Figures from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) show the number of gun manufacturers in the U.S. grew “nearly 250 percent” from 2009 through 2015.
The number of manufacturers are measured via the number of licenses issued to make guns.
According to Naples Daily News, there were “3,040” licensed gun makers in the U.S. in 2009 and that figure rose to “10,503” by the end of 2015.
The top two states for licensed gun manufacturers are Texas and Florida. ATF figures show Texas jumped from “219” licensed gun makers in 2009 to “1,103” in May 2016. That is an increase of “404 percent.” Florida had “155” licensed gun makers in 2009, and that figure jumped to “651” by May 2016. That is a “350 percent” increase in gun manufacturing in Florida.
by Awr Hawkins