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A Complete List of Gun Brands Plus The 10 Largest preview image
Jan 06 2024
10 min read

A Complete List of Gun Brands Plus The 10 Largest

Introduction

Gun brands vary far and wide in build, history, fun factors, and quality. It’s hard to say if there’s one overall superior manufacturer or brand; you might as well compare bananas to blackberries and apples. Many innovative and quality firearms have been produced in the USA, though many have also been developed abroad.

I’m a personal fan and daily carrier of SIG Sauer (which originally started as a Swiss wagon company high up in the mountains). Colt and Smith & Wesson hold incredible home-grown nostalgia just about anywhere you go. In this article, we’ll explore USA gun brands, the largest gun brands around, and some fun facts about each!

List of Gun Brands: Which are Made in the USA?

Made in America

  • 556 Tactical
  • Adams Arms
  • Adcor Defense
  • Anderson
  • Arctiier
  • Armalite
  • Auto-Ordnance
  • Avidity Arms
  • Barne’s Bullets
  • Barrett
  • Beretta
  • Bear Creek Arsenal
  • Bond Arms, Inc.
  • Bravo Company
  • Browning
  • Bushmaster
  • Charter Arms
  • Christensen
  • Colt
  • Cooper
  • Crimson Trace
  • CZ
  • Daniel Defense
  • Del-Ton
  • Diamondback Firearms
  • DPMS Panther Arms
  • Fierce
  • FN Herstal
  • Freedom Arms
  • Glock
  • Heckler and Koch
  • Henry Repeating Arms
  • Heritage
  • Hi-Point
  • Horizon Firearms
  • H&R Firearms
  • Infinity Firearms
  • Inland Firearms
  • Ithaca
  • Israeli Weapons Company
  • Kahr Arms
  • Kalashnikov
  • Kel-Tec
  • Kimber
  • LaserLyte
  • Lazzeroni
  • Les Baer
  • Leupold
  • LWRC International
  • Magnum Research, Inc.
  • Marlin
  • Masterpiece Arms
  • McWhorter Rifles
  • Mossberg
  • New England Firearms
  • North American Arms
  • Otis/Shooter’s Choice
  • Palmetto State Armory
  • Panther Arms
  • Patriot Ordnance Factory
  • Promag
  • Pro Arms
  • Redfield
  • Remington
  • Ruger
  • Savage
  • SCCY
  • Seekins Precision
  • Shadow Systems
  • SIG Sauer
  • Silencer  Co.
  • Smith & Wesson
  • Springfield Armory
  • Staccato
  • Steyr
  • STI International
  • Sticky Holsters, Inc.
  • Streamlight
  • SWORD International
  • Taser International
  • Taurus
  • Thompson Center
  • Trijicon
  • Umarex
  • Unified Weapons Systems
  • US Optics
  • UTAS
  • Volquartsen
  • Vudoo
  • Walther
  • Weatherby
  • Wilson Combat
  • Windham Weaponry
  • ZRO Delta

Made Outside America

NameNote
Advanced Armament CorporationRemington is a parent company, silencers are made in the USA, other parts may be imported
American ClassicPartnered with Metro Arms, website currently under development
American Tactical ImportsAmerican based company that imports tactical firearms, ammunition, and tactical equipment
Armi Dallera CustomBased in Italy
ArmscorPartnered with Rock Island Armory, designs and manufacturing happens in Marikina, Philippines.
Arsenal, Arsenal Inc.Based in Bulgaria
B&TBased in Switzerland
BaikalBased in Russia
BenelliBased in Italy
BerettaBased in Italy and the USA
BergaraBased in Spain
BersaBased in Argentina
BlaserBased in Germany
BrowningOther bases are located in Japan, Portugal, and Belgium
CanikBased in Turkey
Century International FirearmsImporter and manufacturer of firearms originally founded in Vermont, now with offices in Montreal, Canada
Chapuis ArmesBased in France
Charles DalyMultiple bases of operation
ChiappaBased in Italy
CimarronVarious manufacturers including Uberti (Italy) and the Philippines.
Comanche GunworksFounded in 2020, based in the USA, specializing in the supply of precision manufactured firearm components, some may be imported.
CVABased in Spain
CZBased in Czeck Republic and USA
Davide Pedersoli & C.Based in Italy
Eagle Imports, IncExclusive distributor of Metro Arms, Bersa, and Comanche firearms products. Headquartered in New Jersey.
EOTech Inc.American made holographic sites, other products may not be American-made.
European American ArmoryBased in Rockledge, Florida, but is an importer of firearms.
FN AmericaSome parts are manufactured in the USA, others elsewhere.
FN HerstalBased in Belgium and USA
FranchiBased in Italy
GForce ArmsBased in USA, imports shotguns from Turkey
GlockBased in Austria and USA
HaenelBased in Germany
HowaBased in Japan
HS ProduktBased in Croatia
Interstate Arms CorpFirearms wholesale distributor partnered across the USA.
Israel Weapon IndustriesBased in Israel and USA
Legacy Sports InternationalOriginally based in Japan under Howa Machinery.
MauserBased in Germany
Metro Arms, IncBased in Philippines
MossbergBased in USA and Turkey
Rock Island ArmoryOwned by Armscor, designed and manufactured in the Philippines
RossiBased in Brazil
S&T MotivBased in South Korea
SakoBased in Finland
SarsilmazBased in Turkey
SavageBased in USA and Canada
Springfield ArmoryBased in USA and Croatia
SteyrBased in USA and Austria
StoegerBased in Italy
TaurusBased in USA and Brazil
TikkaBased in Finland
Tornado Personal DefenseManufacturer and distributor of tactical personal defense items. May have imported parts.
TristarHeadquartered in Shanghai, China with other international manufacturing locations
Tula Arms PlantBased in Russia
WaltherBased in USA and Germany
WeatherbyBased in USA and Japan
WinchesterManufactured in Belgium, Turkey, Japan, Portugal
ZastavaSerbia

