Dick’s assault-style ban unlikely to make dent
The Dick’s Sporting Goods ban on assault-style weapons, high-capacity magazines and gun sales to buyers under 21 sparked a blitz of mostly positive social media buzz, but it probably won’t slow guns sales.
Though gun-control proponents hailed the ban, which comes two weeks after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., the fragmented nature of the weapons industry in the USA
means most people who want a gun won’t have any trouble finding one.
In fact, any signs that guns are getting harder to buy could actually help boost sales, experts say. About 6,800 shops, 56,000 federally licensed dealers and 8,000 pawnbrokers are allowed to sell guns in the USA. Buyers also can access firearms at shows at fairgrounds and event spaces across the country.
But Wednesday’s announcement by the nation’s largest sporting goods retailer could pave the way for other major sellers to get out of the business, leaving specialized chains, gun shows, online sellers and mom-and-pop shops to dominate the space.
Sales of new rifles in the USA rose to
4.3 million in 2016 from 3.2 million in
2012, and assault-style weapons probably made up most of the growth, said Aaron Karp, a consultant to the Genevabased Small Arms Survey and a political science lecturer at Old Dominion Uni- versity in Virginia.
“The market is big enough to sustain the loss of particular sellers and niches like teenagers,” Karp said in an email. “Any losses will be more than offset by increased sales overall,” he said.
Karp said the gun market thrives on fear: “The threat of more restrictions is exactly what sellers hope for — something to drive customers into their stores.”
Dick’s Field & Stream-branded chain of about 35 stores focused on outdoor products was one of the only major retailers still selling assault-style rifles. Walmart got out of the business in 2015. On Wednesday, Walmart also raised its age restriction for purchases of all guns and ammunition to 21.
Outdoor goods retailers Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops, which are now the same company operating nearly 200 locations, are still selling the rifles. It did not respond to requests seeking comment.
Gun-rights proponents moved quickly to support retailers that sell assault-style rifles. The National Shooting Sports Foundation said Wednesday that it was “disappointed” by Dick’s’ new policy.
“We note that the Dick’s Sporting Goods announcement acknowledges the vast majority of gun owners are responsible and law-abiding,” the foundation said in a statement. “Indeed, they are and should not be penalized for the actions of criminals.”
Though the company does not provide a specific breakdown, Dick’s gun sales are believed to be a small part of its business. Sales of guns and ammunition are “highly fragmented and characterized by a large number of small players,” according to the market-research firm IBISWorld.
The four largest gun sellers control only 5% of the market. Compare that with cars, where the four biggest automakers sold about 59% of new vehicles in 2017, according to Autodata.
The U.S. had about 6,804 gun shops in 2017, employing 79,764 workers and generating $8.6 billion in revenue, according to IBISWorld. There are more sellers if you count all the licensed individual dealers. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives listed 56,754 federally licensed firearms dealers in 2016, as well as 8,076 pawnbrokers allowed to sell guns.