Here’s How Much the Federal Government Makes Selling Weapons in Texas

America’s gun industry is booming. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, more than 11.3 million firearms were manufactured in the United States in 2020, more than double the 5.6 million produced in 2010 and almost triple exceeds 3.9 million units produced in 2000. The growing demand for firearms has been a boon not only to the balance sheets of American gun manufacturers, but also to the public treasury.

In 2021, the US firearms industry generated $70.5 billion in economic output between sporting guns and ammunition companies and ancillary sectors, according to advocacy group The Firearm Industry Trade Association. The federal government also levied $4.6 billion in taxes on gun manufacturing businesses in 2021, up 84% from a decade earlier. The firearms industry in some states accounts for a much larger share of state firearms tax revenue than in others.

In 2021, the federal government collected $330.7 million in tax revenue from firearms manufacturing in Texas. Adjusted for population, this is about $11 per state resident, the 22nd lowest of the 50 states.

Overall, the Texas firearms and ammunition industry, including support sectors, employed 31,632 people in 2021. The industry’s total output was $5.6 billion, or $189 per capita, the 25th highest per capita among states.

All data in this report is taken from the 2022 Firearms and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report prepared by the Firearms Trade Association.