Posted on 01/16/2013 6:41:11 PM PST by Red in Blue PA
Here’s a look at the numbers:
The U.S. firearms industry's economic impact is $32 billion. To put that in perspective, that’s about the same size as the U.S. organic industry and more than the budget of Nigeria. It’s grown from a $19 billion business in 2008 and appears to be accelerating at a quick clip. Background checks for gun buyers increased nearly 60% from December 2011 to December 2012. The FBI has already recorded 16.5 million background checks from Jan. 1, 2012 to November 2012 – the most on record. There are 51,000 gun shops in America, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Explosives. That’s close to four times the number of Starbucks or McDonald’s stores in this country. The largest gunmakers in the U.S. have been raking in the profits over the last several years. Sturm, Ruger & Company (RGR) stock has increased nearly 500% in five years. Shares of Smith & Wesson’s (SWHC) have soared more than 75% in one year. Altogether, about 5.5 million firearms were made in America in 2010 and more than 26,000 new gun-related jobs have been created over the past two years.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
Keep talking Barry!
“The U.S. firearms industry’s economic impact is $32 billion”
Same as Apple’s quarterly revenue.
A whole industry’s annual impact on par with one company’s gross quarter.
That ain’t much.
Maybe Obama was a secret plant by Sturm Ruger and Hornady.
Ahem, we all know that the writer meant to say that it's "accelerating at a quick magazine." Some people just don't know anything about guns...
Apple's revenue is from *global* sales, is it not? Commercial firearm sales revenues from the combined U.S. gun manufacturers is far less global than it used to be. Only a few examples of global firearms sales (non-military) spring to mind, whether U.S. based or not - Glock is probably the biggest such name right now.
Sounds like a bit of an apples/oranges thing, unless you revise Apple's revenues to reflect North American sales only.
The US firearms industry seems to consist mainly of a few medium sized businesses and a vast number of small ones. An extremely small industrial sector by any measure.
The usual complaints about the NRA being a front for big business is idiotic. Its a front for the gun owners, a highly democratic institution, and unique among Washington lobbyists.
I’ve done my part. BBO: 0 guns, ABO: 12 guns including 4 AR-15s.
Dad and I took up trap shooting. What a blast!
I am doing my part.
LLS
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