Asking how many guns are in the U.S. is like asking how many grains of salt are in the Dead Sea—there are simply too many to count. Due to privacy rights and the right to keep and bear arms, which governments in the U.S. are bound to respect, it’s nearly impossible to determine the exact number of firearms. The Supreme Court’s decision in Haynes v. U.S. (1968) ruled that firearm registrations are unconstitutional, further complicating any attempt at an accurate count.
However, we can make an educated estimate using NICS records, surveys, and import data. The following sections will explore everything you need to know about the number of guns in the U.S.
Report Highlights:
The United States government does not require firearm registration, so the total number of firearms in the country is unknown. However, we have studies, sales reports, and self-reporting surveys to validate estimates.
The following sections contain all available information from reputable sources. We’ve compared the year-over-year self-reporting trends to NICS background checks and NSSF sales reports to accurately analyze the number of guns in the U.S.
Furthermore, we accounted for privately manufactured firearms and firearms that are no longer in circulation based on ATF and DOJ reports over various years.
More than 490 million firearms have been imported or manufactured in the United States for civilian use since 1899. 1
However, this figure includes firearms that may have been destroyed or are no longer in circulation. Despite the known number of manufactured guns in the U.S., estimates suggest that the actual number is even higher.
Due to the rise of ghost guns, the ability to produce unregistered firearms, and the lack of reporting requirements for lost, stolen, or damaged guns, we must rely on NICS records and surveys to estimate the number of firearms in America.
The growth of firearms in America began gradually. In 1996, the ATF estimated there were 242 million firearms in the U.S. By 2000, that number had increased to 259 million.
In 2007, the estimate rose to 294 million; by 2009, it had surpassed 310 million. 2
By 2018, the reported number of firearms in the U.S. was 393 million. 3
Our most recent estimates suggest there are now more than 500 million civilian-owned firearms in the U.S.
Note: This data assumes that a purchase was made. It does not include permits and rechecks.
Population estimates for 2024 show that the U.S. has approximately 345.4 million people, of which 258.3 million are adults. 11
Firearms in circulation are estimated to be over 500 million in the U.S., meaning there are roughly 1.5 firearms for every person in the country and about 1.93 firearms per adult.
Guns per Person in 2024:
Americans generally do not register their firearms. In fact, very few types of firearms require registration at all.
Unlike other countries that track the number of guns within their borders using registration data and mandatory registration for all gun owners, the U.S. does not.
In this section, we’ll focus on concealed carry permits.
As of 2023, 22.9 million Americans held a concealed carry permit. Despite the growing trend of permitless carry laws, the number of concealed carry permits increased by 2.3% from 2021 to 2022. 4
Note: Concealed carry permits are not an indicator of the number of gun owners in America. They are not required in every state.
In the United States, there is no such thing as an “illegal gun.” The right to keep and bear arms belongs to the people, so the focus is on “prohibited persons” rather than illegal firearms.
Therefore, the number of “illegal guns” in the U.S. depends on how many prohibited persons unlawfully possess them.
If we assume every prohibited person in the U.S. owns at least one firearm (which is possible given the vast number of guns in the country), there would be more than 28,407,758 illegal guns, based on the number of individuals on the FBI’s prohibited person list. However, this scenario is highly unlikely.
Moreover, in 2021, the ATF traced only 456,571 firearms. Given the millions of guns available, it’s even less likely that the majority of prohibited individuals possess firearms. 10
Now, let’s examine the facts we do know.
Ghost Guns and Unregistered Guns
Ghost guns, by nature, are impossible to track. This term generally describes a firearm that is manufactured with no serial number or paperwork. Therefore, we can only assess the number seized by the ATF and other agencies.
The Number of Ghost Guns Recovered from 2017 to 2021
Unregistered guns, also known as ghost guns, have become increasingly popular since 2020. As new laws and regulations make purchasing more difficult, people tend to find other ways to make guns.
While we can’t say how many PMFs (privately manufactured firearms) are in America, we do know how many were recovered by the ATF.
There has been a 175% increase in PMFs recovered by the ATF in recent years. In 2017, the ATF recovered fewer than 2,000 firearms. In 2022, the agency recovered more than 25,000. 8, 9, 10
Furthermore, we can examine firearm seizures used in the commission of a crime to better understand unregistered gun patterns. To do this, we must determine how many guns were not registered to a purchaser.
Percentage of Unregistered Guns Recovered from 2017-2021
As of 2024, there were 123.6 million households in the U.S. The latest surveys reflect that 52% of American households have at least one firearm. 14
Current estimates show that 65,190,000 households in America have at least one firearm.
It’s nearly impossible to determine the exact number of handguns in the U.S. However, by analyzing data over the years, it’s clear that handguns are the most common type of firearm in the country.
While we don’t have complete information about handguns in the U.S., we do have some reliable data to consider.
Between 1986 and 2012, 49,451,152 handguns (including pistols and revolvers) were produced in the U.S. In comparison, only 40,287,087 rifles and 23,234,262 shotguns were manufactured during the same period. 13
In 2000, the ATF estimated that there were 92 million handguns and 92 million rifles in circulation.
By 2017, 72% of gun owners reported owning at least one handgun, translating to approximately 66.3 million gun owners and 45.7 million handguns. 7
It’s important to note that 66% of gun owners say they own two or more firearms.
Currently, there are estimated to be at least 157,580,794 handguns in the United States, although this figure includes firearms that may have been broken or destroyed.
Want to know just how many guns are in the U.S.? The numbers are staggering! Learn all the facts in “How Many Guns in the U.S.: All About America’s Firearms in 2024”🌍
