Firearm Production Figures
Report on gun production and circulation in the United States.
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The National Shooting Sports Foundation released their report Firearm Production in the United States including Firearm Import and Export Data 2023 Edition. This report compiles the most up-to-date information based on data sourced in the Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Reports (AFMER) from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Key findings:
The estimated total number of firearms in civilian possession from 1990-2021 is 473.2 million, according to data in reports such as ATF Firearms Commerce in the United States, ATF Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Reports and Congressional Research Service and including the collective ATF Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report (AFMER) reports up to the 2021 edition.
Total domestic firearm production reported in the 2021 AFMER was 12,521,614 – an increase of 28.6 percent over 2020 reported figures.
Data indicates that 28,144,000 Modern Sporting Rifles (MSRs) such as the AR-15 are in circulation since 1990.
MSR production increased 32 percent from 2020 to 2021. This increased the estimated amount of MSRs produced (since 1990) by 15 percent from 24.4 million to 28.1 million.
In 2021, 21,037,810 total firearms were made available for the U.S. market, which includes firearms that were domestically produced plus those imported, minus exported firearms. Of those, 12,799,067 were handguns, 4,832,198 were rifles, and 3,406,545 were shotguns.
An interim 2022 estimate showed a total of 11,217,388 total firearms were domestically produced. Of those 6,148,877 were pistols, 830,800 were revolvers, 3,575,322 were rifles and 662,389 were shotguns. Those are interim reports and will be updated when complete reports are available from the ATF.
Firearm and ammunition manufacturing accounted for over 12,400 employees producing over $5.6 billion in goods shipped in 2021.
From 1990 to 2021, 254,753,372 firearms have been made available to the U.S. market.
All this occurred as the overall rate of homicides and violent crime in the United States has declined.
Just wow… I remember when the AWB expired. Lots of people, me included, bought an AR since the government told me I couldn’t have one. Good times!