American's spending on guns rises to more than $2b during 2005

June 6, 2006
Connecticut Post

Americans spent more than $2 billion on guns and ammunition in 2005, showing the nation's fascination with firearms is not fading despite concerns raised by gun-control advocates.
The Newtown-based National Shooting Sports Foundation on Monday touted a U.S. Department of Treasury report that said sales of firearms and ammunition increased by 2.6 percent in 2005, while other federal agencies are finding fewer gun-related deaths and crimes. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Centers for Disease Control have not made statistics on gunshot deaths and firearms-related crimes available for 2005, so the NSSF had to rely on data from 2004 and earlier.

In 2005, Americans purchased 4.7 million new guns, the NSSF said, bringing the estimated total of citizen-owned guns to 290 million. These are legal sales; the number of guns sold illegally is not known.

The U.S. Census Bureau said Monday there are approximately 298 million Americans.

NSSF said handgun purchases showed the biggest gain, rising 3 percent in 2005.

Commentary by Larry S. Moore:

What a great headline. Great news for the economy, the firearms and
related merchandise industry, and great for conservation in the United
States.

I do have to wonder why we didn't hear this on the CBS, NBC or
ABC evening news? Of course, they like bad news, so the headline would
have been reversed to somehow spell gloom and doom or perhaps that this
spending will result in blood once again running in the streets.

Click on 'Read More' for Larry's complete commentary.

The article notes that the National Shooting Sports Foundation touted
the US Department of Treasury report that the spending rose 2.6% in
2005. At the same time other federal agencies are reporting a drop in
gun related deaths and crime. This should be good news for the nation
and for shooters.

A rise of 2.6% also means more Pittman-Robertson federal tax money will
be returned to the states for conservation and education efforts. The
Pittman-Robertson federal tax is collected at the manufacturing level on
all firearms, ammo, and many types of outdoor equipment used in hunting
and camping. This money is returned to the states based on hunting
license sales. There are strict guidelines for the use of this money.
Ohio uses this money for conservation and education, including hunter
and trapper education programs. Want to help Ohio get even more of this
federal money? It's simple - buy a hunting license! Not only does the sale
of the hunting license fund the Ohio Division of Wildlife but it is one
more license toward more federal matching tax dollars from firearms and
shooting.

Of course no gun story can ever end on just positive news to the liberal
media. Much like Ohio, Connecticut has their naysayer in the form of
State Trooper William Tate and Connecticut Against Gun Violence, Lisa
Labella. Change their names to Capt. Born and Toby Hoover and you know
the rest of the story.

The story reports that Tate notes there was a 3%
gain in handgun sales in Connecticut in 2005 but that rifle sales are
not known because the state does not require registration of rifles.
The story reports that Labella does not feel the state is so lucky. The
increase in gun sales worries Labella because all guns start out as
legal sales. Labella laments that the State Medical Examiners Office
reported that firearms killed 188 people in 2005. So Labella must
believe that somewhere along the way, after the legal sale, all those
guns must suddenly turn bad and harm people. As usual there is no
information provided on a breakdown of how the 188 firearm related
deaths occurred, were any criminals shot by police or armed citizens,
were any involved in drug sales or gang activity. Like Hoover, Labella
just believes that every gun is bad gun.

I made my difference by buying not only hunting licenses but a new gun
in 2005. Let's all do our part and buy at least one new gun in 2006.
Maybe we can drive the $2 billion industry even higher. Maybe we can
even get it high enough to see the likes of Hoover and Labella pull out
their hair. Now that would be worth watching!