Photo by Peter Andrew Lusztyk + Derek Blais
No, we’re not talking about the U.S. president’s polling numbers, but his impact on gun sales. Strangely, when Americans aren’t worried Democrats are going to take their weapons, they stop stocking up and gun makers run into trouble. Remington, whose Bushmaster rifle was used in the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, filed for bankruptcy protection in February. And sales at other top gun makers—including Colt’s Manufacturing, American Outdoor Brands (parent of Smith & Wesson) and Sturm, Ruger & Co.—are collapsing. Remington, which was acquired by Cerberus Capital Management in 2007, can’t blame all of its woes on Donald Trump. The 200-year-old gun maker is also being sued by the parents of the 20 children killed at Sandy Hook, and the case is still before the courts. Cerberus has tried to off-load its purchase, but so far there have been no takers. In the meantime, Remington is hoping to shed roughly $700 million (U.S.) in debt—and likely praying the Democrats win big in this year’s midterm elections.
Remington may never have known Adam Lanza, but they had been courting him for years.
— Josh Koskoff, attorney for families of the Sandy Hook massacre
% change of gun stock prices
During the Obama years
(2008 to 2017)
194%
65%
13%
AMERICAN
OUTDOOR
STURM,
RUGER
REMINGTON
-20%
-53%
-63%
Since Trump election
(2017 to present)
Three of America’s top gun makers have
seen their profits plunge
2016
2017
AMERICAN
OUTDOOR
BRANDS CORP.
135.8M
-70%
(OWNER OF
SMITH & WESSON)
40.2M
87.5M
STURM,
RUGER & CO.
-40%
52.1M
19.1M
REMINGTON
-417%
(NOW BANKRUPT)
-60.5M*
* FIRST NINE MONTHS ONLY
% change of gun stock prices
During the Obama years
(2008 to 2017)
194%
65%
13%
AMERICAN
OUTDOOR
STURM,
RUGER
REMINGTON
-20%
-53%
-63%
Since Trump election
(2017 to present)
Three of America’s top gun makers have
seen their profits plunge
2016
2017
135.8M
AMERICAN
OUTDOOR
BRANDS CORP.
-70%
(OWNER OF
SMITH & WESSON)
40.2M
87.5M
STURM,
RUGER & CO.
-40%
52.1M
19.1M
REMINGTON
-417%
(NOW BANKRUPT)
-60.5M*
* FIRST NINE MONTHS ONLY
% change of gun stock prices
Three of America’s top gun makers have
seen their profits plunge
During the Obama years
(2008 to 2017)
2016
2017
194%
AMERICAN
OUTDOOR
BRANDS CORP.
135.8M
-70%
(OWNER OF
SMITH & WESSON)
40.2M
65%
87.5M
STURM,
RUGER & CO.
-40%
13%
52.1M
AMERICAN
OUTDOOR
STURM,
RUGER
REMINGTON
19.1M
REMINGTON
-417%
(NOW BANKRUPT)
-20%
-60.5M*
-53%
-63%
* FIRST NINE MONTHS ONLY
Since Trump election
(2017 to present)
In 2017, U.S. firearm sales saw their
biggest drop since George W. Bush
was in power
% change in background checks shown as a
proxy for firearm sales
20%
15
10
5
0
BUSH
OBAMA
-5
TRUMP
2000
2005
2010
2015
2017
In 2017, U.S. firearm sales saw their biggest drop
since George W. Bush was in power
% change in background checks shown as a
proxy for firearm sales
20%
15
10
5
0
BUSH
OBAMA
-5
TRUMP
2000
2005
2010
2015
2017
In 2017, U.S. firearm sales saw their biggest drop since George W. Bush was in power
% change in background checks shown as a proxy for firearm sales
20%
15
10
5
0
BUSH
OBAMA
TRUMP
-5
2000
2005
2010
2015
2017
The Colt ArmaLite Rifle 15, a civilian take on the military M16, debuted in the 1960s. After the patent expired in 1977, other gun makers began producing the semi-automatic rifle. Remington manufactures several similar guns, including this Bushmaster— the weapon used by gunman Adam Lanza in the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre in 2012. Photo by Peter Andrew Lusztyk + Derek Blais
They call it the Trump slump.
