Americans are apparently buying more pistols but fewer rifles — that’s the trend suggested by the latest Firearms production statistics from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). According to the ATF’s 2010 Interim Annual Firearm Manufacturing and Export Report, U.S. firearm manufacturers produced more than 5.4 million firearms in 2010. This represented a small (2.7%) reduction in total U.S. firearm production compared to 2009. However, the really notable statistic was a dramatic 18.8% reduction in rifle production. Rifle production decreased 18.8%, while handgun production increased 14.9%. That’s a big swing. Shotgun production remained relatively steady, only dropping 1.2 percent.
Editor’s Comment: Since these are production numbers, not sales figures, it may be premature to say that American shooters are spending a lot less money on rifles, but we know that sales of AR-type “black rifles” are down significantly. There was a rush of AR “panic buying” after the last presidential election that was not sustained. We are also concerned that fewer young Americans are learning to shoot rifles, while the average age of target rifle shooters continues to climb. We need to expand efforts to get young people involved in rifle shooting and hunting.
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According to the latest Firearm Manufacturing and Export Report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), U.S. firearm manufacturers produced more than 5.4 million firearms in 2009. That’s a big increase compared to the start of the decade in 2001, when less than 3,000,000 firearms were manufactured by U.S. companies. In recent years, production of both handguns and long guns has grown significantly, as show in the graph below, prepared by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) based on ATF records from 1984-2009.
The ATF data (from 1984-2009) reveals some interesting trends:
Total firearms produced in 2009 topped 5.4 million, exceeding the previous high total in 1994.
Over 3,000,000 long guns were produced in 2009, the highest quantity in the past 25 years.
The total number of firearms sold in 2009 works out to one gun for every 57 citizens, based on the 2009 U.S. population of 305,529,237.
After a decade-long decline, handgun production rose dramatically from 2004-2009. If trends continue, in a few more years, pistol sales could out-number long gun sales.
NSSF research has updated its 14-page Industry Intelligence Report, titled Firearms Production in the United States, with the most recent data on U.S. production of pistols, revolvers, rifles and shotguns. Additional updated data found in this report include: Annual Survey of Manufacturers figures and U.S. International Trade Commission firearm import and export figures. The report is available for free to NSSF members by logging into the members section of the NSSF website, clicking “NSSF Industry Research” and then clicking “Industry Intelligence Reports.” For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.
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If you’re one of the nearly 71 million Americans who live in the four southwest border states, some of your gun purchases may soon be reported to the federal government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) seeks to require all of the 8,500 firearm dealers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to report all sales of two or more semiautomatic rifles within five consecutive business days, if the rifles are larger than .22 caliber and use detachable magazines. For example, a dealer would have to tell the government every time a deer hunter in Phoenix or Houston finds a good deal on a pair of semi-auto .223s or .30-06s.
The NRA states: “The ATF has no legal authority to demand these reports, and the flood of new paperwork will waste scarce law enforcement resources that should be spent on legitimate investigations. Every concerned gun owner’s voice should be heard on this critically important issue.”
Unfortunately, there are only a few days left to comment on this proposal. Comments will be accepted until Monday, February 14.
If you comment on the ATF long-gun registration proposal, be sure to cite the Dec. 17, 2010 “Notice of Information Collection Under Review: Report of Multiple Sale or Other Disposition of Certain Rifles.”
Submit Comments to:
OMB
Office of Information & Reg. Affairs
Attention: Dept. of Justice Desk Officer
Washington, DC 20503
Send a copy of your comments to:
Barbara A. Terrell
Barbara.Terrell@atf.gov
Fax: (202) 648–9640
Firearms Industry Programs Branch
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
99 New York Avenue, N.E.
Washington, DC 20226.
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Last week, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued an important ruling affecting gunsmiths. The ruling covers the obligations of dealer-gunsmiths who work as sub-contractors for a licensed firearm manufacturer. Specifically, the ruling addresses record-keeping requirements and whether dealer-gunsmiths must have a manufacturers’ license to complete certain types of production work. We recommend that all gunsmiths involved in external finish work (such as cerakoting or parkerizing) review the ruling carefully.
