Special Report
America’s Most Popular .22 Caliber Handgun Companies
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Ask any American gun owner the firearm they learned to shoot with, and odds are it will have been a .22 caliber rifle or handgun. A low-cost ammunition with little to no recoil, .22 Long Rifle, or . 22 LR, is an ideal cartridge not only for beginners, but also for small game and varmint hunters, plinkers, and those who want to hone their skills at the range without breaking the bank.
With such a broad range of applications, it is little wonder that .22 caliber rounds are among the most popular in the United States. And in recent years, .22 caliber handguns – revolvers in particular – have surged in popularity. According to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the number of .22 caliber revolvers produced in the United States climbed from 131,545 in 2010 to 597,014 in 2020 – a more than 350% increase. Including both pistols and revolvers, American gunmakers produced over 1.5 million .22 caliber handguns in 2021 alone.
Using data from the ATF, 24/7 Wall St. identified the companies behind the best-selling .22 caliber handguns. Companies are ranked on domestic production of .22 caliber handguns in 2021. Data on the location of each company’s production facilities and total firearm manufacturing output in 2021 are also from the ATF.
While the majority of .22 caliber handguns 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 magnum, 5.7x28mm, and 5.56×45mm NATO as well as smaller circumference rounds, like .17 HMR and 5.45x39mm. (Here is a look at 27 popular ammunition types, from most to least expensive.)
Though each of the 20 companies on this list manufactured more than 2,000 .22 caliber handguns in 2021, the market for these firearms is largely controlled by only a handful of major gunmakers. The top three brands on this list – Heritage, Ruger, and Smith & Wesson – account for over 67% of all domestic .22 handgun manufacturing.
For some of these top companies, .22 caliber handguns represent only a small share of their overall firearm production. While Heritage focuses almost exclusively on .22 revolver production, for brands like Ruger and Smith & Wesson, rifles and handguns in a variety of calibers also account for a considerable share of total manufacturing output. Indeed, these gunmakers also rank among the most popular rifle companies in America.
Click here to see America’s most popular .22 caliber handgun companies.
20. Patriot Ordnance Factory Inc.
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 2,900 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.2%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): PSG
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Phoenix, AZ
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 21,019
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19. Volquartsen Firearms Inc.
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 2,936 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.2%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): Black Mamba, Classic, ENV, Scorpion
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Carroll, IA
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 6,858
18. Outdoor Colors LLC
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 5,332 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.4%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): N/A
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Rutherfordton, NC
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 18,571
17. Tippmann Arms Company LLC
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 5,599 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.4%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): M4-22 PRO, M4-22 Elite
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Fort Wayne, IN
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 15,113
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16. Bearman Industries, LLC
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 8,869 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.6%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): CL22LBP
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Bear River City, UT
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 37,619
15. Diamondback Firearms LLC
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 11,063 (96.0% pistols, 4.0% revolvers)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.7%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): Sidekick, Birdshead Sidekick, DBX
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Cocoa, FL
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 163,195
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14. Standard Manufacturing Co. LLC
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 11,208 (100% revolvers)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.7%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): SG22, JK-L, S333 Thunderstruck Gen III
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): New Britain, CT
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 26,630
13. IWI US Inc.
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 12,733 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.8%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): Galil ACE
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Middletown, PA
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 96,662
12. Beretta USA Corp
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 14,103 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 0.9%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): M9 .22LR, M9A1 .22, 92FSR .22
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Gallatin, TN
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 155,352
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11. Trailblazer Firearms LLC
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 16,900 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 1.1%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): Lifecard
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Fletcher, NC
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 16,900
10. Phoenix Arms
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 18,900 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 1.2%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): HP22A
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Ontario, CA
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 20,200
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9. Radical Firearms LLC
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 23,105 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 1.5%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s):
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Stafford, TX
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 126,040
8. Browning Arms Company
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 35,591 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 2.3%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): Buck Mark, 1911-22 Black Label
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Morgan, UT
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 44,494
7. North American Arms Inc.
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 57,142 (100% revolvers)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 3.8%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): NAA-22LR
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Provo, UT
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 57,836
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6. Glock Inc.
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 63,569 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 4.2%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): G44
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Smyrna, GA
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 581,944
5. Taurus International Manufacturing, Inc.
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 89,995 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 5.9%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): TAURUSTX 22, TAURUS 942
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Bainbridge, GA
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 290,780
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4. Kel Tec CNC Industries Inc.
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 98,200 (100% pistols)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 6.5%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): CP33, PMR30, PLR22
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Cocoa, FL
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 215,804
24/7 Wall St.
3. Smith & Wesson
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 105,199 (90.2% pistols, 9.8% revolvers)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 6.9%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): M&P 22 Compact, Model 41, SW22 Victory, Model 617, Model 63
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Columbia, MO, Springfield, MA
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 2,317,792
2. Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 422,860 (50.4% pistols, 49.6% revolvers)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 27.8%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): Mark IV, SR22, LCP II
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Newport, NH, Prescott, AZ, Mayodan, NC, Southport, CT
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 2,078,013
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1. Heritage Manufacturing, Inc.
> .22 caliber handguns manufactured domestically in 2021: 491,882 (100% revolvers)
> Share of all US-made .22 handguns: 32.4%
> Popular .22 handgun model(s): Barkeep, Rough Rider
>.22 handgun US manufacturing location(s): Bainbridge, GA
> Total domestic firearm production in 2021: 505,601
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