The Gun and Ammunition Stores industry has recently benefited from social, political and economic unrest, which has sparked an increase in purchases of firearms and complimentary goods. Revenue has also surged on the expectation of stricter firearm regulations under the Biden administration, which has vowed to help end gun violence and mass shootings through multiple avenues. Consumers have sought to purchase firearms and ammunition before the more stringent regulatory environment. Industry revenue is estimated to increase an annualized 8.1% to $21.9 billion over the five years to 2024, including an increase of 4.1% in 2024 alone. Consumer expectations of forthcoming gun regulations have been a major driver of industry sales during the current period. Accordingly, revenue grew moderately during the Trump administration since his presidency did not seek to impose new regulations on the manufacture, sale and possession of firearms. However, as the 2020 election approached and many candidates, including Joe Biden, often asserted gun reform, industry-relevant purchases grew profoundly. According to a 2021 report published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), National Instant Check System (NICS) firearm background checks completed increased 39.9% to 39.7 million in 2020, the most ever on record. Surging demand and supply shortfalls have enabled retailers to tack on premiums, contributing to widening profit despite extensive business disruptions caused by COVID-19. Industry revenue is projected to climb an annualized 0.5% to $22.5 billion over the five years to 2029. Demand will be bolstered by a robust economic recovery, enabling consumers to spend more on industry goods, positively impacting profit. Also, rising consumer fears surrounding gun regulations will continue boosting sales, particularly at the outset of the period. Gun and ammunition stores will continue to endure intense competition from large department and sporting goods stores, private sales and individual dealers. In particular, large department and sporting goods stores have been able to use their scale and more diverse product offering to make them a more attractive place to shop for guns and ammunition. Consequently, these establishments will continue siphoning demand from the market pool.

The share of American households owning at least one firearm has remained relatively steady since 1972, hovering between 37 percent and 47 percent. In 2023, about 42 percent of U.S. households had at least one gun in their possession. Additional information on firearms in the United States Firearms command a higher degree of cultural significance in the United States than any other country in the world. Since the inclusion of the right to bear arms in the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, firearms have held symbolic power beyond their already obvious material power. Despite many Americans being proud gun-owners, a large movement exists within the country in opposition to the freedom afforded to those in possession of these potentially deadly weapons. Those opposed to current gun regulation have sourced their anger from the large number of deaths due to firearms in the country, as well as the high frequency of gun violence apparent in comparison to other developed countries. Furthermore, the United States has fallen victim to a number of mass shootings in the last two decades, most of which have raised questions over the ease at which a person can obtain a firearm. Although this movement holds a significant position in the public political discourse of the United States, meaningful change regarding the legislation dictating the ownership of firearms has not occurred. Critics have pointed to the influence possessed by the National Rifle Association through their lobbying of public officials. The National Rifle Association also lobbies for the interests of firearm manufacturing in the United States, which has continued to rise since a fall in the early 2000s.

Weapons Sales in the United States decreased to 11287 SIPRI TIV Million in 2023 from 15592 SIPRI TIV Million in 2022. United States Weapons Sales - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on July of 2025.

According to a survey conducted in the United States in 2022, people with some college, but no college degree, were more likely to personally own a gun or live in a gun owning household. At this time, 40 percent of Americans with some college personally owned a firearm, compared to 28 percent of those with a high school degree or less, and 34 percent of college graduates.

The statistic shows total U.S. arms exports in the years 2000 to 2023expressed in TIV. The TIV is based on the known unit production costs of a core set of weapons and is intended to represent the transfer of military resources rather than the financial value of the transfer. The TIV is expressed here in million constant U.S. dollars as of 1990. In 2023, the U.S. arms exports totaled to about 11.29 billion constant (1990) U.S. dollars. The depicted export value is only an indicator and does not correspond to the actual financial value of the transfers.

According to a survey conducted in June 2024, Americans were divided on whether it was more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns, or if it was more important to limit gun ownership. 48 percent of of respondents said that it was more important to limit gun ownership, while 51 percent felt it was more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns.

Demographics of gun ownership

Gun ownership varies among many demographics such as age, political party affiliation, and educational attainment. A majority of Republican respondents in 2022 said that they either owned a gun or lived in a gun household, while less than a third of Democrats said they owned a gun or lived in a gun household. Furthermore, it was those with some college, but no degree, and those between the ages of 35 and 54 years old who were more likely to own a gun compared to other education levels and ages.

Politics of gun ownership

Gun ownership is a highly partisan issue in the United States, with Democrats typically in favor of strong gun control laws, while Republicans are in favor of looser laws. The Second Amendment of the Constitution states that citizens have the right to bear arms, however, the interpretation of that has been highly contested across the country, largely in part due to the number of mass shootings that happen yearly. Those in favor of stricter gun control laws claim that fewer mass shootings would happen, while those opposed to these laws claim that the violence would just happen in another manner, anyway. Despite the high number of shootings, Congress has been unable to come up with federal bipartisan legislation to stop mass shootings.

In the United States in 2022, 48 percent of Republicans reported that they owned at least one gun, and 66 percent said that they lived in a household with a gun. In comparison, only 20 percent of Democrats owned at least one gun, and 31 percent lived in a gun household. Who are gun owners? In 2022, significantly more Democrats were in favor of limiting gun ownership in comparison to Republicans. On the other hand, more Republicans were in favor of protecting the right to own guns in comparison to Democrats. When examined by education level, respondents who said they only had some college, but no degree, were the most likely to have said that there is at least one gun in their household. However, nearly a quarter of Americans over 18 years old said that they rarely carry a gun on their person. Republicans vs Democrats Debate The gun control debate in the United States has been a highly contested one. In light of frequent mass shootings, gun control laws have become the center of policy discussions. Democratic politicians tend to put significant emphasis on their gun control policies, and are overall more in favor of stricter gun control laws and want more background checks for those who want to purchase a gun. However, Republicans tend to work in favor of gun rights.

In 2022, 31,103 White people in the United States died due to injuries caused by firearms. A further 14,189 Black people died due to injuries caused by firearms across the country in that year.

The statistic shows the U.S. total arms exports in 2023 expressed in TIV, by country. The TIV is based on the known unit production costs of a core set of weapons and is intended to represent the transfer of military resources rather than the financial value of the transfer. The TIV is expressed here in million constant U.S. dollars as of 1990. In 2023, the U.S. arms exports to Ukraine totaled to about 1.73 billion constant (1990) U.S. dollars. The depicted value is only an indicator and does not correspond to the actual financial value of the transfers.