Guns and Hunting

The Companies Behind the Best Selling, American-Made .22 Handguns

Samuel Stebbins

Published: May 16, 2024 11:50 am

Consumer demand for handguns is surging in the United States. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, American gunmakers produced nearly 21.4 million pistols and revolvers between 2020 and 2022, 17% more than were made throughout the 1990’s. Now the most popular firearm type in the U.S., handguns topped the combined sales volume of both rifles and shotguns in each of the last seven years.

While the domestic market for firearms is constantly evolving, some aspects of American gun culture do not change — and one of them is the popularity of the .22 Long Rifle cartridge. A versatile and inexpensive round with little-to-no recoil, .22 LR has long been one of the best selling calibers in the United States. Favored by beginners and young shooters, .22 caliber firearms are also widely used by more seasoned sportsmen and women for small game and varmint hunting, plinking, and days at the range.

Not surprisingly, record-breaking handgun sales in recent years have been driven in part by .22 caliber pistols and revolvers. According to the ATF, more than 1.2 million .22 caliber handguns were manufactured domestically in 2022, accounting for nearly 18% of all U.S. handgun production.

Using data from the ATF, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 21 companies making the most popular .22 caliber handguns in the United States. We reviewed manufacturing figures for thousands of federally licensed gunmakers and ranked them on .22 caliber handgun production volume in 2022.

The companies on this list manufactured a combined 1.2 million .22 caliber handguns in 2022, accounting for over 98% of all domestic production volume. Among these 21 companies, manufacturing totals range from about 2,200 to nearly 290,000. (Here is a look at the top gunmakers in each state.)

It is important to note that while the majority of .22 caliber handguns made by the companies on this list are chambered for rimfire, .22 LR ammunition, several other ammunition types fall under the ATF’s .22 caliber classification – which encompasses all rounds up to the .22 caliber size. These chamberings include, but are not limited to, the .22 magnum, 5.7x28mm, and 5.56×45mm NATO. (Here is a look at the most and least expensive handgun calibers.)

Why It Matters

Source: Erich Schlegel / Getty Images News via Getty Images

Firearm sales in the U.S. hit historic highs during and after the pandemic. Both directly and indirectly, the U.S. arms and ammunition industry generated over $90 billion in economic output in 2023, and employed over 384,000 Americans, according to the industry advocacy group National Shooting Sports Foundation. Demand for specific firearms, like .22 caliber pistols, have been a boon for gunmakers in recent years.

21. Henry Repeating Arms Company

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 2,176 (99.8% pistols, 0.2% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): Mare’s Leg
• Henry RAC .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): New Jersey and Wisconsin
• Henry RAC total domestic firearm production in 2022: 365,867 (0.6% .22 handguns)

20. Bond Arms, Inc

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 2,630 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): Honey B, Stubby, Stinger, BP22
• Bond Arms .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Texas
• Bond Arms total domestic firearm production in 2022: 52,104 (5.0% .22 handguns)

19. Great Lakes Firearms and Ammunition

Source: Digitallymade / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 4,050 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): GLFA .223 Wylde
• Great Lakes Firearms .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Michigan
• Great Lakes Firearms total domestic firearm production in 2022: 21,198 (19.1% .22 handguns)

18. IWI US, Inc

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 4,369 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): Galil ACE
• IWI .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Pennsylvania
• IWI total domestic firearm production in 2022: 49,122 (8.9% .22 handguns)

17. Volquartsen Firearms

Source: Berean Hunter / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 4,897 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): Black Mamba, Scorpion, Mamba-TF
• Volquartsen .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Iowa
• Volquartsen total domestic firearm production in 2022: 9,021 (54.3% .22 handguns)

16. Standard Manufacturing

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 7,827 (0.6% pistols, 99.4% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): SG22, Jackhammer, Switch Gun, S333 Thunderstruck
• Standard Manufacturing .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Connecticut
• Standard Manufacturing total domestic firearm production in 2022: 14,585 (53.7% .22 handguns)

