An estimated 481,870 firearms were sold in Michigan in 2024, which may sound like a lot – until you realize that’s only about 6 guns per 100 residents over the age of 21. For a state where hunting and home defense have long been second nature, that’s quite the slide.

When lawmakers target guns, sales take the bullet.

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So what’s behind the big drop? You probably don’t need to look any further than Lansing. In early 2024, state legislators expanded universal background checks to cover private sales, passed safe storage laws with felony penalties if minors get access, and tightened up gun-free zones around government buildings.

With recent legal changes, growing political pressure, and expanding firearm regulations, many Michiganders seem to be hitting pause on gun purchases, wary of unintentionally violating the law.

In Michigan, 159,547 guns were sold between January and April 2025. That pace would put the state on track for another soft year, especially if lawmakers keep expanding gun-free zones and making it harder for the average person to legally protect themselves.

Red states keep pulling the trigger.

While Democratic Michigan lawmakers tighten the screws on gun ownership, states like Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska continue to lead the country in per capita gun sales. With fewer restrictions and more open land (and probably more bears), residents in those states are still stocking up.

And it’s not just the wilderness states – Alabama, Tennessee, and West Virginia also posted high gun ownership rates, helped by looser laws and strong Second Amendment pride.

Is this just a dip or a new normal?

It’s not just Michigan where gun sales are dropping though. Nationally, gun sales hit an estimated 16,171,072 firearms sold in the country in 2024, a 3% decrease from the previous year.

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Whether Michigan’s sales slump is just a temporary dip or the start of a long-term chill remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: in a state where firearms were once as common as snow shovels, a mix of new laws, political posturing, and legal uncertainty has many residents thinking twice before heading to the gun counter.