Many gun-hating politicians and those in gun-ban groups would like nothing more than to see the end of the American firearm industry. Yet they apparently have no idea what kind of devastating effect the loss of such an important industry would have on the economy.
According to an Outdoor Life report, the gun industry contributed a whopping $51.3 billion to the U.S. economy in 2016 alone—not something to sneeze at. Figures fresh from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) indicate that the number of Americans employed full-time by manufacturers, distributors and vendors of guns and ammunition was more than 141,000, with nearly 160,000 additional jobs in supplier and ancillary industries.
Additionally, the report—“Firearms and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report: 2017”—documents how the firearms industry’s revenues, tax contribution and job generation has nearly tripled in less than a decade, increasing 168 percent from $19.1 billion in 2008 to $51.3 billion in 2016.
