Firearm Imports Increased 60 Percent In 2020

by
posted on March 18, 2021
** 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. **
2020-firearm-imports.jpg

The well-documented firearm sales record of 2020 was partially supplied by a 60-percent increase in the number of firearms imported into the United States last year, according to figures released this week by Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF). The organization’s press release reports the top-10 countries of origin were Turkey, Austria, Brazil, Croatia, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Canada, China and the Philippines, respectively. All combined those nations accounted for 92 percent of the guns originating from other nations during 2020.

The figures, based on raw data from the U.S. International Trade Commission, do not include imported military firearms or muzzleloaders. A total of roughly 6.4 million guns were imported last year, which represents an increase of 2.4 million when compared to 2019, when the figure was 4.0 million.

Turkey led the importing nations in 2020, with 1,478,464 firearms. Austria came in second at 1,284,785 followed by Brazil with 1,016,630. Rounding out the top five were Croatia (521,932) and Italy (360,557).

Munitions imports, which includes cartridges and components, came in at 3.5 billion units, according to SAAF. The top-10 countries of origin were, in descending order, Russia, Mexico, Italy, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Serbia, South Korea, Hungary, Israel and the Philippines.

The leading producers accounted for slightly more than 3 million of them, although a total of 3,455,273,118 units came into the United States from foreign sources, The volume still failed to fill a demand, a fact made obvious by the bare shelves at area FFLs and on line.

“Over the past several decades firearms and ammunition imports have come to play an important role in the U.S. industry’s competitive landscape and firearms brand names such as Beretta, Glock, Sig Sauer, and Taurus have become well-established in the U.S. market,” SAAF Chief Economist Jurgen Brauer stated in the press release.

Latest

Mossberg 940 Pro New Models 01
Mossberg 940 Pro New Models 01

Mossberg Introduces SPX & Professional Models To 940 Pro Tactical Line

Mossberg has expanded its popular 940 Pro Tactical shotgun line with SPX and Professional models, with each adding a slate of upgraded components and accessories designed to enhance the shotgun's capabilities.

Preview: Streamlight Sidewinder X

This high-output, multi-fuel, military-style light with a tilting head is perfect for hunters and home defenders looking for more than just a handheld light...

The Armed Citizen® July 4, 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.

A Guide To Double-Stack 1911s

The 2011 brings double-stack capacity and modular upgrades to the 1911 platform, but not every wide-body 1911 out there earns that name.

Legislators Enjoy Afternoon Of Clays With Benelli USA, Among Others

A bipartisan group of Maryland state legislators met with firearm industry manufacturers and representatives for a day of clays shooting while also attending discussions on the positive economic impacts of the shooting sports.

2025 Ammunition Product Of The Year: Winchester .21 Sharp

For continuing to innovate, particularly in a corner of the ammo world that has seen very little recently, we named the Winchester .21 Sharp as our Ammunition Product Of The Year.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.