No doubt NBC‘s editors charged their researchers with researching the U.S. firearms industry to prove that the lack of gun control is all about the money – seeing as its filed under “Oregon College Shooting” and all. The New York-based news net doesn’t say so, but c’mon. I was born on a Tuesday. Not last Tuesday. If the peacock’s media moguls thought that the stats would bolster the anti-gunners civilian disarmament campaign, they’re right! But, at the same time, the numbers clearly and unequivocally reveal that the desire to exercise the natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms is alive and well and living in America. Make the jump for the good news . . .
$13.5 billion
Annual revenue of gun and ammunition manufacturing industry, with a $1.5 billion profit. (IBIS World)
$3.1 billion
Annual revenue of gun and ammunition stores, with a $478.4 million profit. (IBIS World)
10,847,792
The number of pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns and miscellaneous firearms manufactured in the U.S. in 2013, the latest full year available. That’s 4,441,726 pistols, 725,282 revolvers, 3,979,570 rifles, 1,203,072 shotguns, and 495,142 miscellaneous firearms. (ATF)
4%
Percentage of the above guns which were exported. Of those 10.84 million guns, 10,413,880 stay in America. (ATF)
270-310 million
Estimated of number of guns in the U.S. (Pew Research Center)
263,223
Number of full-time jobs related to the firearm industry, up from 209,750 in 2012. (NSSF)
$42.9 billion
Estimated overall economic impact of the firearms and ammo industry in the U.S. (NSSF)
20,968,273
Number of firearm background checks initiated in 2014. Because a background check is required before a gun is bought, this numbers gives insight into gun sale trends. However, just because a background check was initiated doesn’t mean a gun was purchased. (FBI)
9,138,123
Number of firearm background checks in 1999. (FBI)
5
Average number of firearms owned by a gun owner once you toss out the top 3% of gun owners who own more than 25 guns. (Journal of Injury Prevention)
31%
Percentage of American households with guns. (NORC)
29%, 43.7%, 55.9%
Adults living in a household with firearms: percentage by suburbs, other urban areas, and rural counties, respectively. (NORC)
60%
Percentage of Americans who say personal safety/protection is the reason they own a gun. (Gallup)
$229 billion
The cost of fatal and non-fatal gun violence to the U.S. in 2012, representing 1.4% of total gross domestic product.(Mother Jones)
Note: the last stat not only comes from Mother Jones – hardly a bastion of independent analysis – and fails to balance it against the savings provided by armed self-defense. Which is also in the billions.