How The Commoditization Of Weaponry Affects Gun Owners

Aaron Spuler is a firearms enthusiast and recreational shooter. Follow more or his work at The Weapon Blog

Gun ownership has long been part of the American way of life. Although guns are still key parts of the culture, they have become highly lucrative commodities rather than simple resources for sporting or self-defense. Examine why American citizens should be concerned about the commoditization of their legally owned weapons.

What Is Commoditization?

Commoditization is the slow process of turning a valued resource into a widely available product. Believe it or not, only 13% of American citizens owned guns when the United States was founded in 1776. They were precious tools at the time, not toys. Gun ownership peaked at a 47% rate in 1990 and has stayed in the 37–45% range to the present day.

Commoditization is the main factor behind the massive rise of gun ownership. As the number of gun manufacturers grew, Americans enjoyed an abundance of firearms, ammunition and weapon accessories. A greater supply allowed prices to drop, which made guns even more accessible to the average citizen.

However, the gun market’s success allowed mega manufacturers to grow and put a stranglehold on the industry. As a result, products started to lose their individuality. The market still had many affordable firearms, but they all looked and operated the same. Production and distribution became regulated, and brands started to lose their unique identities.

The food industry underwent a similar commoditization cycle. During the industrial revolution, food companies flooded the market with hundreds of new ideas. Now grocery store shelves are filled with almost identical items from dozens of manufacturers. Fast food restaurants have virtually the same menus too — there are plenty of options, but there’s no soul behind them.

Price-Based Competition

Although low prices and widespread availability allowed gun sales to flourish for decades, the well has finally run dry. Large corporations have bought out most smaller local arms producers, making the entire industry one giant assembly line of cookie-cutter pistols and rifles. Everything is standardized.

These four companies have the largest market shares in the United States based on sales statistics from 2016 to 2020:

• Smith & Wesson: 17.6%

• Sturm, Ruger & Company: 17.1%

• Sig Sauer: 7.7%

• Remington Outdoor Company: 6.6%

Nobody else has a market share of more than five percent. Two top dogs compete for the entire target market of gun owners while the rest fight for the scraps. Now that they have an effective oligopoly on the nation’s arms trade, gun owners can’t even enjoy lower prices. Sturm and Smith & Wesson can raise their prices and still dominate the industry because they have the resources and little to no competition.

The result has been one huge contradiction — a sharp rise in manufacturing but a decline in sales. In fact, gun manufacturing has tripled in the U.S. since 2000. Sales briefly increased in 2020 and 2021 as people armed themselves during the pandemic, but demand has since decreased after the brief surge.

As sales continue to fall, it won’t be long before ownership also starts to decline. This trend is concerning as home invasions are on the rise and urban centers are becoming less safe. Self-defense is more important than ever, but many citizens can’t afford the firearms they need to protect their life and property.

The Rise of Government Intervention

Another nasty effect of commoditization has been an increase in government intervention. As modern weaponry has advanced, the U.S. government has pressured manufacturers to share new technology before they can sell their latest weapons to citizens. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is the first customer for every firearm introduced to the market.

Other rapidly advancing industries — such as computer technology and automobiles — are experiencing the same issue. For example, Russia demanded Western tech companies to disclose their source codes back in 2017 if they wanted to do business in the country. China has also required electric vehicle developers to share their secrets to success.

Smaller gun stores must take care in ensuring they follow every regulation to avoid trouble with the ATF. As the recently updated Administrative Action Policy clearly states, “the ATF will revoke a federal firearms license, absent extraordinary circumstances on initial violations”. In non-legal terms, the ATF can revoke a Federal Firearms License for the slightest infraction, intentional or unintentional.

Commoditization Contributes to Disarmament

Although the commoditization of weaponry led to a massive increase in American gun ownership in the 20th century, people now see the negative effects in the 21^st century. Locally owned shops are going extinct due to large corporations and government pressure. Gun sales are dropping and possession rates will soon follow suit. It has become clear that commoditization contributes to the slow decline of gun ownership.

Author Bio

Jack Shaw is an experienced hunter and avid writer on all things survival. He’s the senior editor of the men’s lifestyle magazine Modded, and a regular contributor to several publications centered on self and home defense.