Gun Sales Continue to Slide

The variety of FBI background checks related to gun gross sales fell once more final month, in accordance with a brand new {industry} report.

On Friday, the Nationwide Taking pictures Sports activities Basis (NSSF) stated sales-related checks fell by 3.4 p.c year-over-year in April. That continues the gun market’s downward pattern over the course of 2025, with gross sales additionally falling in March and the primary quarter as a complete. NSSF estimated the variety of Nationwide On the spot Legal Background Test System (NICS) checks fell from over 1.2 million in April 2024 to about 1.175 million final month.

That makes April 2025 the worst-performing April since 2019, placing it near the pre-pandemic gross sales baseline.

The declining gross sales come because the gun {industry} is going through two main headwinds. The primary is political, with the election of industry-ally President Donald Trump decreasing demand pushed by considerations over potential new nationwide gun restrictions. The second is financial, with President Trump’s tariffs more likely to hit customers and firms exhausting.

Whereas the gun {industry} options quite a few American manufacturers that also produce their merchandise at dwelling, imports make up a sizeable portion of the market as effectively. American corporations made 171,810,319 weapons between 2000 and 2023, in accordance with the ATF. Nevertheless, the identical report reveals Individuals imported 93,335,557 weapons over the identical interval. One other ATF report estimated 26 billion rounds of ammunition had been imported between 2010 and 2020 alone.

“The long-term affect of the tariffs may be very fuzzy,” Anthony Welsch, a Fortunate Gunner spokesman, informed The Reload shortly after Trump introduced the tariffs. “Our buying workforce has good relationships with importers and overseas producers. A lot of them imagine worth will increase are coming quickly. Nevertheless, it’s very tough to pinpoint precisely what the will increase shall be.”

Ben Beauchemin, the proprietor of Depraved Weaponry, stated he worries about what’s coming.

“With every little thing’s happening, we’re ready with bated breath simply to see what’s going to occur,” he informed The Reload. “We’re not precisely positive how that’s going to trickle all the way down to us, however at the very least I do know our aluminum merchandise went up–in some instances by about 5 or ten p.c. It’s robust to inform what the reason for that was, however every little thing is creeping up.”

Ruger, one of many two publicly traded American gun producers, launched their newest quarterly earnings report final week. Its numbers monitor intently with the NICS report. Though, the model managed to fare a bit higher than the general market. Ruger’s internet gross sales dropped simply $1.1 million year-over-year to $135.7 million in the latest quarter.

“The challenges within the firearms market are clear and well-documented throughout the {industry},” Todd W. Seyfert, the corporate’s CEO, stated in an announcement. “In keeping with RetailBI’s Q1 2025 report, retail firearm unit gross sales declined 9.6% year-over-year, with income down 11.5%. Handguns, rifles, and shotguns had been all beneath stress, and even adjusted NICS checks declined by 4.2%. Regardless of these 2 headwinds, I’m proud to report that Ruger remained flat in gross sales, whereas staying worthwhile.”

Ruger’s inventory has taken a beating because the election, falling practically 20 p.c. Nonetheless, it truly carried out higher than its publicly traded competitors, with Smith & Wesson traders dropping 30 p.c throughout the identical interval.

“That resilience is a direct results of our disciplined operations and robust new product pipeline,” Seyfert stated. “Client demand for the Ruger American Rifle Technology II, our Marlin lever-action rifles, and the RXM pistol developed with Magpul Industries contributed to our momentum. These merchandise not solely reinforce our dedication to high quality but in addition proceed to excite our loyal base, drive demand and elevate the whole portfolio of Ruger merchandise.”

The NSSF report on gun-related background checks wasn’t all dangerous information. Gross sales remained elevated over the long run. April 2025 gross sales had been up 39.2 p.c in comparison with 2010.

Colorado noticed a big enhance in checks, too. Whereas it solely ranks twenty first in inhabitants, it was fifth in sales-related NICS checks throughout April. That’s seemingly a response to the sweeping new permit-to-purchase regulation signed into regulation throughout the identical timeframe.

NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva famous the group’s numbers point out gross sales had been nonetheless effectively above 1 million per thirty days. He additionally argued the strikes the Trump Administration is making on gun coverage would profit gun homeowners in the long run.

“Firearm possession continues to be a precedence for law-abiding residents,” he stated in an announcement. “The proof of that’s over 1.2 million instances in April, Individuals freely approached the counter at their native firearm retailer to take lawful possession of a firearm. These gun patrons did so with a dedication by the Trump administration that their Second Modification rights could be protected they usually wouldn’t be ostracized by their authorities for exercising rights protected by the U.S. Structure.”

NICS checks don’t characterize a one-to-one measure of gun gross sales. Nevertheless, they’re extensively considered the closest analog as a result of licensed gun sellers are required to carry out them on all buyer gross sales–no matter whether or not they occur in retailer, on-line, or at a gun present–and solely licensed sellers can promote new weapons. Plus, 20 states additionally require individuals promoting their private firearms on the used market to course of these transactions by licensed sellers to make sure a NICS test is finished on the client.

Nevertheless, some states additionally permit these with some permits, like hid carry licenses, to bypass a NICS test on the level of buy since they require one in the course of the allowing course of. 30 states additionally don’t require NICS checks on used gun gross sales between personal events.

Moreover, the FBI’s uncooked report of NICS checks consists of many who aren’t associated to gun gross sales. In reality, some states will run all of their gun-carry allow holders by a brand new NICS test every month–including a whole lot of hundreds of checks to the entire. So, NSSF makes use of the FBI’s coding of NICS checks to weed out people who aren’t associated to gun gross sales. That makes the NSSF’s adjusted estimate a greater gauge of what number of gun gross sales there have been in a given interval.