12,254,962 Firearms Added to the Private Stock in the U.S. in 2014

Ammoland | 18 March, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

The numbers are in from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF as the shortened acronym.  The report is issued annually for two years back.  In 2014, there were 9,050,626 firearms manufactured; 3,625,268 firearms imported; and 420,932 firearms exported.  This includes rifles, shotguns, handguns and others, the others being mostly receivers that might become either rifles or handguns when finished.  It does not include firearms produced for the military services.

The total addition to the firearms stock for 2014 was (production + imports – exports).  That total is 12,254,962 firearms in 2014, which brings the total U.S. cumulative stock to over 375 million firearms at the end of the year.  It is a bit less than what I had projected a year ago. The NICS checks for 2014 were similar in number to 2013, but the ratio of those checks used to procure new firearms compared to the total was a little less than the average over the last 15 years.   In 2013, the ratio was a bit above the average.

The number of NICS checks for 2014 was 20.969 million, slightly lower than  in 2013, which was 21.094 million (rounded to the nearest thousand).

Many NICS checks are used to purchase firearms that are already in the private stock; a fair number are used for background checks on carry permits; and more that one firearm may be purchased with a single background check.

The delay in the release of the production numbers by the ATF is not bureaucratic inefficiency.  It is required by law. From the 2016 ATF report:

[marktwain]

There were probably about 14 million more firearms added in 2015, and likely will be another 16 million added in 2016.

[Lurker]

This is a very good thing. I’d love to see the numbers for ammunition production. I’ll bet those are eye poplin indeed.

L

[farming pharmer]

The only thing that protects the citizenry from an Obama style communist takeover is a well armed population.

Glory be to the well armed and well trained!

[Mr Apple]

...and more that one firearm may be purchased with a single background check.

Good. More islamic muslim bombers and rapists can be slammed down.

[elcid1970]

Oh! To the fainting couch with the smelling salts, Mr. President! The violent majority is up in arms!

Watch for calls for new restrictions on buying ammo. And while you’re watching, buy ammo.

[Sasparilla]

Many thanks to Zer0.

[wrench]

A firearm is an expensive club without ammo.

Buying guns without ammo is like buying a car without tires, looks good, but gets you nowhere.

[elcid1970]

You confirm my point, IMO. Liberals are now growling,

“If we can’t confiscate their guns, we’ll cut off their ammo!”

Buy ammo, my children, buy ammo.

[facedown]

Buy ammo, my children, buy ammo.

Speaking of which, does anyone know a reliable number for ammo in the US? There's a meme going around the social media of 13 trillion rounds which seems implausible to me.

[The Toll]

No, the 13 Trillion was just my order last month.

[elcid1970]

Heh, heh!

;^)

[backwoods-engineer]

Buy ammo, my children, buy ammo.

And if you can, buy components to MAKE ammo.

I do.

[marktwain]

That is a very difficult number to quantify.

The most common cartridge is the .22 long rifle. About 4 - 5 billion are produced in the U.S. annually. Production is expanding, and may reach 6 billion this year. It is all being bought as fast as it can be produced.

But how much is being shot? I used to be about 4 billion a year.

Lots of people are storing ammunition who did not do so in the past. I expect that private ammunition stockpiles in the U.S. to be a few hundred rounds per firearm owner, on average. If that is true, the total stock pile is likely to be between 10 - 50 billion rounds, a long way from trillions.

[rigelkentaurus]

I need a Springfield M1A Scout - but they are not cheap, nor is the ammo. Saving my pennies.

[Lady Heron]

375 million firearms at the end of the year.

Since records started being kept.

[facedown]

...the total stock pile is likely to be between 10 - 50 billion rounds...

Based on what the mfg claim they're producing and allowing for substantial imports, especially from Mexico, that would not seem an unreasonable estimate. "Trillions" was what didn't seem right, though in a way I wish that were true. 8^)

[BobL]

I’m not too hot on awarding President Obama many prizes, but if the NRA and GOA make him MAN OF THE DECADE for their cause, I certainly will not complain.