The self-contained firearm cartridge was invented over 200 years ago, and for much of the time since, revolvers were the handgun of choice for military, law enforcement, and civilian purposes in the United States. However, due to technological improvements in semi-automatic firearm design, revolvers have been all but replaced by pistols — at least in professional circles.
24/7 Wall St. Key Points:
- In recent decades, revolvers have been largely replaced in professional circles by semi-automatic pistols.
- Still, the consumer market for revolvers — particularly those chambered for .22 caliber ammunition — remains strong, and a small handful of gunmakers are capitalizing.
- Also: 2 Dividend Legends To Hold Forever
Still, the U.S. is the largest consumer market for firearms in the world, and while revolvers are nowhere near as popular as semi-automatic pistols among American gun owners, demand for so-called wheel guns remains strong. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, more than 805,000 revolvers were manufactured in the U.S. in 2023 alone.
While revolvers are available in a wide range of calibers, including .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .44 Magnum, those chambered for .22 LR ammunition are by far the most popular. ATF data shows that .22 caliber revolvers accounted for nearly 47% of all domestically manufactured revolvers in 2023. (Here is a look at America’s leading revolver brands.)
Firearms chambered for .22 caliber ammunition owe their popularity to a number of factors, including limited recoil and relatively low decibel output when fired, as well as a low price point — as .22 LR cartridges often sell for only pennies per round. Even though .22 LR cartridges lack the power of larger, centerfire alternatives, they still have many practical applications, from a day at the range or backyard plinking, to small game hunting or self defense.
Even though there are thousands of federally licensed gunmakers operating in the United States, the market for .22 caliber revolvers is dominated by only a small handful of companies.
Using data from the ATF, 24/7 Wall St. identified the companies behind the best-selling .22 caliber revolvers in the United States. We reviewed domestic manufacturing figures for thousands of federally licensed gunmakers and ranked them on .22 caliber revolver production volume in 2023. Data on the location of each company’s production facilities and total firearm manufacturing output in 2023 are also from the ATF. Firearms made outside of the United States, including those made by the companies on this list, were not included in this ranking.
Each of the companies on this list manufactured over 500 .22 caliber revolvers in the U.S. in 2023. Combined, these nine companies produced over 374,000 .22 revolvers domestically, accounting for over 99% of all American made .22 caliber revolvers in 2023.
The companies making the best-selling .22 wheel guns include some of the world’s largest gunmakers. Companies like Colt, Ruger, and Smith & Wesson, stand out specifically for their revolvers — some of which are chambered in .22 caliber. (Here is a look at the most popular gun companies in America.)
It is important to note that while the majority of .22 caliber revolvers made by the companies on this list are chambered for rimfire .22 LR ammunition, several other ammunition types fall under the ATF’s .22 caliber classification — which encompasses all rounds up to the .22 caliber size. These chamberings include, but are not limited to, the .22 short, .22 magnum, and .17 HMR.
Why It Matters
Arms and ammunition is a more than $90 billion industry in the United States — and as the largest consumer market for firearms, the U.S. is home to manufacturing operations for many of the world’s largest gunmakers. Firearms chambered for .22 caliber ammunition have been popular among American shooters for decades, and the latest available data from the ATF shows that when it comes to .22 caliber revolvers, a small handful of companies are dominating the market.
9. Lets Go Baby LLC
- Domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing output in 2023: 502 units (0.1% of all domestically made .22 revolvers)
- Lets Go Baby’s total domestic firearm production in 2023: 3,706 units (13.5% .22 caliber revolvers)
- Lets Go Baby’s domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing location(s): Mchenry, IL
- .22 caliber revolver models include: N/A
8. Automated Finishing Company Inc
- Domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing output in 2023: 1,411 units (0.4% of all domestically made .22 revolvers)
- Automated Finishing’s total domestic firearm production in 2023: 15,022 units (9.4% .22 caliber revolvers)
- Automated Finishing’s domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing location(s): Attleboro, MA
- .22 caliber revolver models include: N/A
7. Standard Manufacturing Co. LLC
- Domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing output in 2023: 3,992 units (1.1% of all domestically made .22 revolvers)
- Standard Manufacturing’s total domestic firearm production in 2023: 6,222 units (64.2% .22 caliber revolvers)
- Standard Manufacturing’s domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing location(s): New Britain, CT
- .22 caliber revolver models include: Standard Manufacturing S333 Thunderstruck Double Barrel, Switch Gun
6. Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC
- Domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing output in 2023: 6,758 units (1.8% of all domestically made .22 revolvers)
- Colt’s total domestic firearm production in 2023: 193,057 units (3.5% .22 caliber revolvers)
- Colt’s domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing location(s): West Hartford, CT
- .22 caliber revolver models include: Colt King Cobra Target
5. Diamondback Firearms LLC
- Domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing output in 2023: 12,798 units (3.4% of all domestically made .22 revolvers)
- Diamondback’s total domestic firearm production in 2023: 93,945 units (13.6% .22 caliber revolvers)
- Diamondback’s domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing location(s): Cocoa, FL
- .22 caliber revolver models include: Diamondback Birdshead Sidekick, Sidekick
4. Smith & Wesson Inc.
- Domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing output in 2023: 17,575 units (4.7% of all domestically made .22 revolvers)
- Smith & Wesson’s total domestic firearm production in 2023: 991,847 units (1.8% .22 caliber revolvers)
- Smith & Wesson’s domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing location(s): Columbia, MO, Maryville, TN, Springfield, MA
- .22 caliber revolver models include: Smith & Wesson Model 317, Model 617 Model 63, Model 43, Model 17
3. North American Arms Inc.
- Domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing output in 2023: 60,215 units (16.0% of all domestically made .22 revolvers)
- NAA’s total domestic firearm production in 2023: 60,343 units (99.8% .22 caliber revolvers)
- NAA’s domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing location(s): Provo, UT
- .22 caliber revolver models include: NAA 22MS-VL, Pug-T, BBS
2. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
- Domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing output in 2023: 92,538 units (24.6% of all domestically made .22 revolvers)
- Ruger’s total domestic firearm production in 2023: 1,305,615 units (7.1% .22 caliber revolvers)
- Ruger’s domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing location(s): Newport, NH, Prescott, AZ, Mayodan, NC, Newport, NH, Southport, CT
- .22 caliber revolver models include: Ruger GP100, SP101, Wrangler
1. Heritage Manufacturing, Inc.
- Domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing output in 2023: 178,592 units (47.5% of all domestically made .22 revolvers)
- Heritage’s total domestic firearm production in 2023: 199,500 units (89.5% .22 caliber revolvers)
- Heritage’s domestic .22 caliber revolver manufacturing location(s): Bainbridge, GA
- .22 caliber revolver models include: Heritage Rough Rider, Barkeep
Top Gaining Stocks
Top Losing Stocks