n 2023, the Washington State Legislature made headlines with a string of sweeping gun control laws, most notably House Bill 1240—an unprecedented “assault weapons ban” that prohibits the sale, manufacture, and import of a wide range of semi-automatic firearms.
Now, we’re seeing the real-world effects. According to SafeHome.org and FBI background check data (NICS), Washington experienced a staggering 45.7% decline in firearm sales from 2023 to 2024—the steepest drop of any state by far. For context, the next closest was Connecticut, with a 13.5% decrease. Nationally, most states saw modest declines, but Washington’s drop was more than triple the national trend.
Let’s look at the numbers:
- 2023 (Jan–July): 416,951 estimated firearm sales
- 2024 (Jan–July): 245,322
- 2025 (Jan–July): 243,543
The impact is clear: fewer Washingtonians are purchasing firearms, and the chilling effect is no coincidence. HB 1240 severely restricted what types of firearms law-abiding citizens can own. And that’s not all: 2023 also ushered in mandatory firearms safety training requirements and tighter regulations on licensed gun dealers.
But this goes beyond gun shops and paperwork. These policies are making it increasingly difficult for everyday citizens, especially women, to exercise their Second Amendment right to self-defense. For victims of domestic violence, stalking, or threats, access to a firearm can be the difference between life and death. When lawmakers restrict access to the most effective tools of self-protection, they leave vulnerable individuals more exposed, not safer.
Supporters of these policies will point to declining gun sales as a “win,” but for law-abiding gun owners, this is a huge red flag. When government regulation makes it harder and more expensive for responsible citizens to access firearms, the result is not safety, it’s vulnerability and it is intentional. These laws do not prohibit from criminals doing what criminals do. These laws chip away at our constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms, turning that right into a privilege that only some can access. The Second Amendment wasn’t written with exceptions or fine print and it certainly wasn’t written to be regulated out of existence by state legislators with a political agenda.
At Conservative Ladies of Washington, we believe in empowering citizens with facts…and the fact is this: Washington’s lawmakers are using legislative maneuvers to disarm the public. And the people paying the price aren’t criminals, they’re moms, grandmothers, college students, and survivors trying to defend themselves in a dangerous world.
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