Market Share Concentration
For different types of guns, explore how market share and an indexed measure of market concentration — the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index — have evolved over time.
Using this chart:
Category tabs switch firearm type (top-4 share, top-8 share, and HHI on a dual axis). Year range persists across tabs. See Notes below and use "Cite this data" button to copy a short citation.
Key
Notes
This chart depicts the market share and market concentration for revolvers, pistols, rifles, and shotguns from 1983-2023.
Gunmakers were categorized into top-four and top-eight brackets by production levels, drawing from the ATF’s Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report (ATF Form 5300.11). We then calculated the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, the Federal Trade Commission’s preferred measure to evaluate market concentration for antitrust enforcement purposes. Markets with an HHI between 1,000 and 1,800 are considered moderately concentrated, and an HHI above 1,800 indicates a highly concentrated market. We calculated HHIs for totally domestically retained firearms and by product segment based on wholesale units.
Sales Value
Explore estimated sales revenue (in real and nominal terms) for handguns and other firearms from 1980-2024.
Using this data:
Toggle series on or off and adjust the year range. See Notes below and use "Cite this data" button to copy a short citation.
Key
Notes
Estimated sales revenue was recovered from Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) obligations on firearms sales. Total obligations imply industry revenue because the tax rate is known (10% on handguns). The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) in the U.S. The Department of Commerce currently uses 2017 as the base year for indexing dollar values (2017 = 100). So do we.
Insulated from competition, the gun industry can keep prices artificially high.
Gun prices have remained remarkably stable.
Resale price maintenance policies keep manufacturers from having to lower prices to attract consumers.
Price Index
Explore how gun prices have evolved over time, compared to 2017. Toggle between different sources of gun prices to see how results are affected by the source.
Toggle between different sources of gun prices to see how results are affected by the source.
Using this data:
Toggle series on or off and adjust the year range. See Notes below and use "Cite this data" button to copy a short citation.
Key
Notes
Implied prices are recovered from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the ATF’s Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report (AFMER), the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). We estimate industry-wide revenue from TTB data, then divide that estimate by the unit supply of firearms reported by ATF and USITC. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) in the U.S. The Department of Commerce currently uses 2017 as the base year for indexing dollar values (2017 = 100). So do we. See: Modeling the U.S. Firearm Market for a more complete discussion of the methodology.
Major manufacturers have been successful in tamping down competition.
Of the 12,000+ manufacturers captured in the data, just five were responsible for almost 49% of sales.
Just a few manufacturers implementing restrictive pricing policies can have a major impact on the market.
Manufacturer Comparison
Explore manufacturer production levels and market share over time, with the option to filter type of gun and switch between domestic sales vs. exports.
Comparison table
Use the search bar or checkboxes to select up to five companies to compare. Use Cite this data to copy a short citation.
Comparison Selection
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Unit Production
Market Share
Notes
Market shares were derived from unit production for domestic and export markets as reported by manufacturers on annual AFMER reports and processed by Guns Down America. We encourage researchers to verify data against original AFMER reports to ensure accuracy in publications.
Questions?
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