According to attorney Tom Grieve in his in-depth YouTube analysis, gun ownership in America is undergoing a massive demographic shift – and the most surprising headline is this: male firearm ownership has dropped by nearly 25% since 1980. At the same time, female gun ownership has skyrocketed, increasing a staggering 177%. These numbers, compiled from data reviewed by Cassandra McBride and published on Ammo.com, paint a drastically different picture of the American gun owner than many of us might expect.
Grieve, a former Wisconsin state prosecutor and founder of one of the state’s largest criminal defense law firms, took viewers on a deep dive into the numbers and the stories they tell. And it turns out, this isn’t just about guns – it’s about generational change, shifting identities, and where we’re headed as a society.
The Numbers Behind the Trend
The video highlights that firearm ownership across the board has increased by 26% between 2000 and 2024. Yet, household firearm ownership as a whole has actually declined 5% since 1975. This may sound contradictory, but Grieve explains it as a matter of distribution – more people are buying guns, but fewer households are owning them overall, meaning firearms are becoming more concentrated in fewer homes.
But the most eye-catching stat is male firearm ownership specifically dropping 25% since 1980. This, Grieve suggests, is not only statistically significant but culturally seismic. Meanwhile, female gun ownership has boomed – up 177% in just the past few decades.
Why Are Fewer Men Owning Guns?
Grieve attributes the decline in male firearm ownership to several overlapping factors. One of the biggest? The falloff in hunting. “There’s been a generational decline in hunting participation,” he explains, pointing out how access to land, changes in recreation, and the erosion of rural lifestyles have all played a part.
Urbanization also plays a major role. Grieve cites that over 50% of rural homes own a firearm, compared to only about 20% of urban homes. As more Americans move to cities, the opportunity to engage in traditional firearm activities like hunting or recreational shooting diminishes. It’s not just about legality – it’s about practicality.
The Urban-Rural Divide Remains Strong
Grieve discusses a key chart provided by Ammo.com that compares rural and urban gun ownership. In 1999, 46% of rural households owned firearms compared to 19% in urban areas. In 2023, that gap barely changed – 47% rural and 20% urban. This shows that urbanization has not only limited firearm access by geography but has effectively slowed growth in urban ownership despite nationwide increases in gun sales.
In Grieve’s view, this shows that where someone lives continues to strongly predict whether they’ll be a gun owner or not. Suburban numbers weren’t highlighted in detail, but typically fall between the urban and rural figures.
Political Party Shifts in Ownership
One of the more intriguing insights comes from the political breakdown. In 1999, more Democrats owned guns than Republicans – 44% vs. 41%. But by 2024, that had flipped hard: Republican ownership rose to 45%, while Democrat ownership plummeted to just 20%.
Grieve offers a possible explanation: political identity is fluid. Many people who now identify as Republican may have identified as Democrats 20 years ago. Particularly after Trump’s rise in 2016, there’s been a major shift in how working-class voters align politically. These voters, often gun owners, may not have given up their firearms – but they might have changed their party registration.
The Pandemic’s Effect on Gun Buying
The pandemic years saw a tidal wave of new gun owners. Grieve highlights that in 2019, about 2.4 million people bought their first firearm. By 2020, that number surged to 8.4 million – an increase of nearly 400%. In 2021, 5.4 million more first-time buyers were added to the rolls.
While the numbers dipped slightly in 2023, Grieve emphasizes that the overall trend is still well above pre-pandemic levels. Fear, uncertainty, and the realization that “when seconds count, police are minutes away” have all fueled a new awareness around personal protection, he notes.
The Rise of Female Gun Ownership
While male ownership has declined, women have been joining the gun community in record numbers. Grieve didn’t spend a huge amount of time breaking down the “why” here, but the numbers speak volumes. A 177% increase means millions of women – many likely in urban or suburban areas – are choosing to arm themselves for protection or sport.
This isn’t just a cultural footnote – it’s a game-changer for the firearms industry and for how the Second Amendment conversation unfolds in the public square. As Grieve puts it, “The image of the gun owner is changing.”
Rewriting the Cultural Narrative
Traditionally, gun owners were portrayed as older, rural, white men. But Grieve argues that this stereotype is quickly becoming outdated. He’s seeing more women, more minorities, and more urban dwellers stepping into gun ownership roles.
He even brings up a past interview with progressive gun advocate Blake Alvarenga, suggesting that it’s possible we could see a pro-Second Amendment nominee from the Democratic Party in a future election cycle. “I’m not holding my breath,” Grieve says, “but the fact that we can even talk about that possibility shows how much the landscape is shifting.”
Identity, Not Inventory
One important clarification Grieve makes is that these ownership trends might not reflect people getting rid of guns, but instead shifting political or social identities. A person who owned a gun 20 years ago and identified as a Democrat might still own that gun – but now consider themselves a Republican or independent.
This means that even as party-linked ownership statistics shift, the overall number of guns in circulation is still growing. The shift is less about inventory and more about how people choose to define themselves.
Generational Disconnect
The disappearance of gun culture among younger men is another factor Grieve identifies. With fewer young men hunting or learning to shoot in rural settings, exposure to firearms as tools of utility or sport is fading. “There’s less land, less access, and fewer opportunities,” he says. That adds up to less familiarity – and less ownership.
In other words, the loss of practical exposure to firearms in everyday life has diminished their role among younger generations, especially men.
Politics Is Downstream of Culture
Grieve closes with a profound observation: “Politics is downstream of culture.” As American culture changes – who owns guns, why they own them, and how they view their rights – politics will follow. The current moment is one of transformation, not disappearance.
Gun ownership may look different in 2025 than it did in 1985, but it is far from vanishing. Instead, it’s adapting. Grieve’s biggest takeaway? The gun community must be ready to embrace and support this evolving identity if it hopes to remain relevant and influential in the years ahead.
A Moment of Cultural Realignment
This isn’t just a gun issue. It’s a story about identity, location, gender roles, and generational change. As attorney Tom Grieve carefully explains throughout his video, America’s Second Amendment community is not shrinking – it’s changing shape.
Whether these changes are good or bad depends on your perspective. But one thing is certain: the old assumptions no longer apply, and the new face of the gun owner might not look like the one we expected.
In Grieve’s words, quoting Aristotle to close the video: “To lead an orchestra, you must turn your back on the crowd.” For gun culture in 2025, that might just mean turning toward new faces and new ideas – with open eyes and a steady hand.
Ed spent his childhood in the backwoods of Maine, where harsh winters taught him the value of survival skills. With a background in bushcraft and off-grid living, Ed has honed his expertise in fire-making, hunting, and wild foraging. He writes from personal experience, sharing practical tips and hands-on techniques to thrive in any outdoor environment. Whether it’s primitive camping or full-scale survival, Ed’s advice is grounded in real-life challenges.