Firearm Manufacturing Trends

ATF reports that in 2005 with 79% of gun manufactures reporting:

• 1,090,798 handguns were produced.
  
• 75% of these were pistols and 25% revolvers.
  
• Only 47,000 of these handguns were exported.

Of the pistols 32% were 9mm and 36% were of a larger caliber.
Of the revolvers 27% were in a caliber greater than .22 or equal to .32.

• .38 caliber production exceeded .357 mags

ATF's statistics confirm the trend to larger calibers.

• 23% of revolvers were made in .44 to .50 caliber.

In the prior year 2004, 74% of manufacturers reported.

These statistics imply:

1. ATF statistical reporting requirements are either lax or not enforced since almost 1/4 of manufactures didn't report in the last two reporting periods.
2. Overall handgun manufacturing volume has not changed much in the last two reporting periods.
3. At the current rate of handgun production we will have added a couple of million more by the time the 2008 presidential election occurs.
   

We don't know if these numbers closely correlate with sales. But if we can assume that half the buyers are first time buyers we might be talking about several hundred thousand new handgun owners who might be influenced by Second Amendment issues in the 2008 election.

Considering that a lot of new gun owners buy rifles (one million more added to the market each year), seems like gun folks might be able to gain some allies if we can market to these new gun owners.

I wonder if gun rights groups like the NRA ever buy the new gun owner lists maintained by manufacturers (when you mail in your warranty card). Seems like direct outreach would be a smart thing.

Costs might prohibit the NRA from doing large mail outs but I would think gun manufacturers should be sending something out to their known customers to help push Second Amendment support.

Come to think of it...I never get anything mailed to me from the gun manufactures who I have sent product registration cards to. Wonder why?

Available ATF statistics can be found here