Over the past three years, firearm sales have been on a decline across the country after reaching their peak during the pandemic in 2020.
It seems that Delaware’s strict gun sale regulations are contributing to the decline in gun sales within the state. Recent research analyzing gun sales throughout the United States has identified Delaware as one of four states with the most significant decrease in firearm purchases this year compared to last year.
Safehome.org, a home security company, analyzed recent gun sales data from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and reported a 4% decrease in national gun sales from 2022 to 2023. According to their online report, the District of Columbia, Delaware, New York, and Louisiana saw the most significant declines in gun sales during this period.
The report reveals that firearm purchases in Delaware have decreased by 18% in the past year. The reasons for this decline, as suggested by the company behind the report, are legislation, financial constraints, and public opinion.
According to Safehome.org’s report, the implementation of laws that prohibit high-capacity magazines and certain semi-automatic weapons, as well as the requirement of handgun training before purchasing firearms, might have made the process more complicated and dissuaded potential buyers.
The report discovered a noteworthy decrease in gun sales across other states, which is in line with the larger national trend.
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- District of Columbia: 32%
- New York: 15%
- Louisiana: 15%
States with high gun sales
The perspective on gun ownership is often influenced by the location. In rural areas, individuals are approximately twice as likely as those in urban areas to perceive owning a gun as a means of enhancing safety.
According to Safehome.org’s analysis, four states – North Carolina, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Florida – witnessed an increase in gun sales between Jan. 1 and April 30, 2024, in comparison to the previous year.
According to the report released by the company, Texas, Florida, and California have emerged as the frontrunners in the total sales of guns, collectively accounting for 22% of all guns sold in 2024. On the other hand, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska have recorded the highest per capita purchases, which can be largely attributed to their robust gun culture and the relatively relaxed firearms regulations in these states.