NSSF Retailer Surveys Indicate 5.4 Million First-Time U.S. Gun Buyers in 2021
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) revealed that at least 5.4 million Americans purchased a firearm for the first time in 2021. Nearly 30% of all firearm purchases last year went to new gun owners, based on NSSF retailer surveys and adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background checks. That figure is a 10% decrease from 2020, when an estimated 40% of gun sales when to first-time buyers.
“We welcome these new gun owners to the greater community of law-abiding Americans who choose to own a firearm for lawful purposes, including self-defense, recreational target shooting and hunting,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO.
Demographics of Gun Buyers Changing — More Women, More Minorities
NSSF’s 2021 survey of retailers showed several other key findings. Among first-time buyers, over 33% (one-third) were female, and there was a significant increase in Hispanic gun purchasers.
— Over 33% of first-time gun buyers in 2021 were women.
— 44% of retailers saw an increase of African-Americans purchasing firearms in 2021.
— Nearly 40% of retailers saw an increase of Hispanic-Americans purchasing firearms in 2021.
— Over 27 percent of retailers saw an increase of Asian-Americans purchasing firearms in 2021.
How have gun sales grown in recent years in the USA? What states have the most new gun owners? How much ammo is produced each year? You’ll find answers to these and other questions in a new infographic produced by Bear Creek Arsenal.
Here Are Some of the Key Findings:
1. Over 21 million NICS Adjusted background checks were done in 2020, a 59.7% increase over 2019 (and 34.3% higher than 2016). NSSF estimates that 40% of 2020 gun sales were to first-time gun buyers who numbered 8.4 million last year.
2. Of all U.S. States, Texas had the most NICS checks in 2020, with 1.8 million, followed by Florida with 1.6 million. Perhaps surprisingly, Democratic Party-controlled California recorded 1.23 million NICS checks.
3. Some “Blue States” have seen huge increases in gun sales, prompted by Leftist- and BLM-sponsored riots and social unrest. For example, Michigan saw a 180% increase in sales, while the District of Columbia saw a 140% increase. That is interesting because DC is definitely not a bastion of conservative Republicans. In fact, the District of Columbia is solid Democratic Party territory. This shows that concerns over personal safety/self-defense cut across party lines.
4. Over NINE BILLION rounds of ammunition were produced in 2020. This represents a total annual ammo value of $21.38 billion. Quote: “A reasonable extrapolation puts the amount of ammunition produced for the United States market [in 2020] at somewhat over 9 billion rounds, of which 5 billion are rimfire and 4 billion are centerfire rifle, pistol, and shotgun rounds.” Source: Dean Weingarten on Ammoland.com
2020 was definitely the year of the gun. Firearm sales were up 95% in the first half of 2020. And, according to the NSSF, there were nearly 8.4 million first-time-ever gun buyers in the USA in 2020. A NSSF dealer survey estimates that 40% of all gun sales were conducted to purchasers who have never previously owned a firearm. Women accounted for 40.2% of all first-time gun purchases. Notably, firearm purchases among African American men and women increased 58% over last year, the largest such increase of any demographic group.
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2020 has been the year of the gun. Firearm sales are up 95% in 2020. And, according to the NSSF, there were nearly 5 million first-time-ever gun buyers in the USA this year. A NSSF dealer survey estimates that 40% of all gun sales were conducted to purchasers who have never previously owned a firearm. Women accounted for 40.2% of all first-time gun purchases. Notably, firearm purchases among African American men and women increased 58% over last year, the largest such increase of any demographic group.
Gun Sales Up 95%, While Ammo Sales Are up 139% in 2020
Sales of guns and ammo have skyrocketed in 2020. Retailers noted that they are seeing a 95% increase in firearm sales and a 139% increase in ammunition sales over the same period in 2019. Several factors are contributing to the huge surge in firearm purchases. There were fears over the COVID-19 Pandemic and lock-downs. Then riots and social unrest followed. And many Americans believe they must “buy now” before Democrat-party politicians enact severe gun restrictions and national licensing schemes.
NSSF reports that nearly 5 million Americans purchased a firearm for the very first time in 2020.
Retailers reported a huge increase of first-time gun buyers, estimating that 40% of sales were to this group. (In the past just 24% of gun sales were to first-time gun buyers.) Semiautomatic handguns were the primary firearm being purchased by first-time buyers, outpacing the second-most purchased firearm, shotguns, by a 2:1 margin. Modern sporting rifles, revolvers, and traditional rifles rounded out the top five types of firearms purchased by first-time gun buyers.
