HTTP/2 200 date: Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:34:53 GMT content-type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 vary: Accept-Encoding vary: Accept-Encoding set-cookie: __wpdm_client=f09f2c5b5f6f911f22a420d65f772b66; secure; HttpOnly x-pingback: https://www.nssf.org/xmlrpc.php link: ; rel="https://api.w.org/" link: ; rel="alternate"; type="application/json" link: ; rel=shortlink x-powered-by: WP Engine x-cacheable: SHORT vary: Accept-Encoding,Cookie cache-control: max-age=600, must-revalidate x-cache: HIT: 4 x-cache-group: normal cf-cache-status: DYNAMIC expect-ct: max-age=604800, report-uri="https://report-uri.cloudflare.com/cdn-cgi/beacon/expect-ct" server: cloudflare cf-ray: 68c28361cdcf570a-IAD alt-svc: h3=":443"; ma=86400, h3-29=":443"; ma=86400, h3-28=":443"; ma=86400, h3-27=":443"; ma=86400 NSSF Retail Surveys Show 3.2 Million Estimated First-Time Gun Buyers in First Half of 2021 • NSSF

Skip to content[1]
back arrow iconBack to News[2]
September 9, 2021


NEWTOWN, Conn. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the firearm industry trade association, surveyed firearm retailers recently and estimates that over 3.2 million people purchased a firearm for the first time during the first half of 2021.

First-time Gun BuyersThe survey was conducted to learn the buying habits and factors of this year’s firearm purchasers during the first six months of 2021. Respondents indicated that 33.2 percent of customers, or 3,247,351, purchased a firearm for the first time, based on June’s total of nearly 9.8 million background checks for a gun sale.

“This survey shows that there is a continuing demand signal for firearms from the American public,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “We witnessed each month background check figures associated with a gun sale that are second only to those we saw in last year’s record-breaking totals. These survey results show not only is there a strong and healthy appetite from first-time gun buyers but that there is still room to grow. We are encouraged by the sustained interest in lawful and responsible gun ownership as well as by the manufacturing base which has been challenged to meet this remarkable demand.”

Survey results showed that in the first six months of 2021:

  • Over 90 percent of retailers reported

Read more from our friends at the NSSF