This page lists more than 100 small arms designs which have been produced in numbers exceeding one million since the late 18th century. Many more types have been made in the hundreds of thousands. Many of the firearms on this list are military weapons which were used during both World Wars, so it is unsurprising that they were manufactured in such high numbers. Others are designed for civilian hunting and sport shooting, which generally sell very well in countries such as the U.S. and Canada. Many of those produced have been destroyed, deactivated or fallen into disrepair, but others will have been kept in working order and sold or passed on from one generation to another down the years.
In 2018, Small Arms Survey reported that there are over one billion small arms distributed globally, of which 857 million (about 85 percent) are in civilian hands. U.S. civilians alone account for 393 million (about 46 percent) of the worldwide total of civilian held firearms. This amounts to "120.5 firearms for every 100 residents." The world's armed forces control about 133 million (about 13 percent) of the global total of small arms, of which over 43 percent belong to two countries, the Russian Federation (30.3 million) and the People's Republic of China (27.5 million).Law enforcement agencies control about 23 million (about 2 percent) of the global total of small arms.
Estimates put the production of firearm cartridges at 10-14 billion per year according to Oxfam, or 27-38 million a day.
Estimates of production of the Kalashnikov AK-47 and derivative weapons may be exaggerated. Various sources quote figures between 35 and 150 million. In his 2001 book 'The AK-47', Chris McNab claims it is "feasible" that production of the Chinese Type 56 assault rifle – a license-built AK-47 copy – reached 15-20 million. McNab bases that estimate on the "apparent" strength of the Chinese armed forces of 10 million (3 million regular troops and 5-7 million reservists) and presumed export sales. However, the true strength of the People's Liberation Army was around 1.5 million in 2013. Furthermore, as late as the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese war most Chinese soldiers were armed with another weapon, the Type 56 carbine (an SKS copy), and were soon after re-equipped with the Type 81 assault rifle, followed later by the QBZ-95 and QBZ-03, all of which are unrelated to the Kalashnikov design.
Designs produced in numbers exceeding 1 million
| Model or series | Class of firearm | Origin | Low estimate
of production |
High estimate
of production |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalashnikov AK-47 | Assault rifle |
 Soviet Union
|
40,000,000 | 150,000,000 |
5 million milled AK type 3, 10 million AKM,5 million AK-7415-20 million Chinese Type 56 3 million Yugoslav Zastava M70, 2 million East German Mpi Several million Egyptian Maadi |
|
Mauser Gewehr 98
(and similar) |
Bolt-action rifle |
 Germany
|
20,000,000 | 102,000,000 | |
| Mosin–Nagant |
 Russia
|
37,000,000 | |||
| M16/M4/AR-15 and derivatives | Assault rifle/semi-automatic rifle |
 United States
|
15,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 10 million military M16/M4, (Colt production only as of 2011) 5-10 million civilian AR-15 (as of 2016) |
| Lee–Enfield | Bolt-action rifle |
 United Kingdom
|
16,000,000 | 17,000,000 | |
| SKS | Semi-automatic rifle |
Soviet Union
|
5,000,000 | 15,000,000 | |
| Mossberg 500 | Pump-action shotgun |
United States
|
10,000,000 | 12,000,000 | |
| Remington 870 | Pump-action shotgun |
United States
|
10,000,000 | 11,000,000+ | |
| Marlin Model 60 | Semi-automatic rifle |
United States
|
11,000,000 | ||
| IMI Uzi | Submachine gun |
 Israel
|
2,000,000 | 10,000,000 | |
| Arisaka Type 30/38/99 | Bolt-action rifle |
 Japan
|
7,000,000 | 10,000,000 |
~560,000 Type 30, 3 million plus Type 38
3.5 million or more Type 99 |
| Glock | Semi-automatic pistol |
 Austria
|
6,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 5 million sold by 2007 and 1 million in 2013 alone. 800,000+ imported into the US in 2012 |
| Makarov pistol |
Soviet Union
|
5,000,000 | 10,000,000 | 5 million at the Izhevsk factory alone | |
| M1 Garand | Semi-automatic rifle |
United States
|
8,200,000 | ||
| Heckler & Koch G3 | Battle rifle |
 Germany
|
8,000,000 | ||
| Winchester Model 1894 | Lever-action rifle |
United States
|
6,000,000 | 7,500,000 | |
| FN FAL (and derivatives) | Battle rifle |
 Belgium
|
5,000,000 | 7,000,000 |
2 million + Belgian FN FAL, 1.15 million British L1A1
1 million + Indian 1A1, 250,000 South African R1 (plus 30,000 sold to Rhodesia), 230,000 Australian L1A1 and L2A1 ~200,000 Brazilian IMBEL M964, ~150,000 Austrian StG 58, ~65,000 Canadian C1 |
| Musket Model 1777 | Musket |
 France
|
7,000,000 | ||
| M1/M2/M3 Carbine |
Carbine
Automatic carbine (M2/M3) |
United States
|
6,500,000 | ||
| Type 63 | Assault rifle |
 China
|
1,000,000 | 6,000,000 | |
| PPSh-41 | Submachine gun |
Soviet Union
|
5,000,000 | 6,000,000 | |
| Marlin Model 336 | Lever-action rifle |
United States
|
6,000,000 | ||
| Smith & Wesson Model 10 | Revolver | 6,000,000 | |||
| Ruger 10/22 | Semi-automatic rifle | 5,000,000 | 6,000,000 | ||
| Walther PP/PPK | Semi-automatic pistol |
 Germany
|
5,000,000 | ||
| M1911 (and copies) |
United States
|
3,000,000 | 5,000,000 |
2,700,000 military models (various contractors)
~500,000 civilian production by Colt Up to 2 million Spanish Star Model A/B/M/P? 113,000 Argentine Ballester-Molina |
|
| STEN gun | Submachine gun |
United Kingdom
|
3,500,000 | 4,500,000 | |
| Carcano Modello 1891 | Bolt-action rifle |
 Italy
|
3,000,000 | 4,500,000 | |
| 'Brown Bess' Land Pattern Musket | Musket |
United Kingdom
|
3,000,000 | 4,300,000 |
3 million India Pattern Short Land Carbine made from 1795 1.6 million made in Birmingham and 2.7 million in London |
| Remington Model 1100 | Semi-automatic shotgun |
United States
|
3,000,000 | 4,000,000 | |
| Ruger Single Six/ | Revolver | 4,000,000 |
~1.5 million Single Six
~2 million Blackhawk ~650,000 Vaquero |
||
| Lebel Model 1886 | Bolt-action rifle |
France
|
3,500,000 | ||
| Beretta 92 | Semi-automatic pistol |
Italy
|
3,500,000 | ||
| Mannlicher M1895 | Bolt-action rifle |
 Austria-Hungary
|
2,500,000 | 3,500,000 | |
| Berdan M1870 | Single-shot
bolt-action rifle |
Russia
|
3,200,000 | ||
| Browning M2 | Heavy machine gun |
United States
|
3,000,000 | ||
| Ruger Standard | Semi-automatic pistol | 2,000,000 | 3,000,000 | ||
| Springfield M1903 | Bolt-action rifle | 3,000,000 | |||
| Luger Parabellum | Semi-automatic pistol |
Germany
|
2,000,000 | 3,000,000 | |
| Browning Auto-5 | Semi-automatic shotgun |
United States
|
2,000,000 | 3,000,000 |
Browning made its 2 millionth gun in 1974
Also produced as the Remington Model 11 and Savage Model 720 and 745 |
| Nagant M1895 | Revolver |
Russia
|
2,600,000 | 3,000,000+ | |
| QBZ-95 | Assault rifle |
China
|
3,000,000 | ||
| Gewehr 1888 | Bolt-action rifle |
Germany
|
2,000,000 | 2,800,000 | |
| Remington Model 740/742/7400 | Semi-automatic rifle |
United States
|
1,700,000 | 2,500,000 | |
| Fusil Gras mle 1874 | Single-shot bolt-action rifle |
France
|
2,500,000 | ||
| M14 | Battle rifle |
United States
|
1,530,000 | 2,380,000 |
1.38 million US M14
~150,000 – 1 million Taiwanese T57 |
| Marlin Model 1891, 1892, 1897 and 39 | Lever-action rifle | 2,200,000 | |||
| Berthier Models 1890-1907 | Bolt-action rifle |
France
|
2,000,000+ | ||
| Winchester Model 1912/42 | Pump-action shotgun |
United States
|
2,000,000 | ||
| Winchester Model 70/670/770 | Bolt-action rifle | 2,000,000 | |||
| Winchester Model 1892 (and copies) | Lever-action rifle | 2,000,000 | |||
| Ruger M77 | Bolt-action rifle | 2,000,000 | |||
| PPS-42/43 | Submachine gun |
Soviet Union
|
2,000,000 | ||
| Baikal/IMZ MP-27M | Double-barrelled shotgun | 2,000,000+ | |||
