US gunmakers scrambling to adapt to Trump’s uncertain tariff threats

The gun industry relies on materials from overseas, which could be subject to punishing tariffs that drive prices higher

Donald Trump's whiplash decisions on tariffs have brought uncertainty to a sector of the US economy usually squarely behind the president: the gun industry.

For gunmakers, tariffs pose the risk of sharply raising costs on imported raw materials, such as copper, steel and aluminum, as well as safety products like gun locks and lockable cases that often are made overseas.