Semi-Auto Handguns Are the Top Choice of First-Time Buyers
Retailers noted that these new customers were spending $595 on an average sale and that 40% of first-time gun buyers in the first four months of 2020 were female. The main purchase driver among the group was personal protection, followed by target shooting, and hunting. Also of note was that 25% of first-time buyers had already taken some form of firearms safety course.
Record Numbers of Gun Sales by Month
For most of 2020, the month-by-month levels of firearm sales have set new records, based on FBI NICS checks. For example, in July 2020, firearms sales were up 122.5% over July 2019, based on NSSF-Adjusted* background check numbers. And, previously, in March 2020, gun purchases were up 80.4% compared to the year before (based on Adjusted NICS checks).
March 2020
Many New Gun Buyers Are Women and Minorities
NSSF surveys revealed a 58% increase in firearm purchasing among African American men and women, the largest increase of any demographic group. Women comprised 40% of first-time gun purchasers. Gun sales have set records in 2020 — retailers reported a 95% increase in firearm sales and a 139% increase in ammo sales over the same period in 2019.
Several factors are contributing to the sustained surge in firearm purchases. Sales spiked in March, with a record-setting 2.3 million NICS background checks conducted for a firearm sale, the same month the coronavirus pandemic struck. There were also major concerns after protests lead to large scale rioting and social unrest. Additionally, Americans are concerned that, if Joe Biden is elected, and the Democrats capture the U.S. Senate, there will be draconian gun control measures enacted, including outright bans on semi-automatic rifles.
* The adjusted NICS data sets were derived by subtracting out NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks used by states for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. NSSF started subtracting permit rechecks in February 2016.
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Presumed Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, called the firearm industry “the enemy” from the debate stage one year ago. Now the Democratic Party’s Official Platform lays out an agenda to dismantle the firearm and ammunition industry and destroy Second Amendment rights in America.
How do the Democrats plan to attack your gun rights? CLICK HERE to find out. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) posted the party’s draft platform online. This platform will be formally adopted during the Democratic convention in Milwaukee in mid-August. Just two paragraphs of the 80-page document are dedicated to firearms, but the message is clear. The DNC Draft Platform includes:
Halting and criminalizing online firearm and ammunition sales
Forcing states to require licenses for owning any firearms
Instituting delay processes for background checks
Criminalizing private firearm transfers
Banning the manufacture and sale of modern sporting rifles
Banning the manufacture and sale of 10+ Rd capacity magazines
Enacting ex parte “red flag” laws to seize guns without legal recourse
Mandating home storage requirements under penalty of law
Repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act
Require Licenses for Firearm Ownership
The right to “keep and bear arms” is a fundamental right recognized by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. However, the Democrats want to restrict Second Amendment freedoms by requiring that all Americans first obtain a license before being allowed to purchase any firearms. This licensing scheme would be carried out by incentivizing “states to enact licensing requirements to own firearms[.]
Ban and Confiscate ARs and other Modern Sporting Rifles
The DNC platform contemplates the confiscation of modern sporting rifles. Biden has told voters he would appoint former U.S. Rep. Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke as his gun control sheriff, after O’Rourke said “Hell, yes…” to forcibly confiscating modern sporting rifles. Biden answered CNN’s Anderson Cooper when he asked if his federal buyback plan would mean the government would confiscate firearms. “Bingo,” Biden said. “You’re right, if you have an assault weapon. The fact of the matter is they should be illegal, period.”
Authorize Delays in FBI NICS Background Check System
Changes called for in the DNC platform will cause delays in the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System for gun sales. Right now, 91% of all NICs background checks are completed within a few minutes. Just 9% are delayed. Of those, 88% are finalized within three working days. The Democrats want to see background checks held up and delayed for many reasons.
Repeal of Protections for Gun Makers against Litigation
The DNC also seeks to revoke the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which blocks lawsuits against gun-makers arising from criminal activity by individuals. Such lawsuits threaten a vital American industry. Allowing a lawsuit against a firearms company for the actions of a deranged criminal would be like allowing a lawsuit against an automaker if a drunk driver runs a red light or deliberately runs over a pedestrian. The maker of the car, or firearm, should NOT be financially responsible for the illegal actions of product users.
This story is based on NSSF News Release
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The riots and civil unrest are driving sales, which were already spiking because of concerns over the COVID-19 Pandemic.
