More guns were purchased in 2020 than at any other point in American history, with Americans buying more than 16.5 million guns, 1.6 million more than they purchased in 2016, the last record year.
The Washington Free Beacon’s Stephen Gutowski reported that the figures related to gun sales through the month of October, meaning the total number is likely to be higher after an additional two months. Gutowski analyzed FBI data and found that four million more guns were sold in 2020 than in 2019, an increase of more than 33%.
“The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the gun industry’s trade group, also estimated nearly seven million people purchased a gun for the first time between January and October,” Gutowski reported. “The record sales come during a year in which Americans have faced a pandemic, economic downturn, prisoner releases, racial tension, and rioting. Read more…