The Well Armed Woman Blog

7 Key Facts About the Gun Industry in 2020

Infographic provided by and posted with permission from Bear Creek Arsenal.

So many unprecedented things happened in 2020, not least of all, the gun industry saw an astonishing rise in sales. New gun owners and seasoned gun owners flocked to the stores when they could and purchased guns online when they couldn’t. The coronavirus pandemic created a temporary new way of life and had people realizing they had to do everything they could to protect themselves and their families. This infographic gives a snapshot of 7 keey facts the gun industry saw in 2020.

What Do These Key Facts Tell Us About the Gun Industry?

  1. The amount of NICS NSSF background checks skyrocketed in 2020.
    • 2016 – just under 15.8 million background checks were submitted.
    • 2019 – this number dropped to just under 13.2 million checks.
    • 2020 – over 21 million men and women purchased guns that required a background check.
      • If those 21 million checks were submitted for different people, that is 6% of the American population. WOW.
  2. The gun industry saw the most sales in these states –
    • Texas – 1.8 million sales
    • Florida – 1.6 million sales
    • California – 1.2 million sales
    • Pennsylvania – 1.01 million sales
    • Virginia – .8 million sales
      • These states alone account for 6.5 million sales
  3. NSSF estimates that 8.4 million people purchased a gun for the very first time in 2020. Welcome new gun owners!
  4. Michigan, Washington D.C., Rhode Island, Alabama, and New Jersey saw the largest increases in gun industry sales.
    • New Jersey is one of the strictest states in the United States and they were still able to purchase a large amount of guns for self-defense. This is great news!
  5. One very exciting key fact – the gun industry provided over 330,000 jobs for Americans during one of the hardest times our country has faced in recent history!

Final Thoughts

The gun industry is always changing and evolving. It is important to think about your part in the industry and what you can do to be a responsible and safe gun owner. Part of this is sharing your knowledge and resources! If you know any of the 8 million new gun owners and they are becoming well armed women, be sure to share the website to get them started on the right foot.

Get Started Here

Learn More About Guns Here

Online Courses

4 thoughts on “7 Key Facts About the Gun Industry in 2020

  1. Donna Leenknecht says:

    Great article. With the political arena right now I suspect even more guns will be purchased. At least two of those guns purchased in Texas was me, I am happy to say.

  2. Sharon says:

    My daughter & I are both first time gun owners here in Indiana. With what was going in in the country and the possibility of gun restrictions happening I wanted to be sure that I can defend my self and those that I love.

  3. Wendy Opera says:

    We have found it very difficult to find ammunition and we’re wondering if it’s a result of all the gun control debates? Could it be? My husband shoots trap and skeet and can’t even get ammunition for that. He was going to start reloading again and he is unable to get gun powder.
    Just looking for information after seeing the number for manufacturing ammunition.

    1. Skye says:

      Its hoarders! It started with the protests and hasn’t stopped. Then add in new owners, 8 million … thats a lot of ammo, even if they each bought 1 box! And its EVERYWHERE!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *