NICS and Gun Sales Drop slightly in July of 2022

Gun Counter Sale Store Shop shutterstock_Nomad_Soul 1686855574.jpg
Gun Counter Sale Store Shop shutterstock_Nomad_Soul 1686855574.jpg

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)-– Gun sales and National Instant background Check System checks fell slightly in July 2022. The Supreme Court decision in the NYSR&PA v Bruen case robustly protected Second Amendment rights. As expected, gun sales dropped slightly in July 2022.

The gun sales in July were about 1.19 million, about a five percent drop from the 1.25 million in July of 2021 and 2.7% lower than July of 2016, making 2022 the fourth highest July for gun sales on record.

Lines are 2021 numbers; bars are 2022 numbers of gun sales

NICS checks total were at 2.4 million, the third highest July on record. That is a 17% drop from NICS checks in 2021. Much of the drop is from the changes in Illinois law, which greatly reduced the number of background checks conducted for Firearm Owner Identification cards or FOID cards. The requirement to have FOID cards is being challenged in the courts.

The trend has not been reduced much, with 2022 likely to be the fourth or fifth highest year for total gun sales. About 8 million have been added to the private stock in the United States through the end of July, 2022.

Here are approximate gun sales in the last seven years’ month of July:

  • 2016: a record 1.22 million
  • 2017: .91 million
  • 2018: .85 million
  • 2019: .85 million
  • 2020: New record for July, 1.84 million
  • 2021: 1.25 million
  • 2022: 1.19 million

Those numbers indicate significant uncertainty and fear in the pivotal election years of 2016 and 2020. Once President Trump was elected in 2016, stability and a robust economy resulted in lower gun sales.

In 2020 there was an election, uncertainty and instability returned, along with Covid’s hysteria. With President Biden in place, instability and uncertainty replaced stability and prosperity. Gun sales soared to record levels in 2020 and have remained at a new, higher normal in 2021 and 2022. Much of the demand comes with the creation of millions of new gun owners. The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates about 13.8 million new gun owners were created in 2020 and 2021. It is likely millions more are being created in 2022.

At some point, supply will meet demand, and prices of guns will drop. It is already happening for some models.

Supplies of the Kel-Tec P17 .22 pistol seem close to meeting demand. Prices have dropped on Gun Broker to the $230 range, only 15% above the suggested retail price.

The Taurus TX 22 pistol on Gun Broker is going for close to the suggested retail, while the Glock 44 .22 pistol price is now well below the suggested retail.

The new Sig Sauer P322 is still above the suggested retail, but several models on Gun Broker are close to the suggested retail price.

Ammunition prices have dropped significantly. Ongoing inflation makes it difficult to know if nominal prices will ever return to those seen as recently as 2019.  There is a fair amount of .22 Long Rifle ammunition available at 6.5 cents per round, mostly Orbea, Federal, Aguila, and Blazer cartridges.

9mm ammo is available on special at 28-33 cents per cartridge.

According to the method pioneered by Newton and Zimring and perfected by Gary Kleck in 1991, there were about 458 million guns in private hands at the end of 2020.  Since then,  the United States has added about another 23 million and is likely to add another six million by the end of 2022.

The total number of private firearms in the United States is expected to be 487 million by the end of 2022. It may reach 500 million by the end of 2023.


About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

Dean Weingarten

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john

Very telling about DOJ this should ruin your day it did mine

It speaks noting of the failures of the elected to prosecute the criminals committing Murder Mayhem and Violence “It opens up the role of elected officials nothing about their failures or the otah they took to abide by the US constitution.

The elected are performing illegal activities on a grand scale more self righteous crap from the DOJ

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/programs/ceasefire/brochures-and-talking-points/role-elected-officials

It uses the term Gun Violence over & over a phrase coined by the democrats another word play agenda,When a person or persons are killed it is called Murder

Boz

The only reason that it dipped slightly is because disposable income is now tighter. People need gas and food which now both cost more.

nrringlee

Here in Arizona the economy is still pretty good in spite of the best efforts of the globalists in the Harris/Biden regime. But I can tell you there is not much cash changing hands at gun shows and local FFL’s report drops in sales. When guys and gals have to make the choice between gas and food and guns and ammo the choice is obvious. In the rest of the country an awful lot of folks who used to have full time jobs with benefits now have a “Clinton career” composed of three part time jobs giving sixty hours a… Read more »

CaptainKerosene

July 2022 BIDENFLATION has reduced many, too many, having to choose food or gun!

Ledesma

The sales had to peak somewhere. Because nobody wants the leftist enemy to armed.

Dee

Except the leftist and the arm dealers!

john

Democrats !!! the best darn gun sales people in America 500 million in 2023 that is a nice number Biden is proving Obama had nothing on him when it comes to the historia democrats create.

Dee

I believe both side create this historical belief. I’m sure most new gun owners are Democrats.