State-by-State Breakdown of Ammo Sale Increases Due to Coronavirus

By: Molly Carter

Updated March 17, 2020: As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads across the United States, its impact can be seen in every community. Businesses and schools are closed, the market is volatile, and store shelves are empty as the American public scrambles to prepare for the worldwide pandemic and social distancing prescribed by the WHO and CDC.

While people stockpile toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and pantry essentials, they’re also purchasing ammunition at an unprecedented rate. Here at Ammo.com, we’ve seen a significant growth in sales that directly correlates with the rise of COVID-19 and its spread across the country. As we mentioned in a press release on March 6, 2020, we first noticed a 54% sales increase on February 23, as the search term “coronavirus” started to gain traction, according to Google Trends.

On March 10, 2020 – the day confirmed cases in the US reached over 1,000, increasing ten-fold in a week – we noticed an unprecedented 276% sales surge that continued through the end of last week and the weekend, as the virus was declared a pandemic, travel bans were implemented, and the stock market experienced its biggest crash since 1987.

When comparing 22 days worth of sales from February 23, 2020, through March 15, with sales from February 1, 2020, through February 22, our data shows these staggering statistics:

309% increase in revenue
78% increase in conversion rate
222% increase in transactions
77% increase in site traffic
27% increase in average order

State-by-State Breakdown of Ammo Sale Increases Due to Coronavirus

It’s also evident that sales are impacted by the proximity of the virus. Most of the top 10 states with the highest increases in ammo sales are either states with some of the greatest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases or neighboring states.

Vermont had no previous sales, so it ranks top on our list. Although its COVID-19 cases are minimal, it borders both Massachusetts and New York, two hot spots for coronavirus.
Delaware has seen a sales growth of 4,529%. The state’s own numbers are low, but it’s surrounded by a high concentration of cases in New Jersey and the Philadelphia area.
Oklahoma saw a growth of 1,081% in sales and borders states like Texas and Colorado, both of which have been hit hard with COVID-19.
Mississippi has also seen a significant increase at 1,049%, perhaps influenced by its proximity to Louisiana, which has surpassed 100 confirmed cases.
Speaking of which, Louisiana has seen a growth of 1,041%, which may be due to the increasing number of cases the state has seen over the last week.
Alabama, which borders COVID-19 hotspots in Florida and Georgia, has seen a sales boost of 892%.
Wyoming, which borders Colorado and its 100-plus coronavirus victims, has seen an increase of 819%.
The sales increase in Colorado reached 667%.
Idaho, which shares a border with Washington, the U.S.’s epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, has had a growth of 586%.
Oregon has seen an increase of 550%. Sharing borders with both Washington and California, the state is sandwiched between two of the first states to confirm the virus in the U.S.

We’ve compiled all of this data and combined it into a comprehensive table for your convenience. The table lists states by sales volume with Texas having the largest sales volume and South Dakota the least. It also shows the top three ammo calibers for each state listed so that you can see which calibers have sold the most in each state, and their corresponding sales increase since February 23rd.

