Record arms sales in the US: Americans bought in record numbers of weapons in 2020 during a year of unrest

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Industry data and firearms background checks show that nearly 23 million guns were purchased by 2020, according to Small Arms Analytics, a consultancy based in Greenville, South Carolina.

That’s a 65% increase compared to 2019, when 13.9 million guns were sold, according to Small Arms Analytics.

Since there is no national gun registry, firearms industry publications and background checks are the best sources to measure sales.

FBI background checks on gun buyers took off throughout the year, but the biggest jumps – March, June, July, and December – overlapped with periods of political and social unrest. Background checks are not directly related to the number of weapons sold.

In March, the FBI conducted more than 3.7 million background checks – a month that overlaps with the start of the pandemic lockdowns. That’s more than 1 million extra background checks than in March 2019.
During the unrest following the police’s murder of George Floyd, background checks increased again to 3.9 million in June and 3.6 million in July. That compares to 2.3 million background checks in June 2019 and 2 million in July 2019.
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And the political uncertainty after the presidential election overlaps with a rise in background checks in November, at 3.6 million and in December at 3.9 million. That is 2.6 million in November 2019 and 2.9 million in December 2019.
The leap in gun sales also continued into 2021. In January, when rioters stormed the Capitol and a new government took office, the FBI was inundated with 4.3 million requests for background checks – compared to 2.7 million requests in January. . Those controls are initiated by arms sellers.

Background check requests decreased to 3.4 million in February, but that is still 23% higher than in February 2020.

There were also notable increases at the state level:

–A record number of residents of Georgia received background checks for firearms in 2020:

904,035, almost 68% more than the year before.

– Michigan background checks are up 155% in January from January before.

New Jersey saw a 240% increase in January compared to January.

Ken Baye, owner of Stoddard's Range and Guns in Atlanta, said he's seeing a different kind of customer these days: new shooters.

‘It seems like we live in chaos’

Gun shops and gun series are doing well.

Atlanta resident Syra Arzu, 38, wanted to buy a Glock pistol. But the store was completely sold out, so she chose a Smith & Wesson.

The single mother of three young children says she has never felt the need for a gun until now.

“It seems like we are living in chaos and this gives me a kind of control over that chaos,” Arzu said.

When Arzu got hers, her friend was convinced to buy one herself. And another friend who accompanied Arzu to the gun store picked up his new weapon last week.

“So you’re welcome, arms industry,” Arzu said.

Ken Baye, owner of Stoddard’s Range and Guns in Atlanta, said he’s seeing a different kind of customer these days: new shooters.

“We see a lot of women coming in, a lot of couples, people with children,” he said. “We actually see almost all walks of life.”

Gun sales in January set a new record after the Capitol Hill uprising
Philip Smith, founder of the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA), says many of those who buy guns today are people who five years ago would never have thought they would own a firearm. Covid-19, he says, was the game changer.

“That was something that had people regardless of color, regardless of your social background, your economic status, you said to yourself, ‘Okay if we don’t have food next week, what are we going to do for ourselves and our families?’

NAAGA is seeing a steady growth of about 800 to 1,000 new members per month, Smith said.

Industry data and firearms background checks show that nearly 23 million guns were purchased by 2020, according to Small Arms Analytics, a consultancy based in Greenville, South Carolina.

Other recent gun sales are on the rise

It’s not uncommon for gun sales to soar when a Democrat wins the White House. Barack Obama’s election and re-election in 2008 and 2012 were both followed by spikes in arms sales.
The previous record of 15.7 million weapons sold in a calendar year was set in 2016, when many firearms enthusiasts feared former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would win the White House.
Dabney Evans is concerned about different numbers: murders, suicides and injuries. She is an associate professor of global health at Emory University, and says studies show that more guns mean more deaths and injuries as a result.

“When we look at the worldview, we know that we have a lot more gun ownership in the US than in other countries, and we also know that we have even more violence and accidental injuries from gun possession,” Evans said.

Evans says that if people want to arm themselves, the best way these days is to wear a mask, wash your hands, and get a vaccine.

Arzu already follows that advice, but still feels better with a gun in her house, which she keeps in a safe.

“It’s like a security blanket,” she said.

CNN’s Chauncey Alcorn contributed to this report.

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