A Year in Guns: 2024

2025—a new year. But before we move on, we must look back. 2024 proved to be a transition year in the firearm industry. Markets seemed to stabilize—even under the auspices of a presidential election. We also witnessed several market trends, but nothing considered innovative. These trends focused on compensated pistols, double-stack 1911s, and affordable alternatives to mainstream guns coming from Turkey. Maybe 2025 will be different, and companies will introduce new ideas to the market to counter slumping sales.

However, the best part of 2024 was the stabilization and, at times, decrease in ammunition prices. During the years of COVID, ammunition prices soared as people stockpiled and manufacturing efficiency broke down. This strangled the market for several years, but now manufacturing has rebounded. Of course, with global conflicts, the availability of raw resources and the uncertainty of the continual civilian use of the Lake City Ammunition factory are trepid. Do not mistake idleness for security—buy ammo now. Stockpile because the future is unknown.

With the necessity of ammunition comes the need for the ancillary items to maintain your gear. This includes magazines, batteries, perishable parts such as firing pins, springs, etc., and cleaning supplies. Stockpile these items now. Yes, new guns are cool. But keeping the guns you have now running is even cooler. Added to this is training. There are many first-time gun owners in our midst. Do not judge or belittle them. Help them. Educate them on the importance of firearm safety, good technique, and the importance of the Second Amendment. This is the time to gain allies, not prove stereotypes.

Looking Forward

With that, we can now focus on what 2025 will bring. This year and in the coming years, manufacturers will attempt to claim portions of markets they’ve previously had no interest in. Think of Savage Arms introducing lines of 1911s and suppressors or Ruger partnering with Magpul to introduce a Glock clone. Companies will try to invade the status quo as they struggle to innovate, and immediate innovation will be lackluster. Most “new” guns of 2024 were extensions of existing production models, while other “new” guns were borrowed from someone else. In this case, Smith & Wesson introduced the 1854 lever action rifle. The gun is fine, but don’t let Smith & Wesson fool you. The rifle is a clone of a Marlin 1894. The patent entered the public domain with the sale of Marlin to Ruger. Is that innovation or taking advantage of a market needing competition to improve shareholder interests?

So where will that innovation happen? For starters, suppressors, other NFA items, and cartridges optimized for those platforms will continue to increase in popularity. Near the end of last year, Hornady introduced the 338 ARC, a cartridge designed to improve the 300 Blackout's performance while offering a more efficient alternative to the 8.6 BLK. With Hornady’s track record of bringing new calibers to market, this will be a success. With this introduction, you’ll see companies introduce AR-15s and bolt-action rifles, and suppressor manufacturers will add more options for 338 caliber suppressors to their catalog.

In addition, the optimization of older lines to current trends will be popular. For manufacturers, this will include updating legacy products to current standards, i.e., optics cuts, threaded barrels, and suppressor height sights (which we saw much of in 2024). H&K’s updated VP9 A1 is an example of this. Indeed, new products will come in updating older guns, such as lever actions and shotguns. In recent years, there’s been a regression back to aged designs and modernizing them in a tactical fashion. While these aren’t the most practical defensive arms, they ooze the cool factor and look good for the ”gram.”

The other trends I see continuing are at-home customization and modular firearms. This has long been popular with AR-style rifles but has now extended to bolt actions and handguns. While the Sig Sauer P320 popularized the idea of modular chassis and removable fire control units, manufacturers like Springfield Armory and Ruger have introduced their own iterations. I see more companies moving toward this.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, this is the best time for gun owners since 2019. While I don’t think prices will ever return to pre-COVID levels, they’re definitely better now. But again, this will be all for naught if you remain passive. Active participation in the market to build stockpiles of ammunition and the necessary parts to keep gear running is just as important as buying the latest and greatest. Create a base supply level, train, and then add to your arsenal. Manufacturers will need to take a step back and look at the holes within the market to address them. We are entering an era where the civilian dollar has become just as important as the defense contractor. We are finally seeing large companies focus on the everyday user rather than their Department of Defense contracts (civilians are buying more guns than the federal government). We have arrived at the era of the Civilian Defense Industry. Do not waste this opportunity. With the climate of the world, we don’t know how long it will last.