Massachusetts signed House Bill 4885 into law recently, and many law-abiding gun owners are unhappy about the legislation’s restrictions. The state already holds some of the country’s most stringent gun laws. Now, HB 4885 updates the assault weapon ban, strengthens the Red Flag law allowing guns to be taken from those considered a threat to themselves or others, adds serial numbers to firearms, changes which rifles and shotguns can be sold in th state, requires people to take new educational courses for gun licenses, and cracks down on “ghost guns,” or untraceable weapons. Gun owners are now purchasing guns in droves — sales increased by about 400% — to avoid any issues when the law goes into effect, starting October 2024. (These are the states where the government can legally take your guns by force.)
Out of the 25 major countries worldwide, Americans own by far the most amount of guns. The Small Arms Survey, the most comprehensive survey of gun ownership worldwide, rated the United States at 120.50 civilian guns per 100 people. The survey further breaks down firearm possession into citizens (393,000,000), military (4,540,000), and law enforcement (1,020,000) for the US. This means that private citizens own significantly more weapons than the military and police combined. But gun sales are climbing globally, especially in the face of increasing social and political conflict. Here, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed multiple sources and estimates of global gun sales to identify the world’s 50 most popular guns. Guns were ranked by estimated lifetime sales. The origin of each gun is the historical country of origin or where the weapon was first created. Different models of the same gun released in different years are included in the gun sales estimates.
Why Are We Talking About Guns?
Americans live in a country where there are more guns than people. So it’s clear that guns make up a significant part of American culture. Understanding the most popular guns worldwide provides context into the economic impact of the firearm industry, and where citizens are most likely to spend their money. Gun use is also becoming increasingly politicized thanks to widespread gun violence and military conflicts. So learning more about the gun sales and use, and how that translates to violence, could also help you to better participate in conversations about gun control in the political realm.
Here are the most popular 50 guns ever sold:
50. Winchester Model 1892
- Approximate Units Sold: 2,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
49. Winchester Model 1912/1942
- Approximate Units Sold: 2,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
48. Winchester Models 1900 through 1968
- Approximate Units Sold: 2,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
47. Marlin Model 1891/1892/1897/1939
- Approximate Units Sold: 2,200,000
- Country of Origin: United States
46. M14
- Approximate Units Sold: 2,380,000
- Country of Origin: United States
45. Fusil Gras mle 1874
- Approximate Units Sold: 2,500,000
- Country of Origin: France
44. Remington Model 740/742/7400 Woodsmaster
- Approximate Units Sold: 2,500,000
- Country of Origin: United States
43. Gewehr 1888
- Approximate Units Sold: 2,800,000
- Country of Origin: Germany
42. Browning Auto-5
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
41. Browning M2
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
40. Luger Parabellum
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000
- Country of Origin: Germany
39. Nagant M1895
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000
- Country of Origin: Russia
38. QBZ-95
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000
- Country of Origin: China
37. Ruger Standard
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
36. Springfield M1903
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
35. Berdan M1870
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,200,000
- Country of Origin: Russia
34. Beretta 92
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,500,000
- Country of Origin: Italy
33. Lebel Model 1886
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,500,000
- Country of Origin: France
32. Mannlicher M1895
- Approximate Units Sold: 3,500,000
- Country of Origin: Austria-Hungary
31. Remington Model 1100
- Approximate Units Sold: 4,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
30. Ruger Single Six/Blackhawk/Vaquero
- Approximate Units Sold: 4,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
29. ‘Brown Bess’ Land Pattern Musket
- Approximate Units Sold: 4,300,000
- Country of Origin: United Kingdom
28. Carcano Modello 1891
- Approximate Units Sold: 4,500,000
- Country of Origin: Italy
27. STEN Gun
- Approximate Units Sold: 4,500,000
- Country of Origin: United Kingdom
26. M1911 (and copies)
- Approximate Units Sold: 5,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
25. Walther PP/PPK
- Approximate Units Sold: 5,000,000
- Country of Origin: Weimar Republic, Germany
24. Marlin Model 336
- Approximate Units Sold: 6,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
23. PPSh-41
- Approximate Units Sold: 6,000,000
- Country of Origin: Soviet Union
22. Ruger 10/22
- Approximate Units Sold: 6,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
21. Smith & Wesson Model 10
- Approximate Units Sold: 6,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
20. Type 63
- Approximate Units Sold: 6,000,000
- Country of Origin: China
19. M1/M2/M3 Carbine
- Approximate Units Sold: 6,500,000
- Country of Origin: United States
18. FN FAL (and derivatives)
- Approximate Units Sold: 7,000,000
- Country of Origin: Belgium
17. Musket Model 1777
- Approximate Units Sold: 7,000,000
- Country of Origin: France
16. Winchester Model 1894
- Approximate Units Sold: 7,500,000
- Country of Origin: United States
15. Heckler & Koch G3
- Approximate Units Sold: 8,000,000
- Country of Origin: Germany
14. M1 Garand
- Approximate Units Sold: 8,200,000
- Country of Origin: United States
13. Arisaka Type 30/38/99
- Approximate Units Sold: 10,000,000
- Country of Origin: Japan
12. Glock
- Approximate Units Sold: 10,000,000
- Country of Origin: Austria
11. IMI Uzi
- Approximate Units Sold: 10,000,000
- Country of Origin: Israel
10. Makarov Pistol
- Approximate Units Sold: 10,000,000
- Country of Origin: Soviet Union
9. Marlin Model 60
- Approximate Units Sold: 11,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
8. Remington 870
- Approximate Units Sold: 11,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
7. Mossberg 500
- Approximate Units Sold: 12,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
6. SKS
- Approximate Units Sold: 15,000,000
- Country of Origin: Soviet Union
5. Lee-Enfield
- Approximate Units Sold: 17,000,000
- Country of Origin: United Kingdom
4. M16/M4/AR-15 (and derivatives)
- Approximate Units Sold: 20,000,000
- Country of Origin: United States
3. Mosin-Nagant
- Approximate Units Sold: 37,000,000
- Country of Origin: Russia
2. Mauser Gewehr 98 (and similar)
- Approximate Units Sold: 102,000,000
- Country of Origin: Germany
1. Kalashnikov AK-47 (and derivatives)
- Approximate Units Sold: 150,000,000
- Country of Origin: Soviet Union
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