Americans Bought 13.9 Million Firearms in 2019

by
posted on January 7, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
americans-buy-millions-firearms-2019-f.jpg

The number of NICS background checks conducted by the FBI in 2019 came in at 28,369,750, the highest mark since the agency began the program in 1998. After an adjustment for the volume of concealed-carry permit applications, renewals and other administrative use of the system, Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF) estimates the figure reflects total firearm sales of 13.9 million firearms last year.

“The industry ended the 2019 year with sales of about 100,000 more units than for the whole of 2018 (13.9 vs. 13.8 million units),” SAAF Chief Economist Jurgen Brauer explained in a press release this week. “While unit sales during 2020, being a U.S. presidential election year, may increase again (even absent politics, we estimate to about 14.4 million units), it is unlikely that the industry will return to its 2016 sales high of 16.6 million units.”

Increases in handgun sales are playing a critical role in the market’s improvement. “One trend that will continue, however, is of the U.S. as a ‘handgun nation,’” Brauer said. “Since 2014, annual handgun unit sales have handily outpaced annual long-gun unit sales in 2019 by nearly 2.3 million units.”

NICS background checks conducted in December 2019 claimed second place honors in the all-time-record list for the period, although the total fell nearly 400,000 short of the record set in 2015. SAAF estimates that in December firearm sales reflected by the FBI figures totaled roughly 1,671,775. Of those 859,850 were single handgun sales, with another 689,444 reflecting the purchase of a long arm (rifle or shotgun). Other related firearm purchases came in at 122,481, a figure that includes enthusiasts who bought multiple guns at the same time, which requires only one background check.

Since the NICS program began, the FBI has conducted more than 333 million background checks.

Latest

Colt-Burgess Rifle
Colt-Burgess Rifle

I Have This Old Gun: Colt-Burgess Rifle

There was a time when firearm manufacturers were primarily known for producing only one specific type of gun. In fact, their fame, reputations and, often, their fortunes hinged upon it.

2026 NRA Youth Education Summit Applications Open

Applications are now open for the 2026 NRA Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.), an all-expenses-paid, six-day leadership and scholarship program for rising high school juniors and seniors.

The Rifleman Report: The Misrepresented Armed Citizen

Despite what mainstream news outlets would have us believe, most armed citizens are thoughtful, deliberate, responsible Americans whose foremost concerns are the well-being of themselves and their families.

First Breach Ammunition Factory Tour

An ambitious and technically savvy startup embarks on the goal to bring match-grade cartridges to the market at an enviable price—all made in America.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 27, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

The Development of MIM Cartridge Cases

We recently caught up with Concurrent Technologies to learn more about its latest advancements in metal injection molding (MIM) as it pertains to cartridge case manufacturing.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.