In 2021, American gun manufacturers produced more than 1.5 million handguns, including both revolvers and pistols, in the .22 caliber category. Firearms chambered for .22 LR caliber ammunition are popular with both novice and seasoned shooters due to their affordability, minimal noise, and low recoil.
Given their widespread appeal, it is no surprise that .22 caliber rounds are highly popular in the United States. The .22 caliber handguns, particularly revolvers, have surged in popularity in recent years, and data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives indicates that production of .22 caliber revolvers increased from 131,545 in 2010 to 597,014 in 2020, representing a jump of over 350%.
Using ATF data, 24/7 Wall St. determined what manufacturers produce the top-selling .22 caliber handguns. Rankings are based on each company’s domestic production of .22 caliber handguns in 2021. Additional information on each company’s location, production facilities, and manufacturing was also sourced from the ATF.
Although most of the handguns produced by the companies listed here are designed for rimfire, .22 LR ammunition, the ATF’s .22 caliber classification covers various ammunition types up to the .22 caliber size. These include, but are not limited to, the .22 magnum, 5.7x28mm, and 5.56×45mm NATO as well as smaller caliber rounds, like .17 HMR and 5.45x39mm.
While all 20 companies on this list produced over 2,000 .22 caliber handguns in 2021, the market for these firearms is primarily dominated by a select few major gun manufacturers. Together, the top three brands – Heritage, Ruger, and Smith & Wesson – represent more than 67% of all domestic .22 handgun production.
Some of the leading companies produce only a small portion of their total firearms in .22 caliber handguns. While Heritage mainly concentrates on manufacturing .22 revolvers, brands like Rutger and Smith & Wesson also allocate a significant portion of their production to rifles and handguns in different calibers.
Here are America’s most popular .22 caliber handgun companies:
20. Patriot Ordnance Factory Inc.
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 2,900 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.2%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): PSG
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Phoenix, AZ
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 21,019
19. Volquartsen Firearms Inc.
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 2,936 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.2%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): Black Mamba, Classic, ENV, Scorpion
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Carroll, IA
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 6,858
18. Outdoor Colors LLC
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 5,332 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.4%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): N/A
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Rutherfordton, NC
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 18,571
17. Tippmann Arms Company LLC
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 5,599 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.4%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): M4-22 PRO, M4-22 Elite
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Fort Wayne, IN
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 15,113
16. Bearman Industries, LLC
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 8,869 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.6%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): CL22LBP
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Bear River City, UT
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 37,619
15. Diamondback Firearms LLC
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 11,063 (96.0% pistols, 4.0% revolvers)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.7%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): Sidekick, Birdshead Sidekick, DBX
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Cocoa, FL
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 163,195
14. Standard Manufacturing Co. LLC
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 11,208 (100% revolvers)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.7%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): SG22, JK-L, S333 Thunderstruck Gen III
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): New Britain, CT
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 26,630
13. IWI US Inc.
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 12,733 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.8%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): Galil ACE
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Middletown, PA
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 96,662
12. Beretta USA Corp
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 14,103 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.9%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): M9 .22LR, M9A1 .22, 92FSR .22
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Gallatin, TN
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 155,352
11. Trailblazer Firearms LLC
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 16,900 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 1.1%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): Lifecard
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Fletcher, NC
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 16,900
10. Phoenix Arms
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 18,900 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 1.2%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): HP22A
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Ontario, CA
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 20,200
9. Radical Firearms LLC
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 23,105 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 1.5%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s):
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Stafford, TX
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 126,040
8. Browning Arms Company
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 35,591 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 2.3%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): Buck Mark, 1911-22 Black Label
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Morgan, UT
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 44,494
7. North American Arms Inc.
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 57,142 (100% revolvers)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 3.8%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): NAA-22LR
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Provo, UT
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 57,836
6. Glock Inc.
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 63,569 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 4.2%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): G44
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Smyrna, GA
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 581,944
5. Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc.
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 89,995 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 5.9%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): TAURUSTX 22, TAURUS 942
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Bainbridge, GA
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 290,780
4. Kel Tec CNC Industries Inc.
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 98,200 (100% pistols)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 6.5%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): CP33, PMR30, PLR22
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Cocoa, FL
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 215,804
3. Smith & Wesson
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 105,199 (90.2% pistols, 9.8% revolvers)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 6.9%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): M&P 22 Compact, Model 41, SW22 Victory, Model 617, Model 63
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Columbia, MO, Springfield, MA
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 2,317,792
2. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 422,860 (50.4% pistols, 49.6% revolvers)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 27.8%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): Mark IV, SR22, LCP II
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Newport, NH, Prescott, AZ, Mayodan, NC, Southport, CT
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 2,078,013
1. Heritage Manufacturing, Inc.
- .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 491,882 (100% revolvers)
- Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 32.4%
- Popular .22 handgun model(s): Barkeep, Rough Rider
- >.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Bainbridge, GA
- Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 505,601
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