The Top 10 Largest Gun Brands in the United States

Smith & Wesson

Smith wesson logo

Revenue: $1.1 Billion net sales FY2021

Year Founded: 1852

Headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, with plans to move its headquarters to Maryville, Tennessee in 2023, Smith & Wesson almost always comes to mind when thinking of US firearms. S&W developed a number of ammunition calibers throughout the decades, many still in use today. The most recognizable includes the .40 caliber, an arguably nostalgic cartridge.

Smith & Wesson brand handcuff restraints and prisoner chains are still heavily used and are most recently working on a line of tactical law enforcement footwear with Wellco Enterprises. For decades Smith & Wesson was a large supplier of law-enforcement-issued weapons, though Glock has taken over much of this sect.

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.

Ruger logo

Revenue: $730.7 Million net sales FY2021

Year Founded: 1949

Known most prolifically as just “Ruger” Firearms, Stum, Ruger & Co., Inc. is a larger conglomerate in the firearm industry. It procured Marlin Firearms assets from Remington Outdoors in 2020. Based in Southport, Connecticut, production facilities operate in NH, NC, and AZ, Ruger is actually a publicly traded company and has been since 1969.

Known since its inception for the .22 LR rimfire rifle and .22LR pistols, Ruger has made a point of creating a high quality product at a budget consumer price. Named the number one firearms manufacturer from 2008 to 2011, and holding the position of top seller of handguns from 2009-2012, Ruger is a worldwide arms supplier with hardy American roots.

Remington Outdoor Co.

Remington logo

Revenue: 865.1 million FY 2019

Year Founded: 1816

Remington Outdoor Co. has actually been defunct as of 2020, and was acquired in part by Vista Outdoors, Inc. in 2021. “Remington” is the ammunition manufacturing side of this company, while Remington Arms, LLC is responsible for firearms manufacturing. Sturm, Ruger & Co. purchased the Marlin Firearms division in 2020.

Remington was one of the primary producers of weapons used in World War I for the US and many allied countries, producing about 21,000 M1911s alone during this time. Remington has been involved in military ammunition development, firearms development, and even expanded in the 1960s to try out the chainsaw market.

Taurus International

Taurus logo

Revenue $635.1 Million

Year Founded: 1924

Taurus International includes Taurus Arms and other divisions. Taurus Arms is focused on manufacturing firearms, while the other divisions are focused on various body armors, helmets, even metals. Based in Brazil, Taurus has plants in the USA as well.

The subsidiary, Taurus USA was founded in 1988 to focus on tapping into the US Market. Initially focusing on .38 special and .357 magnum models. Over the course of decades Taurus has put out familiar-framed models (like J-frame revolvers and 1911 pistols) that have had success in the market, but some others have been just described as unique (like the Taurus Curve).

Heckler & Koch

Revenue: $290.2 Million

Year Founded: 1949

Heckler & Koch, Inc. serves the USA market under the parent company Heckler & Koch GmbH. H&K manufactures almost anything from handguns to submachine guns to grenade launchers. With firmly established roots in Germany, they have been the most prevalent in security force partnerships and NATO special forces.

HK is known for its rugged durability and has definitely earned its place as a legendary defense company. “No Compromises” is its company motto, after all. HK may have developed a “bad guy gun” reputation from the movies, but fear not; this company has you covered for home and personal defense from those same bad guys.

Colt Manufacturing (Colt CZ Group)

Colt logo

Revenue: $270.9 million FY 2021 (zippia), $10.7 million Colt CZ Group FY 2021

Founded: 1855

Founded by Samual Colt, Colt Manufacturing was bought by the Czech company CZ in 2021. Colt CZ group benefitted from this acquisition in 2021 and it’s starting to reflect in their 2021 revenue. Colt has been pivotal in both ammunition development and firearm development.

Today, the “cowboy” .45 LC (long colt) caliber is still in use recreationally. The Colt M1911 was the US Armed Forces choice for a side piece, whose design allows soldiers to quickly reload. Chambered in .45 ACP, the semi-automatic pistol still has relevance and a cult following today. Many other gun brands have used the M1911 platform in their new handgun designs as well.