The ATF explains: “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has received inquiries from firearms industry members asking whether licensed dealer-gunsmiths who would be engaged in the business of repairing, modifying, embellishing, refurbishing, or installing parts in or on firearms for, or on behalf of a licensed importer or manufacturer are required to be licensed as manufacturers and abide by the requirements imposed on manufacturers.
In recent years, licensed firearms importers and manufacturers have contracted certain firearms manufacturing activities on their behalf to specialized licensed firearms manufacturers. Such activities include applying special coatings and treatments to firearms (e.g., bluing, anodizing, powder-coating, plating, polishing, heat/chemical treating).
This has caused confusion over which importers and manufacturers are required to identify/mark firearms and maintain permanent records of importation or manufacture. For this reason, licensed importers and manufacturers have asked whether licensed dealer-gunsmiths, who are not required to mark firearms and keep production records, may engage in such manufacturing activities on their behalf.”
Summary of ATF Ruling 2010-10
ATF Ruling 2010-10 addresses questions about activities such as bluing, anodizing, powder-coating, plating, polishing, heat and chemical treating. There has been confusion over whether these activities require a federal firearms manufacturers license, and what are subcontractors’ firearms-marking and record-keeping requirements. As stated by the BATFE in a 12/30/2010 Press Release:
Ruling 2010-10 holds that licensed firearms dealer-gunsmiths are not engaged in a manufacturing business, and are not required to hold a manufacturers license, under certain specified conditions. The ruling was issued to address modern firearms manufacturing processes, which often involve a number of contractors other than the manufacturer whose name is marked on the firearm.
Under the ruling, licensed dealers may perform manufacturing services if:
(1) The firearms are not owned by the licensed dealer-gunsmith;
(2) The licensed dealer-gunsmith returns the firearms to the licensed manufacturer or licensed importer upon completion of the manufacturing process and does not sell or distribute the firearms to any other person; and
(3) The firearms were properly identified and marked by the importer or manufacturer in accordance with the law and regulations.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) is turning to the internet to spread its message and to inform Federal Firearms License holders (FFLs) regarding the latest regulations and reporting requirements. BATFE is posting a series of online video seminars designed to educate Federal Firearms Licensees on a host of topics related to the Federal firearms laws and regulations and best practices.
FFL instructional videos are now available on the BATFE’s recently created YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/ATFHQ. Linked below is Part One of the video on Record-keeping Requirements. Note that some videos are in segments and should be viewed in order. CLICK HERE to view Part Two and other BATFE videos.
Record-Keeping Requirements for FFLs — PART ONE
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President Obama has picked Andrew Traver, the BATFE’s Chicago Field Office Director, to be the new director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE). Traver is considered a political chrony of Obama who holds extreme views on gun control. Michael Bane of Downrange.TV describes Andrew Traver as a “relentless anti-gun zealot”. The NRA has stated its opposition to Traver’s nomination in no uncertain terms, calling on President Obama to withdraw the nomination:
Official NRA Response To Traver’s Nomination
The NRA strongly opposes President Obama’s nomination of Andrew Traver as director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE). Traver has been deeply aligned with gun control advocates and anti-gun activities. This makes him the wrong choice to lead an enforcement agency that has almost exclusive oversight and control over the firearms industry, its retailers and consumers. Further, an important nomination such as BATFE director should not be made as a “recess appointment,” in order to circumvent consent by the American people through their duly elected U.S. Senators.
Traver served as an advisor to the International Association for Chiefs of Police’s (IACP) “Gun Violence Reduction Project,” a “partnership” with the Joyce Foundation. The IACP report, generated with Traver’s help, called on Congress to ban thousands of commonly owned firearms by misrepresenting them as “assault weapons,” as well as calling for bans on .50 caliber rifles and widely used types of ammunition. The report also suggests that Congress should regulate gun shows out of existence and should repeal the privacy protections of the Tiahrt Amendment—all efforts strongly opposed by the NRA and its members.
An agency involved in the regulation of a fundamental, individual right guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution should not be led by an individual with a demonstrated hostility to that freedom. For that reason, the NRA strongly opposes Andrew Traver to head the BATFE and urges President Obama to withdraw this ill-advised nomination.
