A July 2025 industry report by Shooting Industry outlines the current state of the U.S. firearms market: background check volume through May reached 6,063,240 NICS transactions, down 3.6percent year-over-year. That makes 2025 the eighth-highest performing year for firearms production checks, although every month except January trailed its 2024 counterpart. The report underscores how buyers now benefit from abundant inventory as pandemic-driven stockpiling has largely subsided. Manufacturers are adapting: SIGSauer remained the only U.S. producer to exceed one million units in 2023, led by pistol output; Smith & Wesson retained the third spot overall, Savage Arms grew rifle output 5.1percent, and Henry Repeating Arms broke into the top five for the first time. The top 40 manufacturers accounted for over 92percent of domestic firearms production in 2023. Export trends are shifting too, with Turkey overtaking Germany in handgun imports.