State Ranking by Sales Volume		Most Popular Caliber by Sales Volume		2nd		3rd
State	% Increase		% Increase		% Increase		% Increase
1. Texas	+338%	9mm ammo	+217%	223 ammo	+735%	5.56×45 ammo	+319%
2. Florida	+235%	9mm ammo	+315%	223 ammo	+368%	5.56×45 ammo	+413%
3. Georgia	+344%	9mm ammo	+263%	223 ammo	+832%	12 gauge ammo	+3,489%
4. Pennsylvania	+375%	9mm ammo	+208%	5.56×45 ammo	+504%	223 ammo	+1,193%
5. Colorado	+730%	9mm ammo	+560%	223 ammo	+3,178%	7.62×39 ammo	+421%
6. Virginia	+199%	9mm ammo	+142%	40 cal ammo	+1,016%	5.56×45 ammo	+87%
7. Illinois	+350%	9mm ammo	+263%	223 ammo	+289%	5.56×45 ammo	+125%
8. Ohio	+392%	9mm ammo	+231%	223 ammo	+1,012%	5.56×45 ammo	+179%
9. Washington	+351%	9mm ammo	+401%	223 ammo	+657%	5.56×45 ammo	+159%
10. Michigan	+298%	9mm ammo	+215%	5.56×45 ammo	+661%	223 ammo	+244%
11. North Carolina	+273%	9mm ammo	+398%	223 ammo	+952%	5.56×45 ammo	+73%
12. Arizona	+314%	9mm ammo	+275%	223 ammo	+665%	5.56×45 ammo	+421%
13. New Jersey	+218%	9mm ammo	+225%	223 ammo	+6,353%	12 gauge ammo	+199%
14. Tennessee	+110%	9mm ammo	+85%	223 ammo	+731%	12 gauge ammo	+135%
15. Maryland	+602%	9mm ammo	+884%	5.56×45 ammo	+908%	12 gauge ammo	+496%
16. Alabama	+899%	223 ammo	+2,645%	9mm ammo	+716%	5.7×28 ammo	+∞%
17. Utah	+363%	9mm ammo	+290%	223 ammo	+750%	7.62×39 ammo	+702%
18. Missouri	+182%	9mm ammo	+305%	223 ammo	+∞%	5.56×45 ammo	+59%
19. Nevada	+514%	9mm ammo	+206%	5.56×45 ammo	+1,439%	223 ammo	+361%
20. Minnesota	+372%	9mm ammo	+771%	223 ammo	+1,173%	5.56×45 ammo	+231%
21. Indiana	+211%	9mm ammo	+186%	5.56×45 ammo	+147%	7.62×39 ammo	+∞%
22. New York	+204%	5.56×45 ammo	+436%	9mm ammo	+172%	223 ammo	+102%
23. Wisconsin	+150%	9mm ammo	+606%	223 ammo	+112%	5.56×45 ammo	+∞%
24. Kentucky	+226%	9mm ammo	+433%	223 ammo	+415%	5.56×45 ammo	+1,848%
25. Oregon	+614%	9mm ammo	+2,787%	223 ammo	+1,668%	7.62×39 ammo	+∞%
26. Louisiana	+1,058%	223 ammo	+1,711%	9mm ammo	+369%	308 Win ammo	+3,083%
27. Connecticut	+332%	9mm ammo	+752%	45 ACP ammo	+724%	5.56×45 ammo	+62%
28. South Carolina	+384%	9mm ammo	+187%	45 auto ammo	+1,209%	5.56×45 ammo	+1,425%
29. Idaho	+743%	223 ammo	+∞%	9mm ammo	+1,398%	40 cal ammo	+2,086%
30. Oklahoma	+1,166%	223 ammo	+380%	9mm ammo	+1,961%	45 ACP ammo	+∞%
31. New Hampshire	+224%	223 ammo	+∞%	5.56×45 ammo	+638%	9mm ammo	+16%
32. Mississippi	+1,049%	5.56×45 ammo	+∞%	223 ammo	+643%	45 ACP ammo	+∞%
33. Nebraska	+160%	223 ammo	+140%	9mm ammo	+71%	5.56×45 ammo	+122%
34. New Mexico	+207%	9mm ammo	+575%	380 ACP ammo	+34%	40 cal ammo	+∞%
35. Kansas	+125%	9mm ammo	+35%	223 ammo	+239%	12 gauge ammo	+1,347%
36. Iowa	+227%	223 ammo	+∞%	5.56×45 ammo	+∞%	45 ACP ammo	+∞%
37. Maine	+631%	5.56×45 ammo	+∞%	223 ammo	+229%	308 Win ammo	+∞%
38. Rhode Island	+188%	9mm ammo	+375%	45 ACP ammo	+∞%	223 ammo	-12%
39. Wyoming	+819%	223 ammo	+946%	9mm ammo	+∞%	308 Win ammo	+∞%
40. Arkansas	+176%	12 gauge ammo	+∞%	9mm ammo	+10%	38 Special ammo	+∞%
41. Delaware	+4,529%	223 ammo	+∞%	9mm ammo	+∞%	5.56×45 ammo	+∞%
42. West Virginia	+44%	9mm ammo	+164%	223 ammo	-56%	20 gauge ammo	+∞%
43. Montana	+434%	5.56×45 ammo	+∞%	9mm ammo	+∞%	308 Win ammo	+∞%
44. Vermont	+∞%	223 ammo	+∞%	45 LC ammo	+∞%	5.56×45 ammo	+∞%
45. North Dakota	+49%	5.56×45 ammo	+∞%	308 Win ammo	+∞%	223 ammo	+∞%
46. South Dakota	+38%	223 ammo	+57%	40 cal ammo	+∞%	17 HMR ammo	+∞%

