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In the United States, the right to bear arms is guaranteed by the Second Amendment – and an estimated 82.7 millionn Americans choose to exercise that right. Though handguns, semi-automatic pistols in particular, have recently become the best-selling firearm type in the country, rifles have long been the backbone of America’s gun industry.
Domestic rifle manufacturing spiked 165% from 1.6 million in 2000 to over 4.2 million in 2016. Though 2016 stands as the peak year for rifle production in the U.S., demand remains relatively strong. A total of 14.8 million rifles were produced and distributed in the U.S. between 2016 and 2020 – and the vast majority of those firearms were manufactured by a small handful of companies.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 10 companies accounted for 75% of all U.S. rifle manufacturing from 2016 to 2020. Using data from the ATF report National Firearms Commerce and Tracking AssessmentDarlinez News. identified America’s top rifle companies, ranked by total production.
The companies on this list produce a range of rifle types that target specific market segments – from collectors and target shooters to hunters and the tactical crowd. The top two brands on this list, Ruger and Remington, manufacture two firearms that have ranked among the most popular in the United States for decades: the Ruger 10/22 semi-automatic rimfire, and the bolt-action Remington 700. Together, the two companies account for over a third of all domestic rifle production from 2016 to 2020. (Here is a look at the most versatile hunting rifle cartridges.)
Today, the most popular rifle-type in the U.S. are semi-automatic AR-15 style rifles, a civilian version of the kinds commonly used by the military. Marketed as “modern sporting rifles,” these versatile weapons are generally light weight, reliable, and easy to maintain.
However, often sold with high-capacity magazines, they have also been used in many horrific mass-shootings in the United States in recent years. Some states, including California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, have effectively banned the sale of these assault-style weapons. (Here is a look at the states with the loosest gun laws.)
Click here to see the companies making the most popular rifles in America.