Ammunition Production Backlog Reaches Record Levels As Demand Surges

Ammo Backlog The country’s premier ammunition and munitions components manufacturer Ammo Inc has reported a record backlog of orders as demand for its products surge throughout the nation. The company revealed that it now had booked orders worth more than $80.1 million, the largest ever on record in its history.

“Our record backlog has continued to grow, with booked orders coming in across all channels, including commercial, export, military, and law enforcement,” Ammo’s chief executive officer, Fred Wagenhals, mentioned in a statement.

Wagenhals noted that data from the FBI’s National Criminal Background Check System (NICs) has shown that gun sales have surged by more than 72 percent year-on-year. He added that the company does not expect the demand for its products to slow down anytime soon.

Ammo stated that it has been running its facilities at a “near maximum” capacity to meet the growing demand. The company is also working to expand its production capabilities in response to the massive market change.

A Proud Boy carries a gun during a gathering at a local park to remember Patriot Prayer supporter Aaron J. Danielson, who was shot dead in Portland, Oregon after street clashes between supporters of President Donald Trump and counter-demonstrators, in Vancouver, Washington, U.S. September 5, 2020. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) reported the 72 percent surge, which is tracked using the FBI’s NICs data. The figure included data from January through July 2020, which recorded a combined NSSF-adjusted 12.1 million gun background checks. NSFF also noted that around 5 million of the checks done during the seven-month period were those done on first-time gun owners.

Annual gun sales this year, based on NICs data, are expected to be the highest since 1998. Based on the already recorded checks and current trends, total sales this year could reach up to 40 million. This will be higher by an average of about 25 million sales when compared to numbers reported from 2014 to 2019.

September background check data is expected to be released in a few days. The figure is expected to fall within the 3 million average monthly sales recorded over the past months. Through August, unadjusted data has reached about 26 million checks. This is roughly the same level as the total checks done for the entire years of 2017 and 2018.