All increases with +∞% signify that there were no previous sales recorded for the state (i.e. Vermont) or caliber to that state (i.e. 223 ammo sales to Iowans) for comparison. It should be noted that due to city and state laws, Ammo.com does not ship ammunition to Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, California, Washington, D.C., New York City, or Chicago.

Caliber Breakdown of Ammo Sale Increases Due to Coronavirus

When it comes to the calibers of ammunition Americans are buying, our data shows the following increases:

40 Cal (S&W) ammo: 645% (this may be in part due to the partiality of Asian-Americans to the round and their increased concerns for security during the coronavirus outbreak)
223 ammo: 563%
7.62×39 ammo: 386%
12 gauge shotgun shells: 368%
9mm ammo: 308%
5.56×45 ammo: 296%
45 Auto (ACP) ammo: 272%
22 Long Rifle (LR) ammo: 263%
380 ACP (Auto) ammo: 212%
308 Winchester ammo: 106%

While we always strive to provide the best customer service and shopping experience possible, we have experienced a delay in our normal processing procedure. Instead of same-day shipping, it’s taking an average of two to three business days to completely process, package, and ship items. We at Ammo.com thank you for your patience.

TLB Note – Related Article: Gun Permits Suspended In Several States and Counties Due to Coronavirus Panic

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About the Author/Writer: Molly Carter grew up in a small steel town in western Pennsylvania, deep in the rust belt. She learned to shoot at a young age, plinking soda cans behind the chicken coop and, a few years later, groundhogs from the horse pasture. She spent much of her time at the family’s hunting camp near the Allegheny National Forest, where summers drifted away as Molly explored the woods, hiking through the trees and skipping rocks in the creeks. It was here that she was taught how to hunt, primarily by her mother and grandmother, as well as field dress and preserve meat.

As she grew into her teen years, Molly developed a passion for philosophy. She scoured through treaties and essays, and found herself drawn to the rhetoric of the Enlightenment, particularly John Locke, whose ideas of natural law, the self, and the state of nature resonated with the values of her upbringing, namely hard work, self-sufficiency, and independence. Her passion for “love of wisdom” led her to pursue a degree in philosophy, where she focused her studies on social and political theory.

Through the values instilled in her by her family, her education, and her experience working in the criminal justice system, as an adult, Molly saw through the illusion of a beneficial big government that so many of her peers supported. She began to advocate for voter awareness, especially when it came to the importance of Constitutional rights and preservation of personal and civil liberties.

During this same period, Molly obtained her concealed carry permit and purchased her first CCW, a .380 Ruger LCP. After attending her first gun training course, Molly developed a zeal for helping women become comfortable and competent with firearms, and regularly takes novice women shooters to the range.

Molly’s path eventually led her away from the traditional 9-to-5 and into the world of freelance writing, where she has created content for a wide range of clients, including Gander Outdoors, Wide Open Spaces, and Ammo.com. She’s also active on Quora, and has achieved “most-viewed” writer in topics such as guns and firearms, concealed carry, and the Second Amendment.

Currently, Molly carries a Glock 43 chambered in 9mm, and her favorite piece to shoot is a Hawes Western Marshall single-action revolver in .357 Magnum.

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The above article COVID-19 Data Study: Ammunition Sales Continue to Soar in Response to Coronavirus Panic was published by the website Ammo.com and is on this TLB website by contribution with attribution to author Molly Carter and Ammo.com.

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State-by-State Breakdown of Ammo Sale Increases Due to Coronavirus