Number of Gun Manufacturers Up ‘Nearly 250 Percent’ Under Obama

Figures from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) show the number of gun manufacturers in the U.S. grew “nearly 250 percent” from 2009 through 2015.

The number of manufacturers are measured via the number of licenses issued to make guns.

According to Naples Daily News, there were “3,040” licensed gun makers in the U.S. in 2009 and that figure rose to “10,503” by the end of 2015.

The top two states for licensed gun manufacturers are Texas and Florida. ATF figures show Texas jumped from “219” licensed gun makers in 2009 to “1,103” in May 2016. That is an increase of “404 percent.” Florida had “155” licensed gun makers in 2009, and that figure jumped to “651” by May 2016. That is a “350 percent” increase in gun manufacturing in Florida.

The surge in gun manufacturing in these states is tied to their pro-business economic policies and their gun friendly environments.

For example, National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Mike Bazinet commented on Florida’s growth, saying, “Florida is a business-friendly state that has had a good number of manufacturers involved in the firearms industry, as well as startups, for many years.” So the Sunshine State was primed and ready when demand soared under Obama.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.