The future of handguns: battered but better, the handgun market is back!
America’s fascination with handguns began a few hundred years ago and became romanticized in the days of the Wild West when Sam Colt truly “made all men equal.” The handgun market has been, for the most part, growing since then.
At the same time, it’s not likely any consumer product has been so loved, hated, defended and vilified as handguns. More than 30 lawsuits filed in the last decade.
Many experts, pro- and anti-gun, believe that if even one of the lawsuits had succeeded, it would have led to the demise of the handgun industry. To date, almost all the lawsuits have been thrown out of court or won outright by the industry. A few remain in litigation.
With these victories, and the shift in the political landscape, the handgun market is experiencing a rebirth. New manufacturing processes, new technologies and new materials are making it possible to build the best handguns in history. New introductions cover the full spectrum of handguns, from small self-defense pistols to heavy-caliber revolvers (See Bonus: “Big Boomers.”)
In addition, the terrorist attacks in 2001 raised consumers’ awareness regarding self-defense, thus expanding the overall market. Yet, the handgun segment of the industry still has challenges.
The Changing Handgun Market
“The most important issue facing the firearms industry in America is the signing of the lawsuit preemption bill,” said Dwight Van Brunt, Kimber marketing and sales vice president. Congressional legislators are considering two bills that would protect the firearm industry from frivolous lawsuits.
Van Brunt also believes the future for handguns will be quite strong, with perhaps a few changes in demographics