The United States is the single largest civilian firearm market in the world. A recent Gallup poll found that 45% of Americans have a gun in their home. And many of those households have more than one, as the U.S. is the only country with more privately-owned guns than people.
Whether for hunting, target shooting, personal protection, or home defense, consumer demand for firearms in the U.S. fuels a $32.1 billion a year industry. And across the country, companies are cashing in. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives reported that over 13.3 million firearms were manufactured in the U.S. for the domestic market in 2021. (Here is a look at which Americans own the most guns: a survey of all 50 states.)
According to the ATF, there are more than 3,200 federally licensed firearm production plants in the U.S., and 152 of them are operating in North Carolina. Between them, a total of 894,882 firearms were manufactured in the state in 2021.
No company made more firearms in North Carolina that year than Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. Through a production facility in Mayodan, the company produced a reported 604,941 guns – or 67.6% of all firearms made in the state in 2021.
StateGun production facilities in state, 2021Guns manufactured in state, 2021Largest gunmaker in state, 2021Largest gunmaker output, 2021Alabama52294,166Kimber Mfg Inc.275,325Alaska21258Annex Industries, LLC50Arizona192699,100Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.603,500Arkansas4773,351Wilson’s Gun Shop Inc.41,746California7682,532Senga Engineering Inc.23,324Colorado753,109M+M Inc.1,712Connecticut33184,633Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC151,771Delaware211Gusovsky Gunsmithing LLC8Florida198671,359SCCY Industries LLC216,932Georgia1051,496,877Glock Inc.581,944Hawaii28Koffin Wurks LLC7Idaho7543,241FM Products Inc.18,593Illinois43647,423Springfield Inc.590,750Indiana6041,498Tippmann Arms Company LLC15,113Iowa4725,326Brownells Inc.11,024Kansas4619,287CZ-USA14,383Kentucky39510,679WM C Anderson Inc.505,635Louisiana432,658Brothers LA Arms, LLC640Maine2123,226Windham Weaponry Inc.22,930Maryland2430,358LWRC International27,331Massachusetts27435,514Savage Arms, Inc.406,867Michigan7326,424Great Lakes Firearms and Ammunition LLC22,388Minnesota3746,584Magnum Research Inc.14,586Mississippi393,003JMS Manufacturing Inc.1,289Missouri932,467,145Smith & Wesson2,316,857Montana5526,446Noreen Firearms LLC16,296Nebraska266,882Zermatt Arms Inc.4,076Nevada56262,086Legacy Sports International Inc.214,258New Hampshire271,992,731Sig Sauer Inc.1,293,532New Jersey11209,770Henry RAC Holding Corp.208,423New Mexico24281Farnsworth, Dustin Robert and Angie J81New York61128,276RemArms LLC86,594North Carolina152894,882Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.604,941North Dakota101,301Roughrider Arms LLC1,167Ohio117130,848Strassells Machine Inc.106,807Oklahoma6914,654International Firearm Corporation LLC11,423Oregon5016,619TNW Firearms Inc.4,004Pennsylvania110228,400IWI US Inc.96,662Rhode Island5144Ocean State Armory LLC50South Carolina55240,114Fn America, LLC169,407South Dakota20906West River Rifle Company LLC277Tennessee82185,720Beretta USA Corp.155,352Texas401814,838Maverick Arms, Inc.492,167Utah103271,862TDJ Buyer, LLC72,983Vermont20135,030Century Arms Inc.132,705Virginia8417,890Kriss USA, Inc.12,809Washington62242,736Aero Precision LLC174,662West Virginia286,941Childers Guns LLC5,108Wisconsin80137,397Henry RAC Holding Corp.112,180Wyoming5210,341Weatherby Inc.7,630
