Americans Spend More Than Ever on Guns and Hunting Gear
You’d never know it, given the way the mainstream media portrays the shooting sports, but hunting/shooting is more important, from an economic standpoint, than golf, tennis, bike-riding, or just about any recreational sport you can name. Americans spent $4.6 Billion on hunting and shooting sports equipment in 2008, a 16% rise from 2007. Yep that’s “B” for Billion.
According to a new National Sporting Goods Association report, hunting- and firearms-related equipment was the only sporting-goods equipment category to see double-digit sales growth in 2008. Sales rose 16 percent, while overall sporting-goods equipment sales declined 1 percent compared to the previous year. Hunting- and firearms-related equipment ranked second only to exercise equipment in 2008, NSGA reports. Included in the “hunting and firearms” equipment category are rifles, handguns, shotguns, ammunition, airguns, reloading equipment, paintball and cutlery. NSGA reported sales in the hunting and firearms category were $4.6 billion in 2008, up from $3.9 billion the previous year.
In related news, Sturm Ruger & Co. announced a huge spike in its gun sales for 2009. This is probably due to the popularity of Ruger’s new compact handguns, combined with orders for its new AR15 style rifle, the Ruger SR-556 with gas-piston upper. Ruger reported Wednesday that firearms sales grew 94 percent in the second quarter of 2009, compared to the same period last year, and that sales were up 14 percent when compared to the first quarter of this year. Firearms unit production grew 63 percent from the second quarter of 2008.
Call it “panic buying” or the “Obama Effect”, but it’s ironic that the election of President Obama has ignited the greatest surge in guns and ammo sales in recent memory. One firearms marketing rep has suggested, half-seriously, that Pres. Obama should be named “Gun Salesman of the Century”.
This report courtesy NSSF.org
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No doubt the retails sales figures reflect just how substantial the firearms and related industries are to the economy a substantial portion of the growth also comes from the rise in prices we pay for components. I know the cost of brass has increased, etc. but for those of us who have been shooting a long time and make substantial purchases throughout the year we’ve seen a massive increase in cost. (Try to find 5000 match grade primers when you need them and then choke on the price.)
I also think the numbers might not reflect the volume of business we do with our gunsmith’s, barrel manufacturers, etc. I also don’t believe the numbers show the finanical investments made to maintain our shooting clubs and anncillary revenue generated by state, regional and national competition venues. Want to take a crack at how much money is spent by the men and women traveling to and participating in the Camp Perry National Matches?