According to the NSSF: “June 2020’s adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figures were nearly off the chart. It was the highest figure ever recorded in June and the second highest on record since instant background checks began more than 20 years ago. The June 2020 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 2,177,586 is an increase of 135.7% compared to June 2019.
“The eye-popping numbers began at the beginning of the year and continued to crush records amid the nation’s crises. So far, this year has seen half of the 10 busiest days on record and seven of the 10 busiest weeks — half of them in June.” — AP News
“These figures aren’t push polls,” said NSSF’s Mark Oliva to media. “They are representative of Americans from all walks of life who are taking action and taking responsibility for their rights and their safety.” Total background checks for 2020 now exceed 10 million. The strongest year recorded for adjusted NICS figures was 2016, when checks topped 15 million.
APNews.com has provide more details on the remarkable rise in gun sales, as logged via FBI background checks. AP News Reporter Julie Pane writes:
“Historic numbers of background checks to purchase or possess a firearm were done in June, a trend in a year marked by uncertainty over the Coronavirus pandemic, a subsequent economic recession, protests over racial injustice and calls to reduce police funding.
FBI numbers released Wednesday show that 3.9 million background checks were conducted last month, the most since the system was created in November 1998 [NOTE: these are non-adjusted figures.] The previous monthly record came in March, when 3.7 million checks were done. Each week in June is now in the top 10 weeks for background checks.
Halfway through 2020, just over 19 million checks have been done, more than all of 2012 and each of the years before that.” (Emphasis added.)
What will a pandemic combined with social unrest do to gun sales? Drive them through the roof. Last month’s gun sales are up 75% compared to May of 2019, based on Criminal Background Check System (NICS) data, as adjusted by NSSF. Look at that spike in the chart!
NSSF explains that the May 2020 1,595,790 checks figure represents an increase of 75.2 percent compared to the May 2019 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 910,910. What does “adjusted” mean? The adjusted NICS data were derived by subtracting out NICS purpose-code permit checks and permit rechecks used by states for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. For comparison, the unadjusted May 2020 FBI NICS figure 3,066,740 reflects a 32.1 percent increase from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,320,918 in May 2019.
Though not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provide an good picture of current market conditions. It should be noted that these statistics represent the number of firearm background checks initiated through the NICS. They do not represent the number of firearms sold or sales dollars. Based on varying state laws and purchase scenarios, a one-to-one correlation cannot be made between a firearm background check and a firearm sale. For more NICS information or to view the current monthly reports, visit the NICS website.
How to Receive Regular Data Reports from NSSF
Want to get regular sales reports? Then consider joining the NSSF. All NSSF members are able to access historical monthly NICS data by logging in and clicking on “Industry Research” then “NICS Data”. Questions concerning NSSF-adjusted NICS data should be directed to NSSF at 203-426-1320 or research@nssf.org.
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The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is set to release its newest version of the Form 4473. The Updated Form 4473 is used by all Federal Firearm License (FFL) holders to record pertinent information from persons seeking to purchase a firearm or firearms prior to the FFL performing a background check via the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) or state-approved point-of-contact law enforcement agency. FFLs may start using the new Form 4473 immediately. The FBI intends to start shipping these new forms in July 2020.
IMPORTANT: Use of the updated Forum 4473 becomes MANDATORY as of November 1, 2020, for paper applications (not using the FBI E-Check system).
The May 2020 Form 4473 includes several changes from the previous version, including:
— The warning at the top of the form includes information about illegal exportation.
— Information on the firearm/s to be transferred is now Section A, which must be completed before the transferee completes Section B.
— The Citizenship information (Country of Citizenship and US-issued alien or admission number) has been moved to precede the prohibitor questions.
— The “County” block has been changed to “County/Parish/Borough” to accommodate Louisiana and Alaska, respectively.
— The “Sex” box has been revised to include a third option of “Non-Binary”. [Comment: Really? And how does this prevent crime? Thank you SJWs.]
— Item 26b, which previously applied to situations in which the identification document did not show the current residence address of the transferee, has been updated to include situations in which the identification document does not include the full legal name of the transferee.
— New item 26c has been included for the recording of official military orders establishing permanent change of station.
OTHER Changes: A detailed summary of ALL Form 4473 changes has been prepared by Orchid Advisers, which provides ATF and ITAR compliance services to manufacturing, distribution, and retail FFLs.