15. Trailblazer Firearms

Source: Alphax / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 8,135 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): LifeCard
• Trailblazer .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): North Carolina
• Trailblazer total domestic firearm production in 2022: 8,753 (92.9% .22 handguns)

14. North American Arms

Source: i_am_jim / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 10,765 (0% pistols, 100% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): NAR BBS, NAR HG, NAR 22MC
• North American Arms .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Utah
• North American Arms total domestic firearm production in 2022: 10,770 (100.0% .22 handguns)

13. Outdoor Colors

Source: Jenniveve84 / iStock via Getty Images

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 10,811 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): N/A
• Outdoor Colors .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): North Carolina
• Outdoor Colors total domestic firearm production in 2022: 51,527 (21.0% .22 handguns)

12. Radical Firearms

Source: Mohit S / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 11,359 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): 5.56mm AR Pistol
• Radical .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Texas
• Radical total domestic firearm production in 2022: 121,600 (9.3% .22 handguns)

11. Beretta USA

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 13,260 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): M9, 21A Bobcat, 92FSR
• Beretta .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Tennessee
• Beretta total domestic firearm production in 2022: 180,447 (7.3% .22 handguns)

10. Phoenix Arms

Source: Fancy-cats-are-happy-cats / Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 16,214 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): HP22A
• Phoenix .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): California
• Phoenix total domestic firearm production in 2022: 17,300 (93.7% .22 handguns)

9. Diamondback Firearms LLC

Source: 2015 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 18,776 (33.6% pistols, 66.4% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): Sidekick
• Diamondback .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Florida
• Diamondback total domestic firearm production in 2022: 123,025 (15.3% .22 handguns)

8. Browning Arms

AX Browning Buck Mark Plus UDX SS (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Sergiy Trushel

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 39,131 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): Buck Mark, 1911-22
• Browning .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Utah
• Browning total domestic firearm production in 2022: 47,996 (81.5% .22 handguns)

7. Smith & Wesson

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 67,780 (75.4% pistols, 24.6% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): Model 63, Model 48, M&P 22, SW22 Victory
• Smith & Wesson .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Massachusetts and Missouri
• Smith & Wesson total domestic firearm production in 2022: 973,994 (7.0% .22 handguns)

6. Glock

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 74,158 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): G44
• Glock .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Georgia
• Glock total domestic firearm production in 2022: 465,117 (15.9% .22 handguns)

5. Kel Tec CNC Industries

Source: Rick Gershon / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 83,367 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): P17, CP33, PLR22
• Kel Tec .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Florida
• Kel Tec total domestic firearm production in 2022: 196,118 (42.5% .22 handguns)

4. Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc

Source: 2011 Getty Images / Getty Images News via Getty Images

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 114,325 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): TX 22, 942
• Taurus .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Georgia
• Taurus total domestic firearm production in 2022: 287,650 (39.7% .22 handguns)

3. Sig Sauer

Source: Futurhit12 / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 155,876 (100% pistols, 0% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): P322
• Sig Sauer .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Arkansas and New Hampshire
• Sig Sauer total domestic firearm production in 2022: 2,346,752 (6.6% .22 handguns)

2. Heritage Manufacturing

Heritage Rough Rider (CC BY 2.0) by James Case

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 286,870 (0% pistols, 100% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): Barkeep, Rough Rider
• Heritage .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Georgia
• Heritage total domestic firearm production in 2022: 308,040 (93.1% .22 handguns)

1. Sturm, Ruger & Company

Source: Coati077 / Wikimedia Commons

• .22 cal. handguns manufactured domestically in 2022: 289,528 (64.9% pistols, 35.1% revolvers)
• Popular .22 handgun model(s): LCP II, SR22, Mark IV, GP100
• Ruger .22 handgun manufacturing location(s): Arizona, Connecticut, North Carolina, and New Hampshire
• Ruger total domestic firearm production in 2022: 1,565,743 (18.5% .22 handguns)