How much does a gun shop owner earn?
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $1,586,424
Averaging around $38,000 per year, weapon sellers aren't exactly rolling in it (source). On the bright side, though, it's one of a very few professions that work specifically with firearms, so there's a massive market tailored specifically to it's inventory needs.
For example, in 2021, the largest publicly traded gunmaker in the United States, Sturm, Ruger & Company, topped $280 million in profits and set a new company record. Similarly, profits for Smith & Wesson Brands, the second largest gunmaker, reached nearly $450 million and reached a new company high.
The gross margins for your gunsmithing business are typically around 65%, which can make it more challenging to incur new expenses and maintain profitability. As a gunsmithing business, the amount of work assigned to you and schedule tends to be more inconsistent, which may make your income less stable.
There are a lot of ways to make money with an FFL, and you don't have to have a giant warehouse of inventory to do it. Plenty of opportunity exists for a handsome profit even for the average home-based FFL. Once you have your FFL in hand, doors will open to multiple avenues to create a side income.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $109,500 and as low as $16,000, the majority of Arms Dealer salaries currently range between $28,000 (25th percentile) to $57,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $83,500 annually across the United States.
- Fitness or physical therapy services. The pandemic seems to have permanently changed the fitness landscape. ...
- App development. ...
- Online consulting services. ...
- Dropshipping. ...
- Home improvement services. ...
- Information security. ...
- Event planning and virtual event planning. ...
- Commercial cleaning services.
Men Remain Much More Likely Than Women to Own a Gun
The most recent findings, from 2021-2022, show a 21-percentage-point gender gap in gun ownership, with about twice as many men (43%) as women (22%) saying they personally own a gun.
On average, you're going to see at least $100-$200 difference between retail and MSRP. If you find a super great deal online, which is entirely possible, you can buy the gun there and have it shipped to a local shop. If the prices at your local shop are comparable, however, I would recommend buying local.
Ammo sales can be very profitable, especially if you have a high-demand product. Another way to make money in the ammo industry is through gunsmithing. Gunsmithing is a skilled trade that involves repairing and customizing firearms. Many gunsmiths also sell ammunition.
You Can Earn a Lot
While the pay isn't the best at first, the annual pay can increase over time. Nationally, a gunsmith is paid around $31,910 each year. It's less than many other professions, but the good thing is that the amount can increase over the years.
What is the highest paid gunsmith?
- What is the highest pay for Gunsmiths? Our data indicates that the highest pay for a Gunsmith is $25.06 / hour.
- What is the lowest pay for Gunsmiths? Our data indicates that the lowest pay for a Gunsmith is $12.72 / hour.
- How can Gunsmiths increase their salary?
Projected job growth for gunsmiths is -8% from 2018-2028. There are over 4,439 gunsmiths currently employed in the United States. There are 11,589 active gunsmith job openings in the US based on job postings.

Did you know if you have an FFL, you can still use an FFL for personal use? That's right, not only can you get an FFL and sell guns from your home as a part time business opportunity, but you can use your FFL for personal use as well.
Type 07 FFL – Manufacturer of Firearms & Ammunition
The Type 07 FFL is the most powerful and popular FFL to get. With it you can do everything a Type 01 FFL can (buy, sell and repair firearms) plus manufacture guns and ammo.
The short answer to this question is yes. An FFL can buy a gun anywhere in the United States.
Characteristic | Arms sales | Total sales |
---|---|---|
Lockheed Martin Corp. (US) | 60,340 | 67,044 |
Raytheon (US) | 41,850 | 64,388 |
Boeing (US) | 33,420 | 62,286 |
Northrop Grumman Corp. (US) | 29,880 | 35,667 |
The arms trade is a major cause of human rights abuses. Some governments spend more on military expenditure than on social development, communications infrastructure and health combined.
The Arms Dealer is an NPC that will spawn once the following criteria have been met: There is an empty house. The player has at least one bullet or bullet-firing gun in their inventory (guns stored in storage items like chests do not count).
Current and historical gross margin, operating margin and net profit margin for AMMO (POWW) over the last 10 years. Profit margin can be defined as the percentage of revenue that a company retains as income after the deduction of expenses. AMMO net profit margin as of September 30, 2022 is 4.94%.
You Can Earn a Lot
While the pay isn't the best at first, the annual pay can increase over time. Nationally, a gunsmith is paid around $31,910 each year. It's less than many other professions, but the good thing is that the amount can increase over the years.
How many guns should a normal person have?
Many people capitalize on this and take their own personal defense very seriously and often ask the question “how many guns should I have?” This answer depends on the size of your household and your budget. At a minimum, every household should have at least two firearms. One handgun and one rifle.
5–10% generally, though some gun stores with little competition may charge more. You do need to shop around , though, as I've seen some marked up a high as 30% or so. Of course , if supply on a particular firearm is low , it would be more and that's understandable.
An NYU report on U.S. margins revealed the average net profit margin is 7.71% across different industries. But that doesn't mean your ideal profit margin will align with this number. As a rule of thumb, 5% is a low margin, 10% is a healthy margin, and 20% is a high margin.
Colt is considered the leading supplier to the US Army, supplying pistols, revolvers, and self-defense goods. Some of the company's widely selling products include Custom Carry Limited (9MM), M4 Carbine, 1911 Classic (45ACP), and M203 Grenade Launcher. Colt's Manufacturing reported revenue of $270.9 million in 2021.