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October 17, 2019

CT ranked 38th in guns sales, study says

Photo | Contributed An AR-15 style rifle.
By Joe Cooper

Guns sales in Connecticut, which has some of the tightest firearm laws in the nation, continued to rise in 2018, although the state still records far fewer sales per capita than most other states, a new study shows.

Connecticut ranked No. 38 last year for per capita retail gun sales with an average of 41.4 guns sold per 100,000 residents, according to a study released Wednesday by Security.org. 

The findings by the research-based organization, which focuses on studying home security, relies on background check data provided by the FBI through 2018.

Despite a relatively low number of guns sales last year compared to most other states, firearm sales in Connecticut have now increased by 20.6 percent since 2009. The state’s increase over the last decade, the lowest among the New England states, ranks No. 31 in the U.S.

Nationally, approximately 12.6 million guns were purchased in 2018 through federally licensed gun dealers. That figure is down slightly from 2017, and is expected to continue declining further in 2019, the study says.

States with the lowest gun sales per capita last year included New Jersey (13.5 guns sold per 100,000), Massachusetts (16.6), New York (18.8) and Nebraska (21.6). The highest number of gun sales per capita were in Montana (141.9), Alaska (140.1), South Dakota (121.9) and West Virginia (129.9).

Meantime, average gun sales last year varied greatly by region.

In the West, there were 84.4 gun sales per 100,000 residents, compared to 62.8 in the Midwest, 60.1 in the South and 51.3 in the Northeast. 

The study surfaces months after New Britain gunmaker Stag Arms announced plans to leave Connecticut in favor of a state that is more friendly to the firearms industry.

Also nearby, Colt, the West Hartford-based manufacturer of the AR-15 rifle, last month said it’s exiting the consumer rifle market as demand for semi-automatic guns declines. Colt, however, will continue to produce pistols and revolvers for consumers, as well as high-powered guns for numerous military and law enforcement clients.

View the full study here

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