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The Economic Impact Of The US Firearms And Ammo Industry

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the real gun lobby, released a report last week that detailed the economic impact of the firearms and ammunition industry in the United States. It is a lot bigger than the gun prohibitionists would have you believe and it is indicative of why it is considered an essential industry.

Since 2008, the economic impact has grown 213% to $60 billion as of 2019. Just as importantly, the number of full time job equivalents has doubled from 166,000 to 332,000.

More details on the economic impact from the NSSF report:

On a year-over-year basis, the industry’s economic impact rose from $52 (billion) in 2018 to $60 billion. Total jobs increased by 20,000 in the same period, from nearly 312,000 to over 332,000. The broader impact of the industry flows throughout the economy and supports and generates business for firms seemingly unrelated to firearms at a time when every job in America counts. These are real people, with real jobs, working in industries as varied as banking, retail, accounting, metalworking and printing, among others.
The firearm and ammunition industry paid over $6.74 billion in business taxes, including property, income and sales-based levies.
“Our industry continues to show the steady and reliable growth that is a hallmark of a healthy industry,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “The workers who comprise our ranks are the fabric of our communities. They produce the highest quality firearms and ammunition that millions of law-abiding Americans rely upon to exercise their fundamental right to keep and bear arms and safely enjoy the recreational shooting sports. This growth translates to more jobs that add to our local economies, averaging $55,200 in wages and benefits. In addition, since 2008 we increased federal tax payments by 162 percent, Pittman-Robertson excise taxes that support wildlife conservation by 79 percent and state business taxes by 116 percent.”

The full report is here.

The NSSF has also provided an interactive map of the United States which allows you to see the number of jobs, wages, and economic output created on a state by state basis. It appears that Joe Biden’s Delaware has the fewest number of jobs in the industry while Hawaii had the smallest economic impact from the firearms and ammunition industry.

Target Shooting Means 4,460 Jobs And $459 Million For North Carolina

The National Shooting Sports Foundation just released a study analyzing the economic impact of target shooting in the United States in terms of jobs and money put into the economy. This economic impact is distinct from the influence of hunting. The study found that target shooting created 185,000 jobs and injected $23 billion into the US economy.

NSSF has broken this down by state and the impact on North Carolina’s economy is significant.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation has released a major new report about the importance of target shooting activities to the economies of North Carolina and the nation. NSSF is the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry.

The report, Target Shooting in America: Millions of Shooters, Billions of Dollars, was released today in conjunction with a press conference at the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show), the largest trade show of its kind in the world and a showcase for the firearms and ammunition industry.

The report provides a first-ever look at U.S. target shooting-related expenditures. Also included are state-by-state statistics for the number of target shooters, retail sales, taxes and jobs. The target-shooting report complements the Hunting in America report released by NSSF and the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies in March 2013.

In North Carolina, target shooting-related spending contributed $459,373,038 to the state’s economy and supported 4,460 jobs.

Nationally, the money target shooters spent in 2011 resulted in $23 billion being added to the nation’s economy and supported more than 185,000 jobs.

“More people target shooting is good news for the industry, and it is equally good news for America’s economy,” said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti.

Retail sales related to target shooting account for nearly $10 billion, with rifle and handgun shooting being the leading contributors, followed by shotgun and muzzleloader shooting. California and Texas are the top two states ranked by retail sales.

Combining data from Target Shooting in America and Hunting in America shows that target shooters and hunters together poured more than $110 billion into the nation’s economy, fueling more than 866,000 jobs. “Communities and businesses of all sizes benefit from these activities,” said Sanetti.

Target shooters ($8.2 billion) and hunters ($8.4 billion) spend nearly equal amounts on equipment common to both pursuits, such as firearms, ammunition and accessories. Hunters spend more overall than target shooters when factors such as fuel, food, lodging and transportation are included.

“The Target Shooting in America and Hunting in America reports give us a more complete understanding of the economic importance of the shooting sports to America,” said Sanetti. “We’ve long known about the recreational benefits of these activities, and now we know how much they contribute to our country’s financial well-being.”