There are over 393 million guns in circulation in the U.S., according to estimates from the Small Arms Survey, far outnumbering the national population of 327 million. In the United States - the only country in the world home to more civilian-owned guns than people - guns are big business.
While the appropriate balance between gun rights and public safety is a hot button political issue, the economics of the firearm industry are less controversial. According to The Firearm Industry Trade Association, guns and ammunition had a total economic impact of over $70.5 billion in 2021 - generating over a billion dollars in tax revenue and providing hundreds of thousands of jobs.
According to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, there were 1,316 federally licensed dealers or pawn brokers of firearms in Oklahoma as of January 2022, or 33.3 for every 100,000 people - the 15th most among states.
The concentration of gun stores reflects current demand for firearms in the state, as Oklahoma ranks in the top half for both measures, adjusting for population. FBI firearm background check data, which is a close proxy for firearm sales, shows that an estimated 180,342 guns were sold in Oklahoma in the first half of 2022, or 4,566 for every 100,000 people, the 21st most among states.
RankStateGun stores per 100,000 peopleTotal store CountGun sales per 100,000 people, 1st half of 2022Total gun sales, 1st half of 20221Wyoming97.45666,05035,1692Montana87.09246,64570,5523Alaska70.35185,39539,7594North Dakota62.14724,69935,7325South Dakota57.75074,75041,7726Idaho47.78376,811119,4917West Virginia47.78625,12092,5418Vermont46.12883,55522,1979Iowa39.41,2414,059127,84810Arkansas38.51,1593,762113,31411Nebraska35.76861,99138,30912Kansas35.41,0323,26695,13513Maine35.44744,01153,78714Missouri33.42,0444,268261,39915Oklahoma33.31,3164,566180,34216Kentucky30.31,35246,9482,094,78717Oregon30.11,2584,813201,02218Mississippi29.78874,515134,64219Colorado28.71,6344,689266,55320New Hampshire28.03804,87166,01321New Mexico25.95444,11686,32222Utah24.677616,069506,36723Minnesota24.21,3568,188458,56824Wisconsin24.01,3965,448316,37625Louisiana23.61,1033,647170,12726Alabama22.51,1017,645374,09627North Carolina21.32,2163,052316,99728Texas21.06,0132,989855,90529Tennessee20.71,4046,205420,19930Indiana20.61,3799,338625,36031South Carolina20.41,0414,121209,84332Arizona20.41,4633,814273,58433Michigan19.81,9764,041403,01134Pennsylvania19.52,5014,842619,53035Ohio18.92,2062,886336,98136Virginia18.81,5963,278278,97837Georgia17.51,8362,874302,27038Nevada15.94812,66380,71039Washington14.01,0505,315399,25840Delaware13.61323,57634,60241Florida13.42,8473,529748,65942Connecticut12.04303,536126,26843Illinois10.41,32416,2342,064,40044Maryland9.25561,894114,37245New York9.11,7851,135221,57946Rhode Island7.0741,43315,15747Hawaii6.7956429,11648California4.81,9031,758691,71849Massachusetts4.73261,651113,47250New Jersey3.531191481,209
via Oklahoma's Center Square News