Firearm Industry Creates $49.3 Billion Economic Impact In 2015

by
posted on April 18, 2016
** 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. **
economic_impact_2_lede.jpg

Yes, tax day is painful, but before you complain about surviving the next six months on chicken-flavored ramen, count your blessings your bill wasn’t $6.2 billion. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s freshly released “Firearm and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report 2016”, that’s how much the firearm industry and employees paid in federal and state taxes for the year 2015.

The industry directly employs 132,584 at an average annual salary of $50,180, and its activity generates an additional 155,402 jobs. That’s a total of 287,986 who aren’t in unemployment or welfare lines. I’m not expecting those who would strip law-abiding citizens of their Second Amendment rights to grasp the magnitude of those figures—much less be capable of reading them, anyway—so let’s move on to some interesting tidbits.

States with the most jobs directly related to the firearm industry are:
Texas—14,700
California—14,130
Florida—9,447
Pennsylvania—8,044
Ohio—7,811

States with the fastest growth in gun-related jobs:
Wyoming
Alaska
Maine
North Dakota
Missouri

While the rest of the economy stalled to a zika-breeding stagnation, the gun industry has created 21,000 new jobs in the past two years and grown from an economic impact of $19.1 billion in 2008 to $49.3 billion in 2015—an increase of 158 percent.

So if one of your anti-gun friends or coworkers complains today about their IRS bill and the freeloaders riding the government gravy train, bring up these figures, explain the extra excise taxes firearm owners willingly pay throughout the year and the people employed. The odds are good they won’t let the facts get in the way of their opinion, but today, of all days, it may ring true differently—through their pocketbook. 

Latest

Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1
Taurus Expedition Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Taurus Expedition

Taurus entered the bolt-action rifle market with its Expedition, a Remington 700-pattern design that's built to be versatile and affordable.

New For 2025: Charter Arms Pathfinder II

Charter Arms updated one of the oldest models in its lineup with the new Pathfinder II, which features a lightweight 7075 aluminum frame, making it more well-balanced and easier to carry.

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.