Update: 533 Million Privately Owned Firearms in the United States

AmmoLand ^ | May 27, 2025 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

There are about 533 million firearms in private hands in the United States of America in 2025. The current population is estimated at 343 million people. This gives a record number of 1.55 firearms for every person in the United States. The number of privately owned firearms in the United States is growing by 15-20 million firearms a year.

The number of firearms which are privately owned in the United States is not clear and obvious or easily measured. There has never been a registry of firearms for the United States. A national firearms registry is forbidden by law. There are partial state registration systems in a few states.  Data on manufacture, importation, and exportation of firearms was not kept as a matter of record until after World War II.

Researchers Newton and Zimring pioneered the estimation of private firearms numbers in the United States. They researched the number of firearms manufactured, imported, and exported in the United States from 1899 through 1945 and estimated a total of 46.9 million modern firearms as of 1945. For the years 1946 to 1972, individual figures were calculated for each year. Shipments of firearms to the military were not included.

US Homicide Rate vs Firearms per Capita

Gary Kleck, in his seminal work, Point Blank Guns and Violence in America, extended the work of Newton and Zimring through 1987, using data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). As of 1987, the total was over 198 million.

This correspondent has used the ATF numbers from 1988 to 2023 to reach a figure of over 530 million firearms in the private stock in the USA in 2025.

[marktwain]

The latest numbers, calculated from the latest ATF release, updated through May of 2025.

[Billthedrill]

I’m doing my best.

[PROCON]

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[lurk]

Guns are like underwear. Most people don’t mention what they have.

Likely double that govt estimate.

[lurk]

Guns are like underwear. Most people don’t mention what they have.

Likely double that govt estimate.

[Magnum44]

Guns are like underwear.

Boxers or briefs????

[Jim W N]

When the gov’t is afraid of you, you have freedom.

When you’re afraid of the gov’t, you have tyranny.

[marktwain]

Guns are like underwear. Most people don’t mention what they have.

---

Surveys appear to underestimate both the number of gun owners and the number of guns. “Shy” gun owners may be a third of total gun owners.

The best surveys show about 420 million guns - a hundred million short of what has been produced and imported...

[Nervous Tick]

I’m just thrilled to finally be slightly above average in *something*! 🤠

[Leaning Right]

I wonder if the count included these types of firearms:

[digger48]

Come git em, Hoggboy

I double dog dare ya

[MtnClimber]

I wonder how many built on 80% lowers have been produced?

[marktwain]

I wonder how many built on 80% lowers have been produced?

---

Many wonder the same thing. My best SWAG (Scientific Wild Ass Guess) is a couple of million.

[larrytown]

[Alas Babylon!]

Firearms are tools.

Now do screwdrivers or wrenches.

[kawhill]

“There are about 533 million firearms in private hands in the United States of America in 2025.” I’d say that ain’t near enough.

[Az Joe]

1.55 per person huh? Damn, below average again!

[LastDayz]

Does this include knives, swords, slingshots, and slings?

[SecondAmendment]

Are the estimated .55 fraction SIG P320's ?

Asking for a friend.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Keep em coming. 😉