The January 2022 National Instant background Check System checks and gun sales have dropped significantly from those in January, 2021. In January 2021, the NICS checks were over 4.3 million. In January, 2022, they were over 2.5 million. Gun sales fell from over two million in January of 2021 to over 1.15 million in 2022.
In the historical context of NICS numbers, these are still high. January NICS checks did not break 1 million until after the election of President Barack Obama in November of 2008. January 2009 NICS checks were over 1.2 million.
On a quick survey of the market, using the Internet, firearms are becoming more available, and prices have dropped toward suggested retail. Ammunition is becoming somewhat more available, and prices have dropped somewhat.
Manufacturers of ammunition are running their production at top capacity. Manufacturers of firearms are starting to catch up to demand levels.
It appears there have been approximately 12-15 million new gun purchasers generated in the last two years, as estimated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).
A person who is a new gun purchaser may not be a new gun owner. Many people are gifted firearms; many become gun owners through inheritance. Some of those are included in the statistics of new gun buyers. Measuring gun ownership by survey has always been difficult.
It seems likely number of gun owners in the United States is well over 100 million, perhaps as high as 115 million. Legal gun owners, almost by definition, are eligible voters. They are known to be more politically involved than the ordinary eligible voter. 115 million gun owners would be almost half of all eligible voters, estimated at 239 million. In 2022 the number of privately owned firearms in the United States will be very near to 500 million. The calculated estimate at the end of 2021 was 480 million.
Ammunition capacity has increased by billions of rounds a year, and is still not meeting demand. A new primer manufacturing facility, one of the current bottlenecks, is being opened in Texas, on a previous WWII ammunition plant location.
It is not surprising that polls show support for new gun restrictions at record low levels.
The current chaotic state of the economy, rising crime rates, especially in Democrat strongholds, an unsettled international situation, and exponential increases in the numbers of concealed carry permits, all tend to keep gun and ammunition demand high.
Much of the increase in Concealed Carry Permits are among women and minorities, traditionally considered as Democrat constituencies. High profile cases are showing the US justice System takes the right to self defense by minorities seriously.
In spite of Progressive attempts to blame crime and violence on inanimate objects, such as firearms, reality has a way of intruding.
Manmade weapons have defined the difference between the animal kingdom and humans for the entire history of mankind. If they did not work, they would not be here.
It appears the United States has had a step increase in firearms ownership and demand. It will continue, at a somewhat slower pace.
People will not vote to give up their arms unless they feel themselves to be secure. The New Deal push for gun control died with the start of World War II.
©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
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