Special Report

America’s 10 Best Selling Pump-Action Shotguns

Samuel Stebbins

Published: November 30, 2023 10:32 am

The first commercially successful pump shotgun was the Winchester Model 1893, named for the year it was introduced. Now, over 100 years later, pump-actions are used for hunting, recreational shooting, and home defense. These are the most popular type of shotgun in the United States. But what are the best-selling pump-action shotguns in America?

Versatile, reliable, and affordable, pump-actions are also favored as combat weapons. Widely used by American forces in the trenches of World War I, the Pacific islands in World War II, and the jungles of Vietnam, pump-action shotguns remain a key component of the U.S. military arsenal. (These are the 26 guns used by the U.S. arsenal.)

Several reputable pump-action models sell for only a few hundred dollars, and unlike some semi-automatic or autoloading shotguns, pump-actions can reliably cycle any variety of ammunition, from the light target loads to the heaviest buckshot. Pumps are also less prone to jamming than many semi-automatic shotguns and can typically be loaded with two to three times as many shells as double-barrel break-action guns. 

Using a report from Gungenius, which compiled sales data from Gunbroker.com, an online firearm marketplace, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 most popular pump-action shotguns in America. Guns are ranked on 2022 online sales, though exact sales numbers were not provided. 

Some pump-action shotguns on this list also rank among the most popular firearms of all time. These models include the Remington 870, which has sold over 11 million units in its lifetime, and the Mossberg 500, which has sold over 12 million units. (These are America’s top 19 shotgun companies.)

It is important to note that this list was compiled using online gun sales only. Unlike most items purchased online, firearms are generally not shipped directly to the buyer’s door. Typically, the process requires buyers to have their firearm shipped to a Federally Licensed Firearm dealer – usually a local gun store – which will then run a background check before transferring the gun to the customer. 

Here are America’s 10 best-selling pump-action shotguns.

10. Savage Model 320 Shotguns

Source: Courtesy of Savage Arms, Inc.

• Approx. base price: $260
• Popular usage(s): Home defense, hunting, target shooting
• Chambered in: 12 ga, 20 ga
• Parent company: Savage Arms, Inc.
• Parent company domestic shotgun production, 2016-2020: 47,296 (1.6% of all U.S. shotgun production)
• Parent company U.S. headquarters: Westfield, MA

9. Smith & Wesson M&P 12

Source: Courtesy of Smith & Wesson

• Approx. base price: $1,190
• Popular usage(s): Home defense
• Chambered in: 12 ga
• Parent company: Smith & Wesson Corp
• Parent company domestic firearm production, 2016-2020: 8,218,199 (17.2% of all U.S. firearm production)
• Parent company U.S. headquarters: Springfield, MA

8. Browning BPS

Source: Courtesy of Browning

• Approx. base price: $780
• Popular usage(s): Hunting, home defense, target shooting
• Chambered in: 10 ga, 12 ga, 20 ga, 28 ga, .410 ga
• Parent company: Herstal Group
• Parent company domestic production, 2016-2020: N/A
• Parent company U.S. headquarters: Morgan, UT (Browning)

7. Benelli Nova

Source: Courtesy of Benelli

• Approx. base price: $480
• Popular usage(s): Hunting, home defense, target shooting
• Chambered in: 12 ga, 20 ga
• Parent company: Beretta Holding
• Parent company domestic shotgun production, 2016-2020: 104,338 (3.5% of all U.S. shotgun production)
• Parent company U.S. headquarters: Accokeek, MD

6. KelTec KSG

Source: Courtesy of KelTec

• Approx. base price: $500
• Popular usage(s): Home defense, hunting
• Chambered in: 12 ga, .410 ga
• Parent company: Kel-Tec CNC Industries Inc.
• Parent company domestic shotgun production, 2016-2020: 138,390 (4.6% of all U.S. shotgun production)
• Parent company U.S. headquarters: Cocoa, FL

5. Winchester Super X Pump

Source: Courtesy of Winchester

• Approx. base price: $360
• Popular usage(s): Hunting, home defense, target shooting
• Chambered in: 12 ga, 20 ga
• Parent company: Herstal Group
• Parent company domestic production, 2016-2020: N/A
• Parent company U.S. headquarters: New Haven, CT (Winchester)

4. Mossberg Maverick 88

Source: Courtesy of O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.

• Approx. base price: $260
• Popular usage(s): Hunting, home defense, target shooting
• Chambered in: 12 ga, 20 ga
• Parent company: O.F. Mossberg & Sons Inc.
• Parent company domestic shotgun production, 2016-2020: 1,357,000 (45.3% of all U.S. shotgun production)
• Parent company U.S. headquarters: North Haven, CT

3. Mossberg 500

Source: Courtesy of O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc.

• Approx. base price: $500
• Popular usage(s): Hunting, target shooting, home defense
• Chambered in: 12 ga, 20 ga, .410 ga
• Parent company: O.F. Mossberg & Sons Inc.
• Parent company domestic shotgun production, 2016-2020: 1,357,000 (45.3% of all U.S. shotgun production)
• Parent company U.S. headquarters: North Haven, CT

2. Remington 870

Lucy with the Remington 870 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Mitch Barrie

• Approx. base price: $600
• Popular usage(s): Hunting, target shooting, military, law enforcement, home defense
• Chambered in: 12 ga, 20 ga, .410 ga
• Parent company: Freedom Group/Remington Outdoor Company
• Parent company domestic shotgun production, 2016-2020: 1,000,453 (33.4% of all U.S. shotgun production)
• Parent company U.S. headquarters: LaGrange, GA

1. Mossberg 590

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

• Approx. base price: $550
• Popular usage(s): Home defense, military, law enforcement
• Chambered in: 12 ga, 20 ga, .410 ga
• Parent company: O.F. Mossberg & Sons Inc.
• Parent company domestic shotgun production, 2016-2020: 1,357,000 (45.3% of all U.S. shotgun production)
• Parent company U.S. headquarters: North Haven, CT

Methodology

To identify the best-selling pump-action shotguns in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a report from Gungenius, which uses data from Gunbroker.com, an online firearm sales platform. The model or model families that make up the guns on this list are ranked by their 2022 unit sales on Gunbroker.com. 

Data on 2016-2020 U.S. gun manufacturing totals for the companies on this list is from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Tobacco. Domestic manufacturing data was not available for every company on this list. 

Approximate base price for each firearm is from the manufacturer’s website. However, many of the model families on this list have variations that are far more expensive than the price listed in this story.