Gun Sales in Louisiana Are Starting to Tank, But Why?

As hard as it has been to find ammunition for the past couple of years, I have to admit my surprise to read that gun sales across the country have severely dropped.

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In an article I read from westcentralsbest.com, I discovered that in June of 2022, there were 2,570,608 gun sales nationally.  In June 2021, across the country, there were 3,054,726 gun sales.  If my math serves me right, that is just under a 16% drop for just this one month.

Looking at the number of firearms background checks done through FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, westcentralsbest.com was able to drill down and discover that in the first six months of 2022 there were 6.4 million fewer checks as compared to the same time frame from 2021.  This represents an eye-opening 28.7% reduction in sales.

What About Gun Sales Right Here in Louisiana?

The website reported that,

In Louisiana, gun sales are falling, but at a slower pace the national decline. There were a total of 170,127 FBI firearm background checks in the state in the first half of 2022 compared to 211,706 in the first six months of 2021 -- a 19.6% reduction and the 29th largest decline among states.

Of course, some could spin the report to establish that Louisiana gun sales are still above the national average.  Others could report that gun sales are just under 20% off from last year and might go so far as to report that "passion for gun ownership" has dropped sharply.

What's Causing The Huge Drop In Sales?

As demonstrated above, the same exact numbers can be used to present two separate equally compelling arguments.

Keeping that in mind, which statement would you consider the most likely to be the cause for the reduction?  Passion for gun ownership is reducing, or, gun sales have naturally slowed from their previous record highs?

I tend to lean to the latter.  I recall that when President Obama was in office, some called him the "greatest gun salesman on Earth."  Many felt that gun ownership was under attack and rushed to secure firearms in the wake of that attack.

The Wall Street Journal even reports that,

During the period of the increase, the number of first-time gun buyers jumped. Sales also rose among women and minorities. First-time buyers have been about 20% of new gun sales nationwide.

That leads a little credibility to my argument.  Have gun sales really tanked or are they just slowing from record highs?  You be the judge. Disagree?  Then hopefully you can help me find ammunition for my deer rifle. Good luck on that one.