Michael Bane Reveals Traver’s Anti-Gun Agenda
You can learn more about the Traver nomination controversy via Michale Bane’s Weekly Video Podcast. You should really watch this video — it uncovers the ugly truths about Andrew Traver. Just click the arrow in the middle of the video frame to play. NOTE: A short advertisement from the Outdoor Channel may precede the video playback.
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Reflecting increased awareness among shooters of the benefits of firearms noise reduction, suppressor sales in the USA rose 9% in the past year (10/1/2009-9/30/2010) compared to the previous 12 months. This is based on BATFE records of NFA transfer stamps issued through state Form 4s. According to a report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, suppressors (also called silencers, sound moderators, or ‘cans’) are becoming increasingly popular as more shooters learn the proper procedures for lawful suppressor ownership.
Texas is #1 in Suppressor Ownership
The three top states for BATFE-approved suppressor sales are Texas (3,621 sales), Florida (2,053 sales) and Georgia (1,153 sales). Ironically, in some of the most “eco-conscious” states, such as California, suppressor ownership by regular citizens is still prohibited. But we may see further liberalization of state laws on suppressors, as the public perception of firearms sound moderators evolves.
Well-informed American legislators have taken note that suppressors are legal (and widely used) in many European countries. In fact, in some European nations, the use of a suppressor is mandatory if you want to shoot or hunt near populated areas. The Europeans understand that sound moderators provide important safety protection for shooters while reducing “noise pollution” affecting the general populace. For both shooters and non-shooters, the benefits of suppressors far outweigh the problems associated with the use of silencers by criminals. Unfortunately, there are still many states where anti-gun decision-makers continue to block private suppressor ownership, even where that conflicts with health and safety rules. Ammoland.com reports that: “In the states where [suppressors] are still illegal the Laws and Regulations on Noise Pollution, Health & Safety at Work etc. are in direct conflict with Firearms Legislation outlawing the use of Suppressors on Firearms.”
Last week, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) issued an important ruling affecting gunsmiths. The ruling covers the obligations of dealer-gunsmiths who work as sub-contractors for a licensed firearm manufacturer. Specifically, the ruling addresses record-keeping requirements and whether dealer-gunsmiths must have a manufacturers’ license to complete certain types of production work. We recommend that all gunsmiths involved in external finish work (such as cerakoting or parkerizing) review the ruling carefully.
This has caused confusion over which importers and manufacturers are required to identify/mark firearms and maintain permanent records of importation or manufacture. For this reason, licensed importers and manufacturers have asked whether licensed dealer-gunsmiths, who are not required to mark firearms and keep production records, may engage in such manufacturing activities on their behalf.”
Official NRA Response To Traver’s Nomination
Reflecting increased awareness among shooters of the benefits of firearms noise reduction, suppressor sales in the USA rose 9% in the past year (10/1/2009-9/30/2010) compared to the previous 12 months. This is based on BATFE records of NFA transfer stamps issued through state Form 4s. According to a report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, suppressors (also called silencers, sound moderators, or ‘cans’) are becoming increasingly popular as more shooters learn the proper procedures for lawful suppressor ownership.
ATF Seeks to Impose Long Gun Reporting in Border States
The NRA states: “The ATF has no legal authority to demand these reports, and the flood of new paperwork will waste scarce law enforcement resources that should be spent on legitimate investigations. Every concerned gun owner’s voice should be heard on this critically important issue.”
Unfortunately, there are only a few days left to comment on this proposal. Comments will be accepted until Monday, February 14.
To read the ATF proposal, CLICK HERE. | To read the NRA’s comments, CLICK HERE.
If you comment on the ATF long-gun registration proposal, be sure to cite the Dec. 17, 2010 “Notice of Information Collection Under Review: Report of Multiple Sale or Other Disposition of Certain Rifles.”
OMB
Office of Information & Reg. Affairs
Attention: Dept. of Justice Desk Officer
Washington, DC 20503
Barbara A. Terrell
Barbara.Terrell@atf.gov
Fax: (202) 648–9640
Firearms Industry Programs Branch
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
99 New York Avenue, N.E.
Washington, DC 20226.
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