U.S. gun sales in the first seven months of 2021 surged 13% to 25,125,896 from the same seven months last year. This makes it the largest first seven months of the year figure since sales were first recorded in 1998.
The increase is part of a trend. Sales of guns in the United States rose 40% last year to 39,695,315. That represents the high water mark in annual gun sales since the current record-keeping system went into effect. Increases by state in July and for the first seven months varied substantially, as has been the case for years.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation tracks gun sales and publishes a list of how many are handled as part of its National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Each month, the figures are reported by state. Nearly everyone put through this system qualifies as a buyer. People who are excluded usually have criminal records. Of the more than 350 million checks that have been done since 1998, there have only been 2 million denials. Therefore, the data is the best proxy for U.S. gun sales available.
The New York Times points out that pandemic gun sales are largely over. While people who already own guns have been buying more, there is a new group of buyers. “New preliminary data from Northeastern University and the Harvard Injury Control Research Center show that about a fifth of all Americans who bought guns last year were first-time gun owners.” More of these buyers are people of color and women.
NPR commented on another trend: “Most often, the first-timers are purchasing a semiautomatic handgun, outpacing the second-most-purchased firearm, shotguns, by 2 to 1, according to NSSF [National Shooting Sports Foundation].”
Growing civil unrest may have prompted people to buy guns for personal and family protection, many social scientists have posited, although this remains a matter of debate. Another theory is that chaos brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic was a major cause. A UC Davis School of Medicine study about fear of violence reports: “The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated persistent structural, economic, and social inequities in the conditions that contribute to violence and its consequences.”
The gun sales increases in July and first seven months of 2021 should not be taken as unusual, nor should the rise in sales from 2019 to 2020 be viewed as an anomaly. They have increased most years since 1999. Annual sales first topped 25 million in 2016, 20 million in 2013, 15 million in 2011 and 10 million in 2006. In 1999, the first full year the FBI kept data, sales totaled 9,138,123.
The state with the most gun sales through the first seven months was Illinois at 6,707,482. The state has only 4% of the population but accounted for 27% of gun sales for the period. In second place, Kentucky had 1,984,388 sales in the first seven months of 2021. That is over 7% of the guns sold nationwide, even though the state has only 1.3% of the U.S. population.
Here are 2021 gun sales by state, including the District of Columbia and some territories:
Alabama: 581,290
Alaska: 55,113
Arizona: 360,924
Arkansas: 173,978
California: 886,292
Colorado: 386,038
Connecticut: 180,514
Delaware: 42,905
District of Columbia: 6,884
Florida: 1,059,122
Georgia: 519,142
Guam: 2,547
Hawaii: 9,761
Idaho: 167,472
Illinois: 6,707,482
Indiana: 1,244,066
Iowa: 174,518
Kansas: 137,411
Kentucky: 1,984,388
Louisiana: 241,517
Maine: 74,104
Mariana Islands: 169
Maryland: 170,047
Massachusetts: 163,387
Michigan: 610,029
Minnesota: 568,852
Mississippi: 188,058
Missouri: 387,999
Montana: 95,347
Nebraska: 55,731
Nevada: 118,543
New Hampshire: 94,727
New Jersey: 151,141
New Mexico: 119,756
New York: 278,258
North Carolina: 497,299
North Dakota: 47,856
Ohio: 530,395
Oklahoma: 249,508
Oregon: 275,189
Pennsylvania: 863,914
Puerto Rico: 41,396
Rhode Island: 25,261
South Carolina: 299,794
South Dakota: 63,717
Tennessee: 590,497
Texas: 1,197,967
Utah: 733,790
Vermont: 31,340
Virgin Islands: 1,333
Virginia: 397,518
Washington: 438,343
West Virginia: 134,231
Wisconsin: 455,437
Wyoming: 50,907
Click here to see how each state ranked by gun sales.
Sponsored: Want to Retire Early? Here’s a Great First Step
Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?
Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.
Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
