In recent years, a flurry of state-level legislation has greatly expanded gun rights in much of the country. In 29 states, it is now legal, or soon will be, to carry a concealed firearm in public places without a permit. In most of these states, permitless concealed carry was signed into law in 2019 or later — and these changes appear to have had a meaningful impact on the firearm industry.
As concealed carry restrictions have been lifted for millions of Americans, handgun sales in the U.S. have surged. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, nearly 21.4 million handguns were manufactured in the U.S. between 2020 and 2022, about 17% more than were made throughout the decade of the 1990s. Another 6.6 million handguns were imported to the U.S. between 2019 and 2020, compared to less than 6.4 million in the 1990s.
With consumer demand for handguns recently hitting all-time highs, some makes and models have stood out as demonstrable favorites among American gun owners.
Using a report from Gun Genius, which analyzed sales data from GunBroker.com, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 most popular handguns in America. Handguns — a category that includes both pistols and revolvers — are ranked on sales volume in the 2023 calendar year, though exact sales figures were not provided. Supplemental data on domestic manufacturing locations and production volume in 2021 are from the ATF.
These 10 firearms are manufactured by six gunmakers, including two models each from Colt-CZ, Glock, Sig Sauer, and Ruger. Only two of the best selling handguns last year were revolvers, and the rest were semi-automatic pistols. (Here is a look at the most powerful handguns.)
The companies on this list have large U.S.-based manufacturing locations that produce tens or hundreds of thousands of handguns every year. Still, several of these companies, including Beretta and Glock are headquartered overseas, and a large portion of the firearms they sell in the U.S. are imported. (Here is a look at the standard issue sidearms in the U.S. military.)
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 your door. Typically, the process requires buyers to have their gun shipped to a Federally Licensed Firearm Dealer which will run a background check before transferring the gun to the customer.
These are America’s best selling handguns.
10. Beretta Model 90
- Approx. base retail price: $405
- Available chamberings include: 9mm, .22 LR
- Beretta U.S. handgun production in 2021: 129,965 (1.6% of all U.S. handgun production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Gallatin, TN
9. Ruger Blackhawk
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Approx. base retail price: $700
- Available chamberings include: .45, .41 Rem Mag, .357 mag, 9mm, .44 mag
- Ruger U.S. handgun production in 2021: 1,335,204 (16.9% of all U.S. handgun production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Prescott, AZ, Southport, CT, Mayodan, NC, and Newport, NH
8. Smith & Wesson M&P9
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Approx. base retail price: $340
- Available chamberings include: 9mm
- Smith & Wesson U.S. handgun production in 2021: 1,882,016 (23.8% of all U.S. handgun production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Columbia, MO and Springfield, MA
7. Ruger Mark IV
Source: simonov / Flickr
- Approx. base retail price: $400
- Available chamberings include: .22 LR
- Ruger U.S. handgun production in 2021: 1,335,204 (16.9% of all U.S. handgun production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Prescott, AZ, Southport, CT, Mayodan, NC, and Newport, NH
6. Colt Python
Source: szuppo / Flickr
- Approx. base retail price: $1,230
- Available chamberings include: .38 Spl, .357 Mag
- Colt U.S. handgun production in 2021: 90,262 (1.1% of all U.S. handgun production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: West Hartford, CT
5. CZ-USA CZ 75
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Approx. base retail price: $590
- Available chamberings include: 9mm
- CZ-USA U.S. handgun production in 2021: 22,069 (0.3% of all U.S. handgun production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Kansas City, KS and Norwich, NY
4. Glock G43
Source: Miller KH / Wikimedia Commons
- Approx. base retail price: $450
- Available chamberings include: 9mm
- Glock U.S. handgun production in 2021: 581,944 (7.4% of all U.S. handgun production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Smyrna, GA
3. Glock G19
Source: Cory Barnes / Flickr
- Approx. base retail price: $500
- Available chamberings include: 9mm
- Glock U.S. handgun production in 2021: 581,944 (7.4% of all U.S. handgun production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Smyrna, GA
2. Sig Sauer P320
Source: TexasWarhawk / Wikimedia Commons
- Approx. base retail price: $470
- Available chamberings include: 9mm
- Sig Sauer U.S. handgun production in 2021: 1,214,013 (15.3% of all U.S. handgun production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Exeter, NH and Newington, NH
1. Sig Sauer P365
Source: Digitallymade / Wikimedia Commons
- Approx. base retail price: $480
- Available chamberings include: 9mm
- Sig Sauer U.S. handgun production in 2021: 1,214,013 (15.3% of all U.S. handgun production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Exeter, NH and Newington, NH
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