Data Study: 18 Months of Ammo Sales during a Pandemic, Protests, and the Biden Presidency

In our previous data study on the initial effects of the pandenmic on our business, we outlined increased sales due to the public’s growing leeriness of COVID-19, starting from February 23, 2020 when the news coverage became ominous.

That's only part of the story, however, because over the last 18 months, we've experienced a particularly charged election year, BLM protests amid calls to "defund the police," a contentious transfer of power, and most recently a surprise ban on popular Russian ammo.

These events in particular, set against the backdrop of the ongoing response to the pandemic, resulted in demand spikes. Looking at the data below, you'll get a sense of a high level trend during the pandemic and then see how that trend changed during certain specific time periods, like the BLM protests, when already-elevated demand went up even more.

To give a pre-pandemic baseline of sorts, over the past 18 months our overall sales have increased as follows:

• 590% increase in revenue
• 604% increase in transactions
• 271% increase in site traffic
• 77% increase in conversion rate

This data is from February 23, 2020 - August 23, 2021, when compared to the previous 18 months (August 24, 2018 - February 22, 2020).

Below are tables which list the top 10 states, ordered by our total sales volume, and how they fared during these recent demand spikes when compared to the previous time period, respectively. We also listed which calibers were most popular in those top states. Here is how to interpret our data:

• State Ranking by Sales Volume displays the total sales volume (how much was ordered in United States dollars) on a state-by-state basis in column one. Column two shows how much sales have increased percentage-wise in that particular state during the designated time period. Only states to which we sell are shown.
• Most Popular Caliber by Sales Volume displays the most popular caliber based on sales volume in that state in column three, as well as the increase for that caliber by state during the designated time period. Columns five and seven display the second and third most popular calibers based on sales volume in that state; columns six and eight display how much the sale of those particular calibers has increased on a percentage basis.

And now without further adieu, here's our data on the prolonged increase in demand for ammunition - and how recent events have further spiked that demand.

18 Months of Ammunition Sales During the Pandemic: State Ranking by Sales Volume

Note: These figures compare February 23, 2020 - August 23, 2021 to the previous 18 months, August 24, 2018 - February 22, 2020. Due to city and state laws, Ammo.com does not ship ammunition to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, Washington, D.C., New York City, or Chicago. These jurisdictions, along with a handful of other states, have been excluded from the table above.

Demand Spike: Ammunition Sales Following the Surprise Ban on Russian Ammo in August 2021

Following the Biden Administration's announcement banning the importation of Russian ammunition, we saw an immediate spike in sales of calibers produced in Russia. The most popular calibers of imported Russian ammunition are 7.62x39, known as “The Hammer of Lenin," and 5.56x45, largely due to the Soviet Union’s huge legacy capacity to mass produce select rifle rounds, predominantly in steel casings.

Sales Figures for 7.62x39 Ammo

Below are the figures from August 17, 2021 - August 23, 2021, compared to the previous period, August 10, 2021 - August 16, 2021.

• 124% increase in revenue
• 52% increase in transactions
• 91% increase in site traffic

Sales Figures for 5.56x45 Ammo

Below are the figures from August 17, 2021 - August 23, 2021, compared to the previous period, August 10, 2021 - August 16, 2021.

• 48% increase in revenue
• 41% increase in transactions
• 38% increase in site traffic

Note: Due to city and state laws, Ammo.com does not ship ammunition to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, Washington, D.C., New York City, or Chicago. These jurisdictions, along with a handful of other states, have been excluded from the table above.

Demand Spike: Ammunition Sales During the Contested Transfer of Power in January 2021

Below are the figures from January 4, 2021 - January 22, 2021, compared to the previous period, December 16, 2020 - January 3, 2021, at a nationwide level and at a state level:

• 78% increase in revenue
• 33% increase in transactions
• 73% increase in site traffic

Note: Due to city and state laws, Ammo.com does not ship ammunition to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, Washington, D.C., New York City, or Chicago. These jurisdictions, along with a handful of other states, have been excluded from the table above.

Demand Spike: Ammunition Sales During the BLM Protests Amid Calls to "Defund the Police"

Below are the figures from May 28, 2020 - June 5, 2020, compared to the previous period, May 19, 2020 - May 27, 2020, at a nationwide level and at a state level:

• 200% increase in revenue
• 192% increase in transactions
• 99% increase in site traffic

Note: Due to city and state laws, Ammo.com does not ship ammunition to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, Washington, D.C., New York City, or Chicago. These jurisdictions, along with a handful of other states, have been excluded from the table above.

Conclusion

The pandemic lead to a sharp increase in demand for ammunition. This increase has continued for the past 18 months. It's been further exacerbated by a particularly charged election year, BLM protests amid calls to "defund the police", a contentious transfer of power, and most recently a surprise ban on popular Russian ammo. If you'd like to read our analysis as to what drove the initial increase in demand for ammunition, you can find that here.

Written by

Sam Jacobs