Firearms, along with most items, come and go with trends, technology, and tastes. However, a few rare models remain popular enough and useful enough to earn a permanent place in history. These are the guns that didn’t just sell well or perform well for a short time; they reshaped the weapons industry, influenced culture, and became instantly recognizable even to people who’ve never pulled a trigger. Their impact is undeniable, and their reputations were built over decades of real-world use. They’ve been seen in a variety of environments, from battlefields and police holsters to hunting camps and movie screens.
What sets these firearms apart is more than raw popularity. They represented brand-new designs, proved themselves consistently reliable, or became symbols of power, freedom, or innovation. Some big players changed how wars were fought, while others defined entire shooting sports. And a few became cultural icons known across the world. These guns transcended the typical ‘fan favorite’ ranks, gaining near legendary status. If there were a true firearms Hall of Fame, these guns would certainly be inductees.
Here, 24/7 Wall St. set out to discover the most popular guns in the world. To do so, we reviewed various sources, such as GunBroker.com, Small Arms Survey, and more to get estimates of global gun sales. 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.
This post was updated on December 23, 2025 to provide a brief overview of popular guns in history.
Why You Need to Know These Guns
Understanding the connection between gun sales, gun use, gun violence, and gun deaths helps to participate in conversations about the topic. This is especially important as gun control has been a pressing discussion in the political realm. Guns are part of the fabric of the United States. In fact, our country actually has more guns than people. The surgeon general’s recent advisory brings to light the need for these conversations to continue, and further education will allow for that to happen.
Can you guess the most popular guns ever?
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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