Last updated October 2026 · By Nick Hall, who tracks gun sales data, from monthly NICS checks to retailer reports, for USA Gun Shop
Quick take: New gun sales at US retailers fell 7.8% in units in the third quarter of 2026, according to RetailBI, but revenue fell only 0.8% because average prices rose 7.6%. Suppressor unit sales were up 178.6% from a year earlier, and lever-action rifles rose 21.8%.
- Overall: New firearm unit sales down 7.8% year over year, revenue down 0.8%, average selling price up 7.6%.
- Rifles: The only major gun category with more units sold, led by lever actions at plus 21.8%.
- Premium handguns: Handguns priced above $1,500 grew 33.6% in units.
- Suppressors: Unit sales up 178.6% year over year, and rifle and rimfire ammo also gained.
Background check numbers tell you how many people tried to buy a gun. Retail transaction data tells you what they actually bought and how much they paid, and the third quarter story is fewer guns, nicer guns and a lot more suppressors.
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Table of Contents
The Headline Numbers
RetailBI, the sales data platform run by Gearfire, released its Q3 2026 Shooting Sports Report on October 21. It draws on transaction data from “a nationwide network of more than 2,000 retailers.”
The top line: “new firearm unit sales declined 7.8% year over year in Q3 2026, while revenue declined just 0.8% and average selling prices increased 7.6%.”
Our read is simple. Fewer guns left the counter, but the ones that did cost more, so stores took in close to the same money as a year ago.
Rifles and Lever Actions Bucked the Trend
The release says “Rifles were the only major firearm category to increase in unit sales, led by a 21.8% increase in lever-action rifles.”
We have covered a run of new lever guns this year, including the rimfire Savage Revel Tactical, and the retail data says buyers are following the makers into the category. Our best lever-action rifles guide covers the ones worth buying, and our Henry Classic Lever Action review is a good place to start if you have never owned one.
Premium Handguns Grew Too
At the other end of the price scale, RetailBI says handgun “units priced above $1,500” grew 33.6%. That fits the higher average selling price: some of the market has moved up to premium pistols even as total units fell.
The release does not break out which models drove that, and the full category detail sits in the report itself, which RetailBI gives away free through a sign-up on its RetailBI page.
Why Suppressor Sales Nearly Tripled
The biggest number in the report is suppressors, which RetailBI says grew 178.6% in units year over year. That means retailers sold nearly three times as many cans as in the third quarter of 2025.
The release does not give a reason, but the timing lines up with the rules changing. Congress eliminated the $200 making and transfer tax on suppressors effective January 1, 2026, and this fall ATF said it would stop enforcing NFA registration, which our report on the ATF guidance covers.
Rifle and rimfire ammunition also posted gains, according to the release. If you are one of the new suppressor buyers, our best suppressors guide and our suppressor laws by state page are the places to start.
How to Read Retailer Data
RetailBI is a vendor report, built from point-of-sale data at the stores that use Gearfire’s systems. It is a sample of real transactions, not a census of every gun sold, and it is published in part to sell Gearfire’s data services. The headline figures are for new firearms, so used guns sold over the same counters are not in them.
That makes it a useful counterpart to background check data, which counts checks rather than sales. The report itself says it looks at “the relationship between retail transactions and national background-check data.” For the check side, see our September NICS checks report.
Put together, the picture for late 2026 is a market that is smaller in units but not in dollars. Fewer guns, better guns, quieter guns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did gun sales go down in Q3 2026?
Yes, in units. RetailBI reports new firearm unit sales fell 7.8% year over year in Q3 2026, while revenue fell only 0.8% because average selling prices rose 7.6%.
How much did suppressor sales grow in 2026?
RetailBI reports suppressor unit sales grew 178.6% year over year in Q3 2026, nearly three times the level of a year earlier.
Which gun category grew in Q3 2026?
Rifles were the only major firearm category to increase in unit sales, led by a 21.8% increase in lever-action rifles. Handguns priced above $1,500 also grew 33.6%.
What is RetailBI?
RetailBI is a sales data platform from Gearfire built on transaction data from more than 2,000 US firearms retailers. It publishes a free quarterly Shooting Sports Report.
Is RetailBI data the same as NICS data?
No. NICS counts background checks, while RetailBI uses point-of-sale transactions from participating retailers. The two are related but measure different things.
Why are suppressor sales up so much?
The report does not give a reason. The increase came after Congress eliminated the $200 making and transfer tax on suppressors effective January 1, 2026, and after ATF said it would stop enforcing NFA registration.
Related Reading
- September NICS Background Checks
- Best Suppressors
- ATF NFA Guidance
- Best Lever-Action Rifles
- Suppressor Laws by State
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