© GEORGE FREY / AFP via Getty Images
© saechang / Flickr
© Bytmonas/ via Getty Images
© Swedish Army Museum / Public domain
© "The Gun Store" by ElCapitanBSC is licensed under BY-SA 2.0.
© "Shooting at Reds Indoor Range, Austin" by heatheronhertravels is licensed under BY 2.0.
© "Beretta Model 1934" by quinet is licensed under BY 2.0.
© Auckland Museum Collections / CC BY 2.0
© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
© Kameleon007 / iStock via Getty Images
© Shotgun / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
© Wikipedia / Public Domain
© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
© Wikipedia
© PEO Soldier / Wikimedia Commons
© Musee de l'Armee / Wikimedia Commons
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikimedia
© Wikipedia /Public Domain
© Rama / Wikimedia Commons
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
© Wikipedia
© mikedabell / iStock via Getty Images
© Wikipedia / Public Domain
© Wikipedia
© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
© Wikipedia
© capcase / Flickr
© Wikipedia
© Nemo5576 / Wikimedia Commons
© Wikipedia / Public Domain
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Wikipedia
© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
© Wikimedia Commons
© Wikipedia
© baronvsp / iStock via Getty Images
© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
© lledslinger / Flickr
© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
© Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
© blackwaterimages / E+ via Getty Images
© simonov / Flickr
© philipimage / iStock via Getty Images
© serikbaib / iStock via Getty Images
The World’s Favorite Bolt-Action Rifle Has German DNA It won’t come as much of a surprise that the firearm industry is big business and not just in the United States. Dozens of other nations have played a critical role in the growth of the firearms industry over the last few hundred years, including Germany, Italy, France, China, and many more. What’s notable is that there is little sign this industry is going to slow down anytime soon.
Why Are We Talking About Guns? Firearms are part of the equation when talking about the social ills and gains of the United States. They've been an intrinsic part of an American citizen's given rights since the Constitution's framing. As such, being informed helps our readers form their own opinions on the matter.
Military vs. Civilian Purchase You'll see vast quantities of firearms on this list. However, it is vital to consider that some of these guns are designed for the express purpose of military contracts. There is some crossover in the North American market when looking at AR-15 or AK platform rifles.
Military Surplus While supplies are steadily dwindling, military surplus rifles from Warsaw Pact countries, along with Western nations, remain a popular purchase for avid shooters. As such, some of the more vintage weapons you'll see on here, like the SKS or Mosin Nagant, are fine first rifles if you can get over the boutique ammo cost.
The Used Market This list isn't going to cover all the ins and outs of firearm purchases across the world. Numbers are accurate, but they don't present the whole picture when considering firearms in the United States. Used gun sales are a whole other kettle of fish and one that just about needs its separate list to cover.
Try Before You Buy If you want to purchase a firearm like the ones on this list, I'll give you some advice. Before you spend your hard-earned money on a gun, rent one at the range or borrow a friend's. This lets you understand if you'll like a gun without spending a princely sum to find out.
