How Washington Ranks In Gun Manufacturing

By Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. - Seattle

August 17, 2023

Home to many of the world’s largest gunmakers, the United States is a global leader in firearms production. Data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives shows that over 13.8 million firearms were manufactured in the U.S. in 2021 alone.

While a small portion of American-made firearms are exported and sold abroad, our nation’s $32 billion a year arms and ammunition industry caters primarily to the domestic market, as consumer demand for firearms in the U.S. is second to none. According to the industry trade group National Shooting Sports Foundation, there are over 434 million guns in circulation in the United States. And with a population of 335 million, the U.S. is the only country in the world with more civilian-owned firearms than people.

There were over 3,200 federally licensed gunmakers in the U.S. in 2021. And while these companies are spread out across the 50 states, American firearm manufacturing is heavily concentrated in certain parts of the country.

According to the ATF, there were 62 active firearm manufacturing facilities in Washington in 2021. Between them, output totaled 242,736 firearms in 2021, the 14th most among the 50 states.

The state’s single largest firearm manufacturing facility, as measured by annual output, is located in Tacoma and run by Aero Precision LLC. This plant alone accounted for 72.0% of all guns produced in Washington in 2021.

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This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St., a news organization that produces real-time business commentary and data-driven reporting for state and local markets across the country.