As anti-gun organizations do everything they can to destroy the firearms industry, including siding with Mexico in a lawsuit by that country against American gun companies, an interesting new study shows just how important the industry is to the American economy.
According to the Firearm And Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report 2025 just released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the gun industry trade association, the industry’s impact on the economy has jumped nearly 400% since 2008.
The report’s findings indicate that the total economic impact of the firearm and ammunition industry in the United States increased from $19.1 billion in 2008 to $91.7 billion in 2024, a 379% increase. Over the same time, the total number of full-time equivalent jobs rose from approximately 166,000 to nearly 383,000, a 130% increase.
In comparison to last year, the industry’s economic impact rose from $90.5 billion in 2023, to $91.7 billion in 2024. Of course, the firearm industry has broader impacts throughout the economy. It supports and generates business for firms seemingly unrelated to firearms, at a time when every job in America counts.
“Our industry is a vital economic contributor to every state and every community,” Joe Bartozzi, NSSF president and CEO, said of the report. “These are companies employing men and women from all walks of life and they prove daily that the American firearm and ammunition industry is strong,”
The firearm and ammunition industry paid nearly $11 billion in business taxes, including property, income and sales-based levies. An additional $886 million was paid in federal excise taxes, which directly contribute to wildlife conservation.
The report’s introduction stated: “The economic growth America’s firearm and ammunition industry has experienced in recent years has been nothing short of remarkable and has been driven by an unprecedented number of Americans choosing to exercise their fundamental right to keep and bear arms. This includes an estimated 3.9 million new gun owners in 2024.”
Interestingly, according to the report, the state with the most firearms industry jobs is gun-hating California, with over 13,000 Golden State residents working in the gun industry. The remainder of the top five states included Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and Illinois.
As NSSF’s Bartozzi also pointed out, the industry is responsible for providing the means by which law-abiding citizens can exercise their Second Amendment rights. Without gun and ammo companies, shooting would be impossible.
“Our industry enables Americans to engage in the American traditions of recreational target shooting and hunting, and we are the primary source of wildlife conservation funding in America,” he added. “The growth of the firearm industry equals more jobs that add to our local economies, averaging $68,300 in wages and benefits, up from $67,500 reported last year. Since 2008, federal business tax payments increased by 340%, Pittman-Robertson excise taxes that support wildlife conservation by 152% and state business taxes by 238%.”
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