55. Beretta M1934 Approximate Units Sold: 1,500,000Country of Origin: Italy54. Winchester Model 1890 Approximate Units Sold: 1,600,000Country of Origin: United States53. Thompson Submachine Gun Approximate Units Sold: 1,700,000Country of Origin: United States52. Stevens Model 87 Approximate Units Sold: 1,800,000Country of Origin: United States51. Winchester Model 1200/1300 Approximate Units Sold: 1,900,000Country of Origin: United States50. Winchester Model 1892 Approximate Units Sold: 2,000,000Country of Origin: United States49. Winchester Model 1912/1942 Approximate Units Sold: 2,000,000Country of Origin: United States48. Winchester Models 1900 through 1968 Approximate Units Sold: 2,000,000Country of Origin: United States47. Marlin Model 1891/1892/1897/1939 Approximate Units Sold: 2,200,000Country of Origin: United States46. M14 Approximate Units Sold: 2,380,000Country of Origin: United States45. Fusil Gras mle 1874 Approximate Units Sold: 2,500,000Country of Origin: France44. Remington Model 740/742/7400 Woodsmaster Approximate Units Sold: 2,500,000Country of Origin: United States43. Gewehr 1888 Approximate Units Sold: 2,800,000Country of Origin: Germany42. Browning Auto-5 Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000Country of Origin: United States41. Browning M2 Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000Country of Origin: United States40. Luger Parabellum Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000Country of Origin: Germany39. Nagant M1895 Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000Country of Origin: Russia38. QBZ-95 Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000Country of Origin: China37. Ruger Standard Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000Country of Origin: United States36. Springfield M1903 Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000Country of Origin: United States35. Berdan M1870 Approximate Units Sold: 3,200,000Country of Origin: Russia34. Beretta 92 Approximate Units Sold: 3,500,000Country of Origin: Italy33. Lebel Model 1886 Approximate Units Sold: 3,500,000Country of Origin: France32. Mannlicher M1895 Approximate Units Sold: 3,500,000Country of Origin: Austria-Hungary31. Remington Model 1100 Approximate Units Sold: 4,000,000Country of Origin: United States30. Ruger Single Six/Blackhawk/Vaquero Approximate Units Sold: 4,000,000Country of Origin: United States29. 'Brown Bess' Land Pattern Musket Approximate Units Sold: 4,300,000Country of Origin: United Kingdom28. Carcano Modello 1891 Approximate Units Sold: 4,500,000Country of Origin: Italy27. STEN Gun Approximate Units Sold: 4,500,000Country of Origin: United Kingdom26. M1911 (and copies) Approximate Units Sold: 5,000,000Country of Origin: United States25. Walther PP/PPK Approximate Units Sold: 5,000,000Country of Origin: Weimar Republic, Germany24. Marlin Model 336 Approximate Units Sold: 6,000,000Country of Origin: United States23. PPSh-41 Approximate Units Sold: 6,000,000Country of Origin: Soviet Union22. Ruger 10/22 Approximate Units Sold: 6,000,000Country of Origin: United States21. Smith & Wesson Model 10 Approximate Units Sold: 6,000,000Country of Origin: United States20. Type 63 Approximate Units Sold: 6,000,000Country of Origin: China19. M1/M2/M3 Carbine Approximate Units Sold: 6,500,000Country of Origin: United States18. FN FAL (and derivatives) Approximate Units Sold: 7,000,000Country of Origin: Belgium17. Musket Model 1777 Approximate Units Sold: 7,000,000Country of Origin: France16. Winchester Model 1894 Approximate Units Sold: 7,500,000Country of Origin: United States15. Heckler & Koch G3 Approximate Units Sold: 8,000,000Country of Origin: Germany14. M1 Garand Approximate Units Sold: 8,200,000Country of Origin: United States13. Arisaka Type 30/38/99 Approximate Units Sold: 10,000,000Country of Origin: Japan12. Glock Approximate Units Sold: 10,000,000Country of Origin: Austria11. IMI Uzi Approximate Units Sold: 10,000,000Country of Origin: Israel10. Makarov Pistol Approximate Units Sold: 10,000,000Country of Origin: Soviet Union9. Marlin Model 60 Approximate Units Sold: 11,000,000Country of Origin: United States8. Remington 870 Approximate Units Sold: 11,000,000Country of Origin: United States7. Mossberg 500 Approximate Units Sold: 12,000,000Country of Origin: United States6. SKS Approximate Units Sold: 15,000,000Country of Origin: Soviet Union5. Lee-Enfield Approximate Units Sold: 17,000,000Country of Origin: United Kingdom4. M16/M4/AR-15 (and derivatives) Approximate Units Sold: 20,000,000Country of Origin: United States3. Mosin-Nagant Approximate Units Sold: 37,000,000Country of Origin: Russia2. Mauser Gewehr 98 (and similar) Approximate Units Sold: 102,000,000Country of Origin: Germany1. Kalashnikov AK-47 (and derivatives) Approximate Units Sold: 150,000,000Country of Origin: Soviet Union← PreviousNext →
The image featured at the top of this post is ©GEORGE FREY / AFP via Getty Images
