Rifles have consistently dominated the American consumer firearm market. According to 36 years of government data, U.S. gun manufacturers produced more rifles than any other firearm types in 20 years. While pistols have outsold rifles for the past decade, there is now a renewed demand for rifles. In 2021, over 3.9 million rifles were produced in the U.S., marking a 43% increase from 2020 and surpassing twice the production numbers of 2019.
The surge in rifle production is primarily driven by a growing demand for modern sporting rifles (MSRs), which are civilian adaptations of assault rifles such as the AR-15, M4, and AK-47. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, more than 50% of the 18.9 MSRs manufactured in the U.S. from 1990 to 2020 were produced after 2016. Polling information from the Washington Post indicates that approximately 5% of American adults currently own at least one MSR.
Using data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 24/7 Wall St. identified America’s top rifle companies. The ranking of these 36 companies is based on the quantity of rifles produced within the country in 2021. All details on the list are sourced from the ATF’s Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report.
Although there were more than 2,500 rifle manufacturers in the U.S., the majority of them are relatively small enterprises that manufacture fewer than 50 rifles each year. In contrast, every company on this list produced more than 10,000 rifles domestically in 2021. The top three companies listed accounted for more than 40% of the entire U.S. rifle production.
While MSRs, or assault-style rifles, are included in the product lines of nearly every company on this list, many gunmakers also offer other, more traditional rifles designed for specific market segments, including target shooters and hunters.
Two brands on the list, Ruger and Remington, continue to manufacture two rifles that have been favored by American gun owners long before the MSR trend began: the Ruger 10/22 semi-automatic rimfire and the bolt-action Remington 700.
Here are America’s favorite rifle companies:
36. Adams Arms Holdings, LLC
Source: Courtesy of Adams Arms
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 10,970 (0.3% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 11,908 (92.1% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Brooksville, FL
35. FMK Firearms Incorporated
Source: Courtesy of FMK via Facebook
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 11,344 (0.3% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 21,066 (53.8% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Placentia, CA
34. Patriot Ordnance Factory Inc.
Source: Courtesy of POF USA
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 11,667 (0.3% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 21,019 (55.5% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Phoenix, AZ
33. Bravo Company Mfg Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Bravo Company USA via Facebook
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 12,999 (0.3% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 14,115 (92.1% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Hartland, WI
32. Heritage Manufacturing, Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Heritage MFG
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 13,017 (0.3% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 505,601 (2.6% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Bainbridge, GA
31. Riley Defense Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Riley Defense
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 13,486 (0.3% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 13,486 (100% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Hickory, NC
30. Windham Weaponry Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Windham Weaponry
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 20,221 (0.5% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 22,930 (88.2% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Windham, ME
29. American Tactical Inc.
Source: Courtesy of American Tactical
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 20,729 (0.5% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 53,055 (39.1% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Summerville, SC
28. Great Lakes Firearms And Ammunition LLC
Source: Courtesy of Great Lakes Firearms & Ammunition
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 21,707 (0.6% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 22,388 (97.0% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Sparta, MI
27. Stag Arms LLC
Source: Courtesy of Stag Arms
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 21,836 (0.6% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 40,728 (53.6% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Tacoma, WA and Cheyenne, WY
26. LWRC International
Source: Courtesy of LWRCI
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 23,269 (0.6% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 27,331 (85.1% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Cambridge, MD
25. Remarms LLC
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 23,444 (0.6% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 86,594 (27.1% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Ilion, NY
24. Del-Ton, Inc.
Source: TPAP8228 / iStock via Getty Images
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 27,498 (0.7% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 29,840 (92.2% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Elizabethtown, NC
23. Wilson’s Gun Shop Inc. (Wilson Combat)
Source: Courtesy of Wilson Combat
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 29,446 (0.7% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 41,746 (70.5% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Berryville, AR
22. IWI US Inc.
Source: Courtesy of IWI
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 31,603 (0.8% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 96,662 (32.7% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Middletown, PA
21. WM C Anderson Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Anderson Manufacturing
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 32,405 (0.8% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 505,635 (6.4% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Hebron, KY
20. Rock River Arms Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Rock River Arms
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 34,346 (0.9% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 39,965 (85.9% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Colona, IL
19. FN America, LLC
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 37,202 (0.9% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 169,407 (22.0% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Columbia, SC
18. Black Rain Ordnance Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Black Rain Ordnance
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 44,662 (1.1% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 110,727 (40.3% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Neosho, MO
17. Strassells Machine Inc. (Hi-Point)
Source: Courtesy of Hi-Point Firearms
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 45,000 (1.1% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 106,807 (42.1% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Mansfield, OH
16. Legacy Sports International Inc. (Howa)
Source: Courtesy of Howa USA
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 47,252 (1.2% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 214,258 (22.1% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Reno, NV
15. Century Arms Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Century Arms
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 61,103 (1.6% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 132,705 (46.0% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Georgia, VT
14. Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC
Source: Courtesy of Colt
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 61,509 (1.6% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 151,771 (40.5% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): West Hartford, CT
13. TDJ Buyer, LLC (Christensen Arms)
Source: Courtesy of Christensen Arms
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 65,901 (1.7% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 72,983 (90.3% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Gunnison, UT
12. Kel Tec CNC Industries Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Kel-Tec
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 68,669 (1.7% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 215,804 (31.8% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Cocoa, FL
11. Maverick Arms, Inc. (Mossberg)
Source: Courtesy of Mossberg
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 70,700 (1.8% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 492,444 (14.4% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Eagle Pass, TX and North Haven, CT
10. Daniel Defense LLC
Source: Courtesy of Daniel Defense
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 76,729 (2.0% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 76,729 (100% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Black Creek, GA
9. Keystone Sporting Arms LLC
Source: Courtesy of Keystone Sporting Arms LLC
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 76,860 (2.0% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 81,897 (93.8% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Milton, PA
8. Sig Sauer Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Sig Sauer
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 80,172 (2.0% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 1,294,185 (6.2% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Newington and Exeter, NH
7. Radical Firearms LLC
Source: LifestyleVisuals / iStock via Getty Images
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 99,954 (2.5% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 126,040 (79.3% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Stafford, TX
6. Diamondback Firearms LLC
Source: Courtesy of Diamondback Firearms
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 133,162 (3.4% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 163,195 (81.6% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Cocoa, FL
5. Henry RAC Holding Corp.
Source: Courtesy of Henry USA
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 296,948 (7.5% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 320,603 (92.6% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Bayonne, NJ and Rice Lake, WI
4. Savage Arms, Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Savage Arms
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 392,880 (10.0% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 406,867 (96.6% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Westfield, MA
3. Smith & Wesson Sales Company
Source: Courtesy of Smith & Wesson
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 427,523 (10.9% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 2,317,792 (18.4% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Columbia, MO and Springfield, MA
2. Springfield Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Springfield Armory
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 442,486 (11.2% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 590,750 (74.9% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Geneseo, IL
1. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
Source: Courtesy of Ruger
- 2021 domestic rifle production: 736,664 (18.7% of all U.S. made rifles)
- 2021 domestic production of all firearm types: 2,078,013 (35.5% rifles)
- Manufacturing location(s): Newport, NH, Mayodan, NC, Southport, CT and Prescott, AZ
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