Gun ownership is a constitutional right in the United States — and, whether for sport shooting, hunting, collecting, or personal safety, it is a right that millions of Americans choose to exercise. Over the last 80 years, the share of Americans with a gun in their home has ranged from 34% to 51%, according to Gallup survey data.
While gun ownership has a centuries-long history in the United States, the prevailing reasons Americans choose to keep firearms have shifted in recent decades. According to Gallup, the share of gun owners who have a firearm for protection against crime climbed from 65% to 88% between 2000 and 2021. Over the same period, the share of gun owners who keep a firearm for hunting fell from 59% to 56%.
Shifts in American gun culture and growing concern over personal protection appears to have had a meaningful impact on the firearm industry, as demand for handguns — particularly semi-automatic pistols — have surged in recent years. Typically concealable and easy to maneuver in tight, indoor spaces, pistols are, for many gun owners, an ideal self-defense weapon — both at home and in public places.
In 2010, for the first time in a decade and a half, pistols overtook rifles as the most produced firearm type in the United States — and for 12 of the last 13 years, consumer demand for pistols has outpaced demand for every other firearm type. Between 2020 and 2022 alone, more than 18.4 million pistols were manufactured in the U.S., about 34% more than were made throughout the decade of the 1990s.
Using a report from Gun Genius, which analyzed sales data from GunBroker.com, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 most popular pistols in America. Pistols 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 eight gunmakers, including two models from Glock and two from Sig Sauer. Most firearms on this list are chambered for 9mm ammunition, a caliber favored by the U.S. military and police departments across the country. (Here is a look at the standard issue sidearms in the U.S. military.)
The companies on this list have large U.S.-based manufacturing locations that produce thousands of pistols every year. Still, several of these companies, including Beretta and Glock are headquartered overseas, and some portion of the firearms they sell in the U.S. are imported. (Here is a look at the most popular handgun manufacturers in the United States.)
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 the best selling pistols in America.
10. Magnum Research Desert Eagle
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Approx. base retail price: $1,655
- Available chamberings include: .357 mag, .44 mag, .50 AE, .429 DE
- Magnum Research U.S. pistol production in 2021: 11,233 (0.2% of all U.S. pistol production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Pillager, MN
9. Springfield Hellcat
Source: Somers-all-the-time / Wikimedia Commons
- Approx. base retail price: $470
- Available chamberings include: 9mm
- Springfield U.S. pistol production in 2021: 148,264 (2.2% of all U.S. pistol production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Geneseo, IL
8. Beretta Model 90 Pistols
- Approx. base retail price: $405
- Available chamberings include: 9mm, .22 LR
- Beretta U.S. pistol production in 2021: 129,965 (1.9% of all U.S. pistol production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Gallatin, TN
7. Smith & Wesson M&P9
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Approx. base retail price: $340
- Available chamberings include: 9mm
- Smith & Wesson U.S. pistol production in 2021: 1,649,540 (24.4% of all U.S. pistol production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Columbia, MO and Springfield, MA
6. Ruger Mark IV
Source: simonov / Flickr
- Approx. base retail price: $400
- Available chamberings include: .22 LR
- Ruger U.S. pistol production in 2021: 1,058,205 (15.7% of all U.S. pistol production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Prescott, AZ, Southport, CT, Mayodan, NC, and Newport, NH
5. CZ-USA CZ 75
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Approx. base retail price: $590
- Available chamberings include: 9mm
- CZ-USA U.S. pistol production in 2021: 22,041 (0.3% of all U.S. pistol 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. pistol production in 2021: 581,944 (8.6% of all U.S. pistol 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. pistol production in 2021: 581,944 (8.6% of all U.S. pistol 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. pistol production in 2021: 1,214,013 (18.0% of all U.S. pistol 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. pistol production in 2021: 1,214,013 (18.0% of all U.S. pistol production)
- U.S. manufacturing location(s) in 2021: Exeter, NH and Newington, NH
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