— Robert Spitzer,a professor at the State University of New York and author of five books on firearms, on the decrease in gun sales
% change in background checks the
month after a shooting compared to
previous year
50%
43%
40%
-13%
LAS
VEGAS
SANDY
HOOK
SAN
BERNARDINO
ORLANDO
DECEMBER
2012
DECEMBER
2015
JUNE
2016
OCTOBER
2017
% change in background checks the month after a
shooting compared to previous year
50%
43%
40%
-13%
SANDY
HOOK
SAN
BERNARDINO
ORLANDO
LAS VEGAS
DECEMBER
2012
DECEMBER
2015
JUNE
2016
OCTOBER
2017
% change in background checks the month after a shooting compared to previous year
50%
43%
40%
-13%
SANDY HOOK
SAN BERNARDINO
ORLANDO
LAS VEGAS
DECEMBER 2012
DECEMBER 2015
JUNE 2016
OCTOBER 2017
The estimated percentage of U.S. equity mutual funds that include investments in a gun or ammunition maker or retailer. That’s more than $17 billion (U.S.) spread over 2,000 plus funds, according to Goodbye Gun Stocks, a non-profit group. Retailers that sell firearms include Walmart, Cabela’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods (although Walmart and Dick’s no longer sell assault-style rifles).
Ontario and Quebec have the
most licences
Individual firearm Licences (2016)
Yukon
British Columbia
Northwest Territories
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Nunavut
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Nfld and Labrador
7,222
279,060
5,582
292,524
103,397
3,673
86,984
581,408
493,230
67,989
74,268
6,129
75,374
Canadian gun ownership is on the rise
Number of restricted firearms registered
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
Restricted firearms are registered. Non-restricted firearms (not shown) are no longer tracked
200,000
0
’07
’09
’11
’13
’15
’17
Ontario and Quebec have the most licences
Individual firearm Licences (2016)
Yukon
British Columbia
Northwest Territories
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Nunavut
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Nfld and Labrador
7,222
279,060
5,582
292,524
103,397
3,673
86,984
581,408
493,230
67,989
74,268
6,129
75,374
Canadian gun ownership is on the rise
Number of restricted firearms registered
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
Restricted firearms are registered. Non-restricted firearms (not shown) are no longer tracked
0
’07
’09
’11
’13
’15
’17
Ontario and Quebec have the
most licences
Canadian gun ownership is on the rise
Number of restricted firearms registered
Individual firearm Licences (2016)
1,000,000
Yukon
British Columbia
Northwest Territories
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Nunavut
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Nfld and Labrador
7,222
279,060
800,000
5,582
292,524
600,000
103,397
3,673
86,984
400,000
581,408
493,230
Restricted firearms are registered. Non-restricted firearms (not shown) are no longer tracked
200,000
67,989
74,268
0
6,129
’07
’09
’11
’13
’15
’17
75,374
Humans tend to assess risk in a way that’s not scientific but emotional. We have a strong bias that causes us to pay too much attention to low-probability risks.
— Sara Gorman, co-author of Denying to the Grave, on why tighter gun regulation makes Americans buy more guns
22% to 31% of Americans say they have
at least one gun but 3% of the U.S.
population owns an average of 17 guns,
with an estimated 7.7 million in possession
of 8 to 140 guns apiece
22% to 31% of Americans say they have at least
one gun but 3% of the U.S. population owns an
average of 17 guns, with an estimated 7.7 million
in possession of 8 to 140 guns apiece
22% to 31% of Americans say they have at least one gun but 3% of the U.S. population
owns an average of 17 guns, with an estimated 7.7 million in possession of 8 to 140
guns apiece
I suspect that if the Democrats make a resurgence this November, gun company stocks will come roaring back with them.
— Richard Feldman, president of the Independent Firearm Owners Association