States With The Most Gun Sales

The United States has reported a gun-buying boom in the last month caused by coronavirus fears. Apparently consumers are not just hoarding toilet paper, they have been stocking up on ammo and guns to create a sense of security during these difficult and uncertain times. 

America And Their Guns

The USA has long since had an affinity for guns and their Second Amendment right to bear arms, which is a contentious issue when considering the staggering number of mass shootings that occur each year, there were 418 in 2019. America has the most civilian-owned guns in the world. 

Different guns are preferred in different states and according to a CNN Business Report, AR-15’s have been favored in New Jersey, while in New York state, people are buying shotguns.

Guns Sales Rise As Coronavirus Fears Spike

Stockpiling ammo and guns in the event that the situation deteriorates, supplies dwindle, and millions of people find themselves under heavy financial stress; many fear that looting could start and they may have to protect their homes and families. Many new gun sales have been to first time buyers, however, some people are adding to an already existing collection to create their own apocalypse arsenal.

Gun shops across the US are reporting that many first time buyers are Asian-Americans who are fearful due to an alarming increase of attacks against their communities. Racist, hateful, verbal, and physical assault reports against Asian-Americans are at an all-time high spurred on by misplaced blame for COVID-19.

Gun sales vary across state lines, and it’s no surprise that Republican states like Texas would lead the way with the most registered firearms. In 2019 Rhode Island had the least amount of registered guns in their state. These 10 states recorded the most registered guns in 2019.

10. Alabama - 168,265 

This southern state has about 4.9 million people with 168,265 registered guns which is about 0.3 guns per person. Even though they come out at number 10, Alabama has one of the highest death by gun rates in America. 

9. Ohio - 175,819

Ohio has a substantially high gun crime rate, as well as major issues with gun-related suicides. With over 11 million people in the state and 175,819 firearms, Ohio ranks highly as a state where guns seem to play a big role in society.

8. North Carolina - 181,209

North Carolina has very permissive gun laws and between 2008-2017 they had about 4.46 gun homicides per 100,000 people. They also experience a large number of mass shootings year to year.

7. Arizona - 204,817

In 2017 there were over 1,000 gun deaths in Arizona, and their laws are rather lax. Private gun sales are permitted and it is not unlawful to sell a gun without a permit.

6. Georgia - 225,993

Georgia has the highest rate of aggravated assaults with a firearm in the country and gun deaths are the leading cause of death for young people. Recently a man in Georgia afraid of the coronavirus, threatened 2 women who were wearing face masks and gloves to protect themselves from COVID-19

5. Pennsylvania - 271,427

Pennsylvanians are more likely to be killed by a gun than in a car accident in a given year. From 2007 to 2016, over 200 women were killed by guns making domestic violence in Pennsylvania major risk. The prevalence of guns in the state may contribute to the high risk of domestic violence.

4. Virginia - 356,963

Virginia has a considerably lower population than the states ahead on the list but a disproportionately large number of gun-related crimes. The main cause of death for young people in the state is actually from shootings.

3. California - 376,666

The most populous state, California may be reputed for being more forward-thinking and left-wing so one might think they would rank lower on the list of gun ownership. However, between 2008 and 2017, a homicide by gun occurred every 6 hours. That is a very high rate of violence.

2. Florida - 432,581

Ocala, Florida topped the list of most gun crimes in 2019, followed by Detroit, and St Louis. Deaths caused by firearms are one of the leading causes of deaths in the state. In 2017 there were more than 2,700 deaths from shootings in Florida.

1. Texas - 725,368

According to the Center for American Progress, there were 29,040 deaths caused by guns in Texas between 2008-2017, compared to Hawaii where only 417 people were killed during the same period. Texas has always had a reputation for proud gun owners and has some of the loosest gun laws in the country, with no background checks required and open carry policy, Texas really is the wild west when it comes to firearms.