NSSF® tracks and and reports monthly U.S. import units for several sporting arms, ammunition, and optics categories from the US International Trade Commission. Below are the results for January 2024 compared to January 2023.

• January Handgun imports decreased 23.4 percent from 218,615 to 167,431 units. Within the handgun category, Pistol import units dropped 24.4 percent from 208,290 to 157,484 units while imported Revolver units decreased 3.7 percent from 10,325 to 9,947 units.
• January Rifle imports were down 9.4 percent from 74,869 to 67,854 units. This category has been adjusted to exclude HTS codes 9303.30.4010 & 9303.30.8005 (Telescopic Sights Imported with Rifles).
• January Shotgun category posted a 48.9 percent increase in imported units from 82,916 to 123,455.
• January Muzzleloader category decreased 10.1 percent from 10,782 to 9,693 units.
• January Other Cartridges (excluding Shotgun cartridges) category increased 97.7 percent from 167.3 million to 330.7 million units.
• January Shotgun Cartridges category decreased by 41.4 percent dropping to 11.9 million units as compared to last year’s nearly 20.3 million.
• Telescopic Sights:
  • January Telescopic sights with rifles (HTS codes 9303.30.4010 and HTS 9303.30.8005, defined as telescopic sights or other optical devices suitable for use with arms, if mounted on a firearm or entered with the firearm on which they are designed to be mounted) decreased 76.2 percent from 3,577 units to 852.
  • January Telescopic sights for rifles (HTS code 9013.10.1000, defined as telescopic sights for rifles not designed for use with infrared light) increased 74.7 percent from 147,233 units to 257,222.
  • January Telescopic sights for rifles (HTS code 9013.10.3000, defined as telescopic sights for rifles not elsewhere specified or included [NESOI]) rose 18.1 percent from 55,128 units to 65,115.
• Binoculars:
  • January Prism Binoculars [not for use with infrared light] (HTS code 9005.10.0040) increased 49.8 percent from 136,863 units to 204,971.
  • January Binoculars HTS code 9005.10.0080 [Other Binoculars, NESOI] decreased 16.4 percent from 112,486 units to 93,990.
• January Hunting Knives (with fixed blades and wood handles) category dropped 74.8 percent from 69,054 units to 17,409 units.

Source: US International Trade Commission

Notice: The import and export data on DataWeb for 2020-2022 have been updated as of July 5, 2023, based on the latest official revisions from the Census Bureau (the first official revisions for 2023 data will not be available until June 2024). For the years 2010-2022 data reflect all published revisions by the Census Bureau. For data prior to 2010, DataWeb will continue to show import and export data as originally issued by the Census Bureau with no revisions.

Additional firearm import/export data, including monthly historical data and charts for each category, is available to NSSF members by logging in and clicking NSSF Industry Research then Monthly Firearm Import/Export Data.