Firearm Imports Increased 60 Percent In 2020

by
posted on March 18, 2021
2020-firearm-imports.jpg

The well-documented firearm sales record of 2020 was partially supplied by a 60-percent increase in the number of firearms imported into the United States last year, according to figures released this week by Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting (SAAF). The organization’s press release reports the top-10 countries of origin were Turkey, Austria, Brazil, Croatia, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Canada, China and the Philippines, respectively. All combined those nations accounted for 92 percent of the guns originating from other nations during 2020.

The figures, based on raw data from the U.S. International Trade Commission, do not include imported military firearms or muzzleloaders. A total of roughly 6.4 million guns were imported last year, which represents an increase of 2.4 million when compared to 2019, when the figure was 4.0 million.

Turkey led the importing nations in 2020, with 1,478,464 firearms. Austria came in second at 1,284,785 followed by Brazil with 1,016,630. Rounding out the top five were Croatia (521,932) and Italy (360,557).

Munitions imports, which includes cartridges and components, came in at 3.5 billion units, according to SAAF. The top-10 countries of origin were, in descending order, Russia, Mexico, Italy, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Serbia, South Korea, Hungary, Israel and the Philippines.

The leading producers accounted for slightly more than 3 million of them, although a total of 3,455,273,118 units came into the United States from foreign sources, The volume still failed to fill a demand, a fact made obvious by the bare shelves at area FFLs and on line.

“Over the past several decades firearms and ammunition imports have come to play an important role in the U.S. industry’s competitive landscape and firearms brand names such as Beretta, Glock, Sig Sauer, and Taurus have become well-established in the U.S. market,” SAAF Chief Economist Jurgen Brauer stated in the press release.

Latest

The Armed Citizen
The Armed Citizen

The Armed Citizen® April 4, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Gun Of The Week: FightLite Herring Model 2024

Join American Rifleman staff on the range with one of the most unique lever-action rifles we’ve seen to date. Meet the Herring Model 2024 from FightLite Industries.

Rossi Rio Bravo Tactical: A Tactically Practical Rimfire

Announced during "The Year Of The Lever-Action," Rossi's latest tactically themed lever-action rimfire rifle does not disappoint, offering up practical features front to back.

Online Safety Resources On Water & Fire Damage Released By SAAMI

“These important documents add to SAAMI’s technical library of firearm safety resources that provide guidance to both industry professionals and the firearm-owning community.”

Rifleman Review: Taurus TX22 Compact

A downsized version of Taurus USA's TX22 is available, giving folks a smaller, handier version of the full-size TX22 rimfire pistol that's become one of the company's most popular offerings.

New For 2025: Springfield Armory Saint Victor 9 mm Pistol

Recently, Springfield Armory added a large-format pistol variant of its Saint Victor 9 mm carbine, giving enthusiasts a compact PCC that feeds from Colt-pattern magazines.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.