Expected Delivery Dates and Pre-Order Links
Use of the May 2020-approved Form 4473 will be mandatory for all FFLs beginning November 1, 2020. FFLs may use supplies of their current Form 4473s (October 2016 version) until that date. The new Form 4473 and continuation sheets are available for preorder in both English and Spanish. FFLs can expect their preorders to begin shipping in late July 2020. In addition, ATF expects to ship 50-quantity starter packs of the new Form 4473 to all FFLs in late July 2020, and the agency intends to have an updated eForm 4473 up and running during that same time period for those FFLs utilizing the FBI’s NICS E-Check system instead of the paper Form 4473.
NSSF has ordered both Spanish and English overlays for the new Form 4473 and we will notify our members when they are in stock and available through the member portal. These overlays, which complement an FFL’s compliance best practices, help improve accuracy and completion of this critical form and are available free to NSSF members.
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Story based on Report by Dean Weingarten
The NICS numbers for March 2020 established new, all-time records for both the number of projected guns sales as well as the numbers of NICS background checks done in one month. In March 2020, 3,740,688 NICS checks were done, according to official FBI statistics.
The previous one-month NICS record was set in December of 2015, when 3,314,594 NICS background checks were done. In March of 2020, the FBI recorded 3,740,688 NICS background checks, 12% higher than the previous record. The number of NICS checks always exceeds that actual number of gun sales, because some checks are done for other purposes. The estimated number of recorded long gun, handgun, and other gun sales totaled 2,373,193 in March 2020, 7% higher than the previous sales record in December of 2015.
Guns Sales Driven by Pandemic Fears
According to MSN News, “With most of the nation in isolation to halt the spread of coronavirus … the FBI has seen a 41% increase in background checks compared to this time last year.”
Click Image to Go to MSN to Watch Video (then Click Speaker icon for audio).
Most Background Checks Were for Handguns
In March 2020, most of the purchases were for handguns instead of long guns. The numbers for March were: Handguns, 1,392,677 NICS checks, long guns, 758,073 NICS checks, other (mostly receivers, which could be made into either handguns or long guns) 79,129, and multiple 57,328. Multiple checks are multiplied by 2.5 to approximate the number of gun sales. Carry Permit NICS Checks Rising Faster
Notably, there has been significant growth in the number of NICS checks associated with CCW Carry Permit applications. NICS checks for carry permits and carry permit rechecks have been increasing much faster than checks for firearm sales. While states maintain their own databases for Carry Permits, NICS checks are done in connection with permit applications and renewals.
Total Guns in USA Close to 450,000,000
Using the figures available, there were about 430 million private firearms in the United States at the end of 2018. About 18.6 million have been added since then, putting the USA close to 450 million at this point. According to Dean Weingarten, the United States is on track to reach 500 million privately owned firearms by the end of 2024.
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The current Coronavirus Pandemic may be the most significant event to impact the United States since World War II. The majority of Americans are now “sheltering at home” under State Executive Orders. Across the nation, schools, shops, restaurants, and countless businesses are closed. The virus continues to spread at an exponential rate in the USA, which now has more confirmed Covid-19 cases than any other country on the planet. Yes, according to official statistics, we have more persons infected than does China, where this scourge originated. (However, there is considerable evidence that China may be deliberately under-reporting COVID-19 infections and deaths).
For obvious reasons, this Pandemic has Americans concerned about their safety and their security. As a result, citizens across the country are purchasing firearms. There are lines outside the doors of some gunshops. The rush to buy guns has led to a historic spike in NICS firearms background checks.
Record Number of FBI Background Checks for Gun Sales
According to MSN News, “With most of the nation in isolation to halt the spread of coronavirus, officials are seeing a spike in gun sales….the FBI has seen a 41% increase in background checks compared to this time last year.” According to the FBI, 3.7 million background check were run by the FBI in March.
Click Image to Go to MSN to Watch Video (then Click Speaker icon for audio).
And Fox News confirms that we are seeing a huge spike in gun sales and background checks: “The FBI ran more than 3.7 million gun background checks on Americans under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in March, smashing the previous record as Americans armed themselves amid growing fears about the coronavirus pandemic. The NICS system ran 3,740,688 background checks in March, which is 33 percent higher than the previous record of more than 2.8 million, which was set in February. The February numbers were a 34 percent uptick from the same time in 2019. March’s background check numbers marked a 41 percent increase over March 2019.”
About the Numbers — There is NOT a 1:1 correspondence between NICS checks and gun purchases, because not all background checks involve an actual purchases. For example, some States run NICS checks for carry permit applications. It is estimated that at least 2.3 million March 2020 background checks were for firearms transactions.
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March 2020
