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 Florida than in most other states.
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As of 2023, fewer than 5% of the global population resided in the United States. Yet, according to a study conducted by the Small Arms Survey, a Geneva based public policy research organization, the U.S. is home to more than 45% of the world’s 857.4 million civilian-owned firearms. The only country with more firearms than people, the U.S. has a gun culture like nowhere else, and American consumer demand is fueling a multi-billion dollar industry. (Here is a look at the best-selling firearms in the United States.)

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. Additionally, 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.

While there are gunmakers operating in each of the 50 states, Florida stands out as a hub for small-arms manufacturing. A reported 529,360 firearms were manufactured in Florida in 2022, the ninth most among the 50 states, and equal to about 4.0% of all domestic firearm production that year.

Pistols accounted for the largest share of firearm production in Florida at about 47.0%. Meanwhile, approximately 34.1% of firearms manufactured in the state were rifles, 8.5% were shotguns, and 2.4% were revolvers. Miscellaneous firearms, an ATF classification that covers all other categorized firearms or firearm components, including frames and receivers, accounted for 8.0% of Florida’s total output in 2022.

While there were over 230 federally licensed gunmakers operating in Florida in 2022, the state’s firearm industry is dominated by just a small handful of companies. Only 23 manufacturing facilities in the state produced at least 500 firearms in 2022. Among them, the largest by total output is a plant in Cocoa, FL, operated by Kel Tec CNC Industries. Kel Tec manufactured a reported 196,118 firearms in this plant alone in 2022, or about 37.0% of all firearms produced in the state that year. (Here is a look at the largest firearm company in every state.)

Florida’s firearm industry has a meaningful economic impact. Both directly and indirectly, arms and ammunition generated $4.7 billion in output and supported an estimated 23,539 jobs in 2023, according to the NSSF. Additionally, through property, sales, and income taxes, the state and federal government collected a combined $631.4 million in revenue from Florida’s arms and ammunition industry.

These are the leading firearm manufacturers in Florida. 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 Kel Tec, more guns are manufactured in Florida than nearly anywhere else in the country.

23. Knights Manufacturing Co.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 510 (0.10% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 0.6% pistols, 40.4% rifles, 59.0% misc.
• Production facility location: Titusville, FL

22. Moriarti Armaments LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 516 (0.10% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 18.4% rifles, 81.6% misc.
• Production facility location: Miami, FL

21. CDA of FL, LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 542 (0.10% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 0.6% pistols, 35.2% rifles, 64.2% misc.
• Production facility location: Saint Cloud, FL

20. Serbu Firearms Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 565 (0.11% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 100% rifles
• Production facility location: Tampa, FL

19. Adams Arms Holdings, LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 588 (0.11% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 16.3% pistols, 83.7% rifles
• Production facility location: Brooksville, FL

18. Shark Coast Customs, Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 605 (0.11% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 86.8% pistols, 13.2% rifles
• Production facility location: Sarasota, FL

17. Shark Coast Tactical LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 784 (0.15% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 92.2% pistols, 1.4% rifles, 6.4% misc.
• Production facility location: Sarasota, FL

16. Premiere Pawn LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 792 (0.15% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 61.5% pistols, 38.5% rifles
• Production facility location: Sanford, FL

15. B&T USA LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 817 (0.15% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 55.1% pistols, 28.5% rifles, 16.4% misc.
• Production facility location: Tampa, FL

14. Tommy Built Tactical LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 949 (0.18% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 81.6% pistols, 18.4% rifles
• Production facility location: Lakeland, FL

13. Sol Invictus Arms LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 970 (0.18% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 99.9% pistols, 0.1% rifles
• Production facility location: Melbourne, FL

12. Good Time Outdoors Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 1,280 (0.24% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 38.0% pistols, 62.0% rifles
• Production facility location: Ocala, FL

11. Tactical Machining, LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 2,030 (0.38% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 0.3% rifles, 99.7% misc.
• Production facility location: DeLand, FL

10. Central Florida Firearms LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 2,091 (0.40% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 61.3% pistols, 38.7% rifles
• Production facility location: Melbourne, FL

9. Drake Associates Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 2,198 (0.42% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 0.1% rifles, 99.9% misc.
• Production facility location: Vero Beach, FL

8. Rattlesnake Tactical LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 2,356 (0.45% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 16.6% rifles, 83.4% misc.
• Production facility location: Kissimmee, FL

7. Devil Dog Armaments LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 8,215 (1.55% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 62.9% pistols, 21.9% rifles, 15.2% shotguns
• Production facility location: Tampa, FL

6. Pioneer Arms Corp.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 10,274 (1.94% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 100% rifles
• Production facility location: Port Orange, FL

5. RWC Group LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 23,837 (4.50% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 21.8% pistols, 59.0% rifles, 11.1% shotguns, 8.2% misc.
• Production facility location: Pompano Beach, FL

3. SCCY Industries LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 113,159 (21.38% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 100% pistols
• Production facility location: Daytona Beach, FL

2. Diamondback Firearms LLC

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 123,025 (23.24% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 25.9% pistols, 10.1% revolvers, 63.4% rifles, 0.5% misc.
• Production facility location: Cocoa, FL

1. Kel Tec CNC Industries Inc.

• Firearms manufactured in 2022: 196,118 (37.05% of all guns made in state)
• Production facility output by firearm type: 43.4% pistols, 35.6% rifles, 21.0% shotguns
• Production facility location: Cocoa, FL

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