Polski
Seven Months of Growth and a Battering Ram Instead of a Crowbar: What's New in the Shooting Industry
The American civilian firearms market has known only one direction for seven months now — up — and the segment of NFA-regulated products is growing at a pace that seemed unrealistic not so long ago. At the same time, retailers in the US are facing a resurgent wave of break-ins in which criminals use stolen cars instead of crowbars. Both threads, though seemingly unrelated, illustrate two sides of the same industry perfectly: rising demand and a growing need for effective protection of points of sale — and these two poles are what's shaping conversations across the entire sector today.
01 · Market & Sales
America Is on a Gun-Buying Spree
Data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation leaves no room for doubt - August 2026 saw US firearm sales rise 2.2% year over year, marking the seventh consecutive month of growth [1]. This is a sign that momentum in the world's largest civilian firearms market is rebuilding in a lasting way, not just a one-off blip - seven straight months of growth is hard to explain away as coincidence or a temporary rebound in demand.
The most interesting part, however, is a detail that's easy to miss in the headline figures - the segment of NFA-regulated products, including suppressors and short-barreled firearms, grew by more than 200% compared to August 2025 [1]. Such a spectacular jump suggests that customers are increasingly willing to reach for accessories and configurations that until recently were seen as niche, requiring extra paperwork and longer wait times. For manufacturers of optics, accessories, and ammunition present at European trade fairs, this is a clear signal that demand for more advanced solutions is growing faster than the market as a whole - and trends from across the pond usually sooner or later make their way to European markets too, for instance in the form of growing interest in the premium segment.
02 · Point-of-Sale Security
A Stolen Car as a Break-In Tool - Gun Stores in the Crosshairs
Rising demand, however, isn't just good news for the industry - it's also a bigger temptation for criminals. On September 16, 2026, media outlets reported another incident, this time in Lafayette, Colorado, where a stolen car was used to ram through the display window of a gun store [2]. This is not an isolated incident, but part of a broader, long-observed trend known as "smash-and-grab," in which a car replaces classic break-in tools, allowing criminals to breach a storefront or door in a matter of seconds and gain access to merchandise worth far more than the stolen vehicle itself.
Federal agencies in the US have long been urging firearms retailers to strengthen the physical security of their premises [2] - and it's hard to be surprised, given that a standard storefront window stands no chance against a speeding vehicle. This is exactly where the opportunity lies for manufacturers of bollards and anti-ram barriers, next-generation alarm systems, video-analytics-based monitoring, and sturdy safes and gun cabinets - solutions that limit the damage even once the storefront itself has been breached. The more merchandise circulating on the market, the higher the bar has to be for physical security at points of sale.
Summary
Summary
Growing firearm and accessory sales in the US are good news for the entire industry, but they go hand in hand with an equally real need to invest in the security of points of sale. Both of these threads - market momentum and the physical protection of stores - will be topics of discussion at the Gun & Shooting Expo – Targi Broni Cywilnej, Akcesoriów i Bezpieczeństwa Osobistego. We invite exhibitors and visitors to join the conversation on how to respond to rising demand without losing sight of the security of their own business.
Invitation
Rising sales of firearms and NFA-regulated accessories are an opportunity worth taking a closer look at - and the growing wave of store break-ins shows that without solid security measures, it's hard to seize that opportunity safely. Visit Gun & Shooting Expo – Targi Broni Cywilnej, Akcesoriów i Bezpieczeństwa Osobistego to see the latest firearms, optics, and ammunition, and to talk with suppliers of safes, anti-ram barriers, and monitoring systems. Let's meet where market and security come together under one roof.
Gun & Shooting Expo 2026Footnotes
[1] American Rifleman (NRA) — https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/gun-sales-up-for-the-7th-month-in-a-row-in-2026[2] Hoodline — https://hoodline.com/2026/09/lafayette-mom-of-six-says-her-stolen-car-was-used-in-gun-store-break-in/