A conservative women’s group in Washington state has issued a report decrying a “staggering 45.7 percent decline in firearm sales” from 2023 to 2024, and they place the blame squarely on passage by the Democrat-controlled legislature of restrictive gun control laws.
The group—Conservative Ladies of Washington—says on its website, “The impact is clear: fewer Washingtonians are purchasing firearms, and the chilling effect is no coincidence.”
The data comes from another group, SafeHome.org, which reported in June that “Gun sales declined most significantly between 2023 and 2024 in Washington, Connecticut, Michigan, Maryland, and New Mexico.”
According to SafeHome.org, “Leveraging data from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), we’ve tracked gun sales nationwide over the past several years. Our latest analysis of these trends provides essential insights for policymakers and citizens alike, helping to ensure the safety of our homes and communities.”
Other “key findings” in the SafeHome.org include:
- An estimated 16.1 million firearms were sold in the U.S. in 2024, a 3.4% decrease from 2023.
- In the first four months of 2025, American gun dealers and individuals sold approximately 5.2 million guns, putting the year on pace for a projected 4% drop in sales compared to 2024.
- Wyoming, Montana, Alaska, New Hampshire, and Oregon had the top five highest population-adjusted gun sales rates in 2024.
- Massachusetts had the greatest year-over-year increase in gun sales at 22.5%, followed by Iowa, South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Arkansas.
The Washington-based women’s group blames the passage of House Bill 1240 in 2023, which added restrictions on gun owners and banned so-called “assault weapons.” The group argues on its website, “These policies are making it increasingly difficult for everyday citizens, especially women, to exercise their Second Amendment right to self-defense. For victims of domestic violence, stalking, or threats, access to a firearm can be the difference between life and death. When lawmakers restrict access to the most effective tools of self-protection, they leave vulnerable individuals more exposed, not safer.”
As if to underscore the group’s claim, KOMO News—the Seattle-based ABC affiliate—is reporting police are investigating a double homicide at a public park in Seattle’s Lake City area.
This comes after the Center Square reported, “There were three homicides between Aug. 1 and Aug. 3, bringing the total for the city up to 25 as of Aug. 3.” With the two new slayings, the body count now is 27, which is still lower than the 31 murders recorded during the first seven months of 2024. However, there are still 2 ½ months remaining in the year.
The Conservative women’s group stated in its blistering assessment of Evergreen State gun control, “Supporters of these policies will point to declining gun sales as a ‘win,’ but for law-abiding gun owners, this is a huge red flag…These laws do not prohibit from criminals doing what criminals do.”
SafeHome.org acknowledges that gun sales have been declining since 2020. The group estimates “about 5.2 million guns were sold in the first quarter of 2025.”
As AmmoLand News reported back on July 31, gun control proponents in the Evergreen State may have a small problem explaining how overall violent crime and homicide have declined in the state at the same time thousands more citizens have obtained concealed pistol licenses (CPLs). As recently reported by the state Department of Licensing, there are now more than 713,000 active CPLs in the state—a new record—which some sources suggest translates to about 1 in 9 or 10 qualified Washington adults being licensed to carry.
SaferHome.org said the data “elucidating this examination was procured from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), spanning 2010 until April 2025.”
“To estimate arm deals,” SaferHome.org said, “we applied a formula derived from the Small Arms Survey by Jurgen Brauer, counting each long firearm and handgun verification as 1.1 purchases and each multiple-gun verification as two acquisitions. Private sale verifications were incorporated, while we omitted permit verifications and other checks.”
Texas, Florida, and California lead in total sales, the report says, while “Washington, Connecticut, and Michigan had the most significant decrease in sales.”
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About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
