The Numbers Speak
In contrast to the disappointment experienced during Biden’s first 100 days, Bartozzi highlighted how the events of the past year-plus have energized the industry.
“I trust and believe the industry is resilient. We’ve had a tremendous run on first-time gun buyers recognizing and exercising their Second Amendment rights,” he said. “It’s a phenomenal thing — people from all walks of life, all creeds and colors, embracing the Second Amendment. It’s been a renaissance for gun rights.”
Consumers responded to the pandemic and social unrest in numbers never seen before. The NSSF estimates there were 8.5 million first-time gun buyers in 2020, which contributed to a record 21,083,643 background checks last year — which speaks volumes, according to Bartozzi.
“There is something fundamentally critical about the right to defend yourself and your family, and people recognized they’re the first line of defense,” he said. “They spoke with their wallets and bought firearms and ammunition in record numbers. Despite what the president says, the numbers don’t lie.”