FN

Fn logo

Revenue: $262.4 million FY 2020

Year Founded: 1889

FN America, under the parent company FN Herstal, is under the same ownership as Browning Arms and Winchester. FN is an absolutely iconic brand with the FAL being arguably the most recognizable. Originally established in France to manufacture the Mauser Model 89 rifle in 1889, FN doubled as an automotive importer in Belgium. FN automotives were produced from the early 1900s to the 1970s.

Some other unique and notable guns made by FN include the Model 1910 chambered in .380 ACP (one of the suspected weapons confiscated from an assassin against the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and, the Barracuda (a double-action multi-caliber revolver) that could be chambered in 9mm, .38 special, or .357 magnum. The P90 is the most iconic gun featured in a video game, in my opinion.

Springfield Armory, Inc.

Springfield armory logo

Revenue: $222 million FY 2021

Founded: 1974

Springfield Armory was originally an armory and arsenal (Springfield, Massachusetts), and a stand-alone Federal manufacturing plant from 1777-1968. L. H. Gun Co. out of Texas was renamed Springfield Armory, Inc. back in the 1960s and has no affiliation with the Springfield Armory of the past.

Springfield Armory, Inc. has just released the Prodigy AOS 1911 and the Hellion line as their most recent contributions to the gun market, and has had a trend of releasing and discontinuing certain firearm models within a year. The Springfield TRP being the most notable. Chambered in 10mm, this gun’s value went way up almost instantly.

Beretta

Beretta logo

Revenue: 143.4 million (USD) net revenue FY 2021, 941.7 million gross revenue

Year Founded: 1526

Beretta, held underneath a parent company Beretta Holding and based in Italy, is one of the oldest firearms manufacturers still pumping out products. Benelli, Franchi, Stoeger, Tikka, Uberti and others are also owned by Beretta Holding.  Used worldwide for both sporting and military use, historically Beretta has supplied weapons throughout every European war since 1650.

The Beretta M9 is one of the most iconic and recognizable Beretta firearms, in both videogames and in reality. The primary sidearm in every US Military branch, it reigned standard from 1985 to 2019, when the SIG Sauer P320 moved in to replace the M9 in the US Armed Forces.

SIG Sauer

Sig sauer logo

Revenue: $31.0 million FY 2021 (zippia)

Year Founded: 1976

Originally a wagon company in 1853 Germany, SIG Sauer has had many name changes over the last century. SIG Sauer became such when a partnership between SIGN and J.P. Sauer & Sohn merged. SIGARMS was the first US subsidiary, changing its name to SIG Sauer Inc. at a later time.

Now headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire, quality has always been a hallmark of a SIG. In 2020 SIG Sauer was awarded a contract to supply ammunition to the Department of Homeland Security and even more recently, SIG Sauer Inc. is now set to manufacture replacement arms for the military issued M4 and M249.

FAQs

Who Is the #1 Gun Manufacturer?

In 2019, Sturm, Ruger & Co. Inc produced a total of 1,271,879 firearms between pistol, revolver, rifle, and shotgun platforms which is the most of any company that year.

Who Makes Guns for the US Military?

Most recently, the United States Army awarded a contract to SIG Sauer for the XM5 rifle and XM250 automatic rifle to replace the M4/M4A1 and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, respectively. Beretta, Colt, H&K, Glock, Barrett, and FN all have contracts for military firearm manufacturing.

Who Sells the Most Weapons in the World?

The United States exports the largest amount of firearms in the world. The United States also has the highest civilian per-capita gun ownership. By nature, the United States holds the title of world’s largest arms dealer.

Conclusion

Smith and Wesson is considered the largest gun brand in the United States. There are many manufacturers that boast “American Made”, but other quality firearms exist outside of a US manufacturing plant, too. Many firearms companies today are housed under parent financial companies, and slowly but surely they’re being absorbed by one another.

Some firearms manufacturers have held steady with US military contracts, but now it seems the tides are turning as SIG Sauer is moving in to produce the next side piece and rifle replacements for our armed forces. Each firearm company has a unique history and story to tell. The United States has strong ties to firearm development, access, and exports; but being the number one arms dealer in the world already insinuates that.

Written by Patrick Long
Patrick Long photo Patrick is a lifelong hunter who mainly chases whitetail, but also enjoys duck and turkey hunting. He has hunted game in various states throughout the U.S. and always enjoys hunting in new areas with new people. Patrick usually prefers his .308 while in the stand but is also an avid bow hunter. Patrick is the author of Omega Outdoors (omegaoutdoors.blog) where he regularly publishes his hunting experiences, insights, and expertise. When he’s not in the great outdoors hunting, he’s writing as much as possible.
GIRSAN MC9

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Lisa Anne Gray Mon, 10 Apr 2023 20:16:28

Patrick, it’s refreshing to see a hunter make comments about guns and bows for hunting! As I look on the list of the top 10 gunmakers my next search will be how many of them manufacture assault weapons. I wish true sportsmen would advocate for the appropriate firearms for that hobby or how to safely purchase and store guns for person protection. Thanks

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