Though firearms sales in April were down from the record highs of two years ago, it still marked the 45th month in a row that saw gun sales exceed one million units. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearms industry’s trade association, it was also the third-highest reported figure for the month of April on record.
The NSSF reported that April’s uptick of 1,369,296 FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) verifications showed that there continues to be a steady appetite for lawful firearm ownership. This comes even as some state governors and legislators have sought to implement gun control measures – notably restrictions on the ownership of the popular AR-style modern sporting rifles.
The April 2023 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure was also an increase of 0.7 percent compared to April 2022. It was based on raw data from the FBI, derived by subtracting out NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks used by states for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases.
In addition, it should be noted that twenty-four states currently have at least one qualified alternative permit, which under the Brady Act allows the permit-holder, who has undergone a background check to obtain the permit, to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer without a separate additional background check for that transfer.
As a result, the actual sales of firearms to law-abiding Americans could be even higher, the NSSF noted.
“These figures show that when Americans are concerned that government authorities will deny them the full spectrum of their Second Amendment rights, they will respond by exercising those rights. It also shows that when barriers to lawful firearm ownership are torn down, law-abiding citizens will exercise their right to lawfully purchase firearms,” said Mark Oliva, NSSF’s managing director of public affairs.
Surge in Gun Sales As Bans Increase
There has also been a surge in sales in Washington and Illinois, two states that adopted “assault weapons” bans this year. The spike in sales in Illinois came after Judge Stephen Patrick McGlynn issued a temporary injunction against the enforcement of a gun law that would ban some semiautomatic firearms.
Just a day after the injunction went into effect, large crowds hit the gun shops in the suburbs of Chicago.
“Within 15 minutes, we had people coming in,” Roger Krahl, owner of RGuns in Carpentersville, told Fox News. “There was a line outside the door before I could open up this morning. There will be no lunch today because we’ll be going nonstop.”
Across the country, gun shops in the Evergreen State also saw an increase in sales after the Washington State Senate approved a ban on the sale, manufacture, and import of so-called “assault weapons” statewide. Some retailers reported a 400 percent increase in gun sales last month.
Firearms Industry Economic Impact
Last month, the NSSF also released its annual Firearms and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact report for 2023, which found that the firearm and ammunition industry in the United States increased to $80.73 billion in 2022 from $19.1 billion in 2008, a 322 percent increase, while the total number of full-time equivalent jobs rose to over 393,696 from approximately 166,000, a 136 percent increase in that same period.
“Our industry’s economic input is undeniably contributing to every state and every community. This milestone achievement of over $80 billion in economic impact proves that the American firearm and ammunition industry is strong,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO.
The domestic firearms industry is consistently growing and innovating to meet the American demand for the highest quality firearms and ammunition for lawful firearm ownership, Bartozzi added.
“Over 4.2 million Americans from all walks of life, for the first time, discovered and exercised their right to lawful firearm owners and safely participate in the recreational shooting sports last year,” Bartozzi continued. “This growth equals more jobs that add to our local economies, averaging $65,000 in wages and benefits, up from $56,900 reported last year. Since 2008, federal tax payments increased by 266 percent, Pittman-Robertson excise taxes that support wildlife conservation by 226 percent and state business taxes by 46 percent.”
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.