People in North Carolina love their guns. According to a 2023 report from research and policy advocacy group the RAND Corporation, 37.1% of people in the state own a gun. However, some other estimates place the number upwards of 45%. Regardless, North Carolina is often seen as “pro-gun,” especially considering the state laws around guns. For example, North Carolina has no weapons banning assault rifles. Open carry is also legal without a permit, as long as you’re 18 years old or older and have no felony convictions. (Check out the laws for carrying firearms in public in every state.)
As of 2023, the arms and ammunition industry generated more than $90 billion in economic output, according to the industry trade association National Shooting Sports Foundation. With rising rates of gun ownership, North Carolina stands out as a hub for small-arms manufacturing. A reported 745,313 firearms were made in North Carolina in 2022, the sixth most among the 50 states, and equal to about 5.6% of all domestic firearm production that year. While there were 160 federally licensed gunmakers operating in North Carolina in 2022, the state’s firearm industry is dominated by just a small handful of companies. Here, 24/7 Wall St. explored the leading firearm manufacturers in North Carolina. It is important to note that this list is a ranking of federally licensed production facilities, and as a result, a company can appear more than once. Similarly, some brands on this list may be manufacturing firearms within the same facility as another, but are listed separately. 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 North Carolina than nearly anywhere else in the country. North Carolina’s firearm industry has a meaningful economic impact. Both directly and indirectly, arms and ammunition generated $2.7 billion in output and supported an estimated 11,420 jobs in 2023, according to the NSSF. Additionally, through property, sales, and income taxes, the state and federal government collected a combined $291.7 million in revenue from North Carolina’s arms and ammunition industry.
Here are the top 20 favorite gun manufacturers in North Carolina:
20. Black Widow Tactical LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 161 (0.02% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 41.0% pistols, 59.0% rifles
- Production facility location: Stoneville, NC
19. AJ Guns LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 167 (0.02% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 41.9% pistols, 58.1% rifles
- Production facility location: Knightdale, NC
18. Dirty Bird Industries LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 178 (0.02% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 100% misc.
- Production facility location: Raleigh, NC
17. Davis Custom Rifle And Machine LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 198 (0.03% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 100% rifles
- Production facility location: Zionville, NC
16. PeaceGeek, LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 285 (0.04% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 100% misc.
- Production facility location: Connelly Springs, NC
15. Barnes Precision Machine Inc.
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 293 (0.04% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 18.4% pistols, 81.6% rifles
- Production facility location: Apex, NC
14. Hell Fire Armory LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 308 (0.04% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 100% misc.
- Production facility location: Wilmington, NC
13. Agile Ventures LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 343 (0.05% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 100% pistols
- Production facility location: East Flat Rock, NC
12. Bear Swamp Guns LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 432 (0.06% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 36.8% pistols, 4.9% revolvers, 41.0% rifles, 17.1% shotguns, 0.2% misc.
- Production facility location: Warsaw, NC
11. WMSR, LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 639 (0.09% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 10.2% pistols, 42.3% rifles, 47.6% misc.
- Production facility location: Rutherford College, NC
10. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 1,295 (0.17% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 57.4% pistols, 41.7% rifles, 0.9% misc.
- Production facility location: Mayodan, NC
9. Angstadt Arms LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 1,875 (0.25% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 74.5% pistols, 3.0% rifles, 22.6% misc.
- Production facility location: Charlotte, NC
8. James River Armory Inc.
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 2,247 (0.30% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 99.4% rifles, 0.6% misc.
- Production facility location: Burgaw, NC
7. Trailblazer Firearms LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 8,753 (1.17% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 92.9% pistols, 7.1% rifles
- Production facility location: Fletcher, NC
6. Unbranded AR, LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 10,647 (1.43% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 50.5% rifles, 49.5% misc.
- Production facility location: Rutherford College, NC
5. Riley Defense Inc.
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 15,408 (2.07% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 100% rifles
- Production facility location: Hickory, NC
4. Del-Ton, Inc.
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 27,830 (3.73% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 12.2% pistols, 87.8% rifles
- Production facility location: Elizabethtown, NC
3. Bear Creek Arsenal LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 29,541 (3.96% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 5.5% pistols, 94.5% rifles
- Production facility location: Sanford, NC
2. Outdoor Colors LLC
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 51,527 (6.91% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 21.0% pistols, 37.9% rifles, 41.1% shotguns
- Production facility location: Rutherfordton, NC
1. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
- Firearms manufactured in 2022: 590,834 (79.27% of all guns made in state)
- Firearm production by type: 50.2% pistols, 49.1% rifles, 0.6% misc.
- Production facility location: Mayodan, NC
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