24/7 Wall St. Insights

• The United States is the largest consumer market for firearms in the world, and to meet demand, there are thousands of federally licensed gunmakers across the 50 states. 
• Due to the presence of a handful of companies, more firearms are manufactured in Arizona than in most other states.
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The United States is home to less than 5% of the global population and more than 45% of the world’s civilian-owned guns. The only country with more firearms than people — according to the Geneva based public policy research organization, Small Arms Survey — the U.S. has a gun culture like nowhere else on Earth, and demand from American consumers is fueling a multi-billion dollar industry. (Here is a look at the best-selling firearms in the United States.)

Records from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives show that there were over 3,700 active gunmakers in the U.S. in 2022. That same year, these companies collectively manufactured nearly 13.4 million firearms. As of 2023, the arms and ammunition industry generated more than $90 billion in economic output, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, an industry trade association.

While there are gunmakers operating in each of the 50 states, Arizona stands out as a hub for small-arms manufacturing. A reported 470,969 firearms were manufactured in Arizona in 2022, the 10th most among the 50 states, and equal to about 3.5% of all domestic firearm production that year.

Pistols accounted for the largest share of firearm production in Arizona at about 79.6%. Meanwhile, approximately 9.9% of firearms manufactured in the state were revolvers, 8.0% were rifles, and fewer than 1% were shotguns. Miscellaneous firearms, an ATF classification that includes any otherwise uncategorized firearm or firearm component, including frames and receivers, accounted for 2.5% of Arizona’s total output in 2022.

While there were over 200 federally licensed gunmakers operating in Arizona in 2022, the state’s firearm industry is dominated by just a small handful of companies. Only 22 manufacturing facilities in the state produced at least 200 firearms in 2022. Among them, the largest by total output was a plant in Prescott, AZ, operated by Sturm, Ruger & Company. Ruger manufactured a reported 432,162 firearms in this plant alone in 2022, or about 91.8% of all firearms produced in the state that year. (Here is a look at the largest firearm company in every state.)

Arizona’s firearm industry has a meaningful economic impact. Both directly and indirectly, arms and ammunition generated $3.6 billion in output and supported an estimated 14,005 jobs in 2023, according to the NSSF. Additionally, through property, sales, and income taxes, the state and federal government collected a combined $486.8 million in revenue from Arizona’s arms and ammunition industry.

These are the leading firearm manufacturers in Arizona. It is important to note that this list is a ranking of production facilities, and as a result, a company can appear more than once. Gunmakers who are federally licensed under their first and last name, rather than a company or brand name, were excluded from this list.

Why It Matters

The United States is the world’s largest consumer market for firearms, and partially as a result, there are thousands of federally licensed gunmakers across the 50 states. Due to the presence of a small handful of companies, most notably Ruger, more guns are manufactured in Arizona than in most other states.

22. North Star Arms, LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 201 (0.04% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 17.9% pistols, 74.6% rifles, 7.5% misc.
• Production facility location: Phoenix, AZ

21. Arrowhead Sporting Goods LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 219 (0.05% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 76.7% rifles, 23.3% misc.
• Production facility location: Phoenix, AZ

20. Tactical-Expressions LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 221 (0.05% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 1.4% pistols, 0.5% revolvers, 98.2% misc.
• Production facility location: Apache Junction, AZ

19. Suarez International USA Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 241 (0.05% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 67.6% pistols, 3.3% revolvers, 21.6% rifles, 2.5% shotguns, 5.0% misc.
• Production facility location: Prescott, AZ

18. Blackout Defense LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 269 (0.06% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 72.1% rifles, 27.9% misc.
• Production facility location: Chandler, AZ

17. Axon Enterprise, Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 301 (0.06% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 100% pistols
• Production facility location: Phoenix, AZ

16. Excel Manufacturing Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 303 (0.06% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 39.6% pistols, 60.4% rifles
• Production facility location: Bullhead City, AZ

15. Disruptive Products Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 319 (0.07% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 65.5% pistols, 3.8% revolvers, 22.6% rifles, 6.9% shotguns, 1.3% misc.
• Production facility location: Tucson, AZ

14. Ghost Products Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 445 (0.09% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 100% pistols
• Production facility location: Mesa, AZ

13. Black Metal Firearms LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 452 (0.10% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 2.2% rifles, 97.8% misc.
• Production facility location: Mesa, AZ

12. Cats Arms LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 465 (0.10% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 8.6% pistols, 91.4% rifles
• Production facility location: Tucson, AZ

11. Altor Corporation

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 549 (0.12% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 100% pistols
• Production facility location: Phoenix, AZ

10. Nomad Defense Company Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 831 (0.18% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 100% misc.
• Production facility location: Lake Havasu City, AZ

7. Quentin Defense LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 1,745 (0.37% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 13.2% pistols, 6.8% rifles, 80.1% misc.
• Production facility location: Gilbert, AZ

6. KE Arms LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 3,033 (0.64% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 9.2% rifles, 90.8% misc.
• Production facility location: Phoenix, AZ

5. Strategic Armory Corps LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 3,680 (0.78% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 2.0% pistols, 65.8% rifles, 32.2% misc.
• Production facility location: Phoenix, AZ

4. Extar LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 4,158 (0.88% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 100% pistols
• Production facility location: Lake Havasu City, AZ

3. ET Arms, Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 5,353 (1.14% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 8.8% pistols, 48.2% rifles, 43.0% misc.
• Production facility location: Lake Havasu City, AZ

2. Patriot Ordnance Factory Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 9,924 (2.11% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 22.9% pistols, 72.9% rifles, 4.2% misc.
• Production facility location: Phoenix, AZ

1. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 432,162 (91.76% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 84.2% pistols, 10.8% revolvers, 5.0% rifles
• Production facility location: Prescott, AZ

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