Mid-2020 Gun Sales Eclipse All of 2019 Sales

by
posted on August 13, 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. **
more-than-2-million-sold-in-july.jpg

Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF) Chief Economist Jurgen Brauer analyzed July’s NICS figures and put this year’s gun sales pace into startling perspective earlier this week. “Our estimates suggest that the market for the first seven months of 2020 now has nearly matched that of the entire year of 2019,” he said in a press release issued on Monday.

Last month’s sales came in at 2 million, according to the SAAF estimate. Numbers from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) came in at a more conservative 1.85 million. Both organizations, however, concur the figures reflect a doubling of firearm-purchase-related use of the FBI’s NICS background check system when compared to that of July 2019.

Handgun sales, according to SAAF, lead the charge with 1.2 million sold last month. Rifles and shotguns came in at 600,000 and firearms falling into the “other” category added 160,000 to the record-setting pace.

Firearm sales have increased every month in 2020, continuing a trend that began in mid-2019. Manufacturers and retailers are finding it a challenge to keep inventory stocked, along with accessories and ammunition during the unprecedented demand.

Even qualified workers have become a relative scarcity as customers line up at gun counters nationwide. Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s announced two weeks ago it was increasing starting salaries for some positions and hiring 5,000 personnel for a variety of job descriptions—including in the hunting department, where the chain offers firearms and related gear.

The NICS system figures reported by the FBI each month include carry permit processing and other administrative use, however, which render the numbers an estimate. Even then, half the states don’t require citizens with a current CCW to undergo the redundant background check and multiple firearm sales—regardless of the number of guns being purchased—are recorded as a single transaction. Private transfers, conducted in regions where a NICS check is not required, are also not reflected.

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web
Gotw Wilson Combat Divison 77 Project 1 Web

Gun Of The Week: Wilson Combat Division 77 Project 1

Join American Rifleman staff on the range in this video to get a closer look at Wilson Combat’s somewhat cryptically named “Division 77 Project 1.” 

The Armed Citizen® July 18, 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.

Review: POF-USA LMR BASE Rifle

The Patriot Ordnance Factory LMR Base offers a .308 Win. chambering in a lightweight, AR-15-size package, which makes it a capable platform for today's new gun owner. And it comes at a fair price.

2025 Accessory Of The Year: Wyoming Sight Drifter

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Henry Donates Rifles To Support Young Leukemia Victim

Henry Repeating Arms has donated a limited run of 50 “Team Keane” Golden Boy .22 lever-action rifles to support 13-year-old Keane Rhodes of Universal City, Texas, who is currently undergoing aggressive treatment for ALL T-cell leukemia.

Rifleman Review: Springfield Armory Echelon

Springfield Armory introduced its Echelon in 2023, bringing a modernized, chassis-style, striker-fired handgun to the market that has since seen several notable line extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.