NSSF 2021 Survey: 5.4 Million New, 1st Time Gun Owners

Retailer surveys and background check data point to the fact that nearly one in three gun buyers in 2021 was a new, first-time firearm owner.

The data, crunched by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), found that almost 30 percent of the 18.5 million who made firearm purchases last year went to new gun owners. This follows closely in the wake of a similar frenzy in 2020 that saw an estimated 8.4 million new gun owners out of 21 million firearms sold over the counter.

NSSF’s 2021 survey of retailers detailed a number of other key findings:

• Nearly 47 percent of first-time gun buyers in 2021 inquired about training and 43 percent signed up for training
• Nearly 23 percent of retailers indicated that first-time gun buyers in 2020 purchased another firearm in 2021
• Over 33 percent of first-time gun buyers in 2021 were women
• 44 percent of retailers saw an increase of African Americans purchasing firearms in 2021
• Nearly 40 percent of retailers saw an increase of Hispanic Americans purchasing firearms in 2021
• Over 27 percent of retailers saw an increase of Asian Americans purchasing firearms in 2021
• Over 18 percent of retailers saw an increase of Native Americans purchasing firearms in 2021
• Nearly 14 percent of retailers saw an increase of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders purchasing firearms in 2021