Gun manufacturing in the U.S. has been increasing steadily in recent years, with a significant spike during the pandemic.
According to the Violence Policy Center, there are almost five times as many gun manufacturers as there are colleges in the country.
This map, via Visual Capitalist's Kayla Zhu, visualizes the number of Type 7 Federal Firearms Licenses (FFLs) in each U.S. state in 2022, and the percentage increase in FFLs from 2017 to 2022. Type 7 FFLs are the basic federal license required to manufacture and sell guns and ammunition in America.
The data comes from the Violence Policy Center and reflects 2022 data.
Which U.S. States Have the Most Gun Manufacturers?
While most production is concentrated in the hands of a few key players, a majority of gun manufacturers actually don’t operate out of big commercial facilities, but instead, out of homes or offices.
| Rank | State | Number of gun manufacturers | Increase (2017-2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 2,321 | 78% |
| 2 | Florida | 1,214 | 59% |
| 3 | Arizona | 1,026 | 55% |
| 4 | North Carolina | 737 | 70% |
| 5 | Ohio | 715 | 51% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 669 | 79% |
| 7 | Georgia | 607 | 77% |
| 8 | California | 580 | 6% |
| 9 | Colorado | 573 | 56% |
| 10 | Utah | 515 | 66% |
| 11 | Michigan | 470 | 70% |
| 12 | Virginia | 459 | 48% |
| 13 | Tennessee | 454 | 74% |
| 14 | Missouri | 440 | 41% |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 437 | 42% |
| 16 | Idaho | 432 | 62% |
| 17 | Washington | 427 | 71% |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 371 | 46% |
| 19 | New York | 365 | 77% |
| 20 | South Carolina | 347 | 78% |
| 21 | Indiana | 323 | 53% |
| 22 | Alabama | 323 | 50% |
| 23 | Arkansas | 312 | 42% |
| 24 | Nevada | 291 | 40% |
| 25 | Massachusetts | 290 | 44% |
| 26 | Minnesota | 274 | 42% |
| 27 | Illinois | 267 | 25% |
| 28 | Louisiana | 264 | 51% |
| 29 | Oregon | 263 | 35% |
| 30 | Kentucky | 255 | 70% |
| 31 | Kansas | 254 | 58% |
| 32 | Montana | 250 | 46% |
| 33 | Iowa | 235 | 81% |
| 34 | New Hampshire | 197 | 31% |
| 35 | Mississippi | 193 | 40% |
| 36 | New Mexico | 193 | 36% |
| 37 | Connecticut | 193 | 14% |
| 38 | Wyoming | 188 | 100% |
| 39 | Maryland | 178 | 37% |
| 40 | West Virginia | 150 | 85% |
| 41 | Maine | 120 | 26% |
| 42 | Alaska | 118 | 57% |
| 43 | South Dakota | 117 | 121% |
| 44 | Nebraska | 115 | 53% |
| 45 | Vermont | 89 | 48% |
| 46 | North Dakota | 68 | 325% |
| 47 | New Jersey | 30 | 7% |
| 48 | Rhode Island | 27 | 42% |
| 49 | Hawaii | 15 | 114% |
| 50 | Delaware | 12 | 71% |
Texas, Florida, and Arizona, the three states with the most gun manufacturers in 2022, all have business-friendly policies including low or no income taxes and fewer regulations, as well as strong gun cultures.
Large firearms companies have also increasingly chosen to move their headquarters and production to red states, especially in the South.
Other Southern red states are capitalizing on this trend. In Oklahoma, just north of Texas, Governor Kevin Stitt has promoted the state’s “pro-Second Amendment” stance to attract more firearms manufacturers.
Out of the top five states with the most manufacturers, four (Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Ohio) have constitutional carry laws. These laws allow individuals to carry a firearm without a permit.
Many of these top states also do not require permits for people to carry concealed weapons, such as handguns, in public.
To learn about gun ownership in America, check out this graphic that shows how gun ownership rates in the U.S. have changed over the past decade.
