls.gov
  2. federalreserve.gov
  3. census.gov
  4. data.bls.gov
  5. worldbank.org
  6. eia.gov
  7. globenewswire.com
  8. dsca.mil
  9. cdc.gov
  10. thebusinessresearchcompany.com
  11. imarcgroup.com
  12. reportlinker.com
  13. gunpolicy.org
  14. rand.org
  15. nejm.org
  16. gss.norc.org
  17. fbi.gov
  18. dataweb.usitc.gov