8.4 Million New American Gun Owners Drive Demand for Ammo

With reloading components and factory-loaded ammunition still in very short supply, gun owners are justifiably concerned. Every day, in our AccurateShooter Forum, members ask “Where are the primers?”, “Why can’t I get loaded ammo?”, “Why have component prices doubled or tripled?”. The answer is complex. Yes there have been production shortfalls (with the Remington Bankruptcy and some raw material shortages), yes there has been a reaction to the Biden election (causing panic buying), and yes there have been hoarding and profiteering (just look as the prices of primers on Gunbroker — over $300 per 1000!).

But probably the number one factor in the supply shortages has been the increase in gun owners in the past year, fueled in part by concerns over the BLM/Antifa led riots and social unrest, and Democratic Party attacks on gun rights. And, according to the NSSF, roughly 8,400,000 Americans purchased their first firearm in 2020. If each of these new gun owners purchased just two, 50-round boxes of ammo, that equates to 840,000,000 rounds of ammo. Think about that…the gun industry would have to produce an additional 2.3 million rounds of ammo EVERY DAY just to fill the demands from new gun owners. There are consequences for this increased production. Primers are in short supply because much of the available inventory is being used in loaded ammo.

This NSSF Infographic helps explain the situation. Among gunshops/dealers nationwide, there was a 95% increase in gun sales for the first half of 2020 (compared to 2019). And ammunition sales rose by 139%.