| Ithaca 37 | Pump-action shotgun |
United States
|
2,000,000 | ||
| Raven MP-25 | Semi-automatic pistol | 2,000,000 | |||
| FN M1906/Colt M1908 Vest Pocket/ |
Belgium
|
2,000,000 | |||
|
FN Model 1910, 1922 and Browning
Model 1955 |
1,786,000 | 2,000,000 |
704,000 Model 1910, 486,000+ Model 1922,
619,000 Model 1955 |
||
| Winchester Models 1900 — 68 | Single-shot bolt-action rifle |
United States
|
1,750,000 | 2,000,000 | |
| Springfield Model 1861 and 1863 | Rifle-musket | 1,500,000 | 2,000,000 |
1 million M1861 and 500,000-700,000 M1863
750,000 Model 1863 Type II |
|
| Ruger P-series | Semi-automatic pistol | 1,000,000 | 2,000,000 | ||
| Mauser Model 1871 | Bolt-action rifle |
Germany
|
2,000,000 | Over 1 million single-shot M1871 and 1.1 million magazine-fed M1871/84 | |
| 'Chassepot' Fusil Modèle 1866 | Single-shot rifle |
France
|
2,000,000 | ||
| Winchester Model 1200/1300/120 | Pump-action shotgun |
United States
|
1,900,000 | ||
| Thompson submachine gun | Submachine gun | 1,700,000 | |||
| TT pistol | Semi-automatic pistol |
Soviet Union
|
1,700,000 | ||
| SVT-38 and SVT-40 | Semi-automatic rifle | 1,000,000+ | 1,600,000 | ||
| Winchester Model 1890 and 1906 | Pump-action rifle |
United States
|
1,600,000 | ||
| Colt Police Positive Special | Revolver | 1,500,000 | |||
| Beretta M1934 and M1935 | Semi-automatic pistol |
Italy
|
1,500,000 |
1 million plus Model 1934
525,000 Model 1935 |
|
|
Harrington & Richardson
Young America Double Action |
Revolver |
United States
|
1,500,000 | ||
| Ruger Security-Six/ Speed Six/ Service Six | 1,240,000 | 1,500,000 | |||
| Ruger LCP | Semi-automatic pistol | 1,500,000 | |||
| Browning Hi-Power |
Belgium
|
1,000,000 | 1,500,000 | A BBC article claims 10 million. 650,000 may have been produced in Indian arsenals. | |
|
Remington Model 760/7600
Gamemaster |
Pump-action rifle |
United States
|
1,000,000 | 1,500,000 | 1,034,462 of the Model 760 alone were made from 1952-1980 |
| Vetterli M1870 | Bolt-action rifle |
Italy
|
1,500,000 | ||
| Remington Rolling Block | Single-shot rifle |
United States
|
1,500,000 | ||
| Pattern 1853 Enfield | Rifle-musket |
United Kingdom
|
1,500,000 | ||
| MP 38 and MP 40 | Submachine gun | 1,100,000 | 1,500,000 | ||
| INSAS | Assault rifle |
 India
|
700,000 | 1,400,000 | Based on strength of Indian army (1.3 million) and annual production rate. In service 1998-2017. |
| Schmidt–Rubin Model 1889 etc. | Bolt-action rifle |
 Switzerland
|
1,366,000 | ||
|
Harrington & Richardson
Model 2 Double Action |
Revolver |
United States
|
1,300,000 | ||
| Smith & Wesson N-frame (including | 1,300,000 |
333,454 S-prefix serial numbers
970,000 N-prefix serial numbers |
|||
| Mannlicher M1886 and M1888 | Bolt-action rifle |
Austria-Hungary
|
1,200,000 | ||
| Walther P38 | Semi-automatic pistol |
 Germany
|
1,173,000 | WWII production alone | |
|
Smith & Wesson I-Frame
(Model 30 & 31, Model 32 & 33 and Model 34 & 35) |
Revolver |
United States
|
1,169,000 |
Model 30 and 31: 826,977
Model 32 and 33: 122,678 Model 34 and 35: 219,801 |
|
| Dreyse Needle Gun | Single-shot rifle |
 Prussia
|
1,150,000 | ||
| MAS-36 | Bolt-action rifle |
France
|
1,100,000 | ||
| Ruger Mini-14/AC556 | Semi-automatic rifle |
United States
|
1,000,000+ | ||
| CZ 75 series (B, Omega, SP-01 models) | Semi-automatic pistol |
 Czechoslovakia
|
1,000,000+ | ||
|
Mauser C96
(and derivatives) |
Semi-automatic pistol |
Germany
|
1,000,000+ |
920,000-984,000 C96, 98,000 M712 'Schnellfeuer' Tens of thousands of Spanish and Chinese copies |
|
| Beretta Model 38 | Submachine gun |
Italy
|
1,000,000 | ||
| Marlin Model 1894 | Lever-action rifle |
United States
|
1,000,000+ | ||
| Savage Model 99 | 1,000,000+ | ||||
| PK machine gun | General-purpose machine gun |
Soviet Union
|
1,000,000+ | ||
| Smith & Wesson M&P Shield | Semi-automatic pistol |
United States
|
1,000,000+ | 1 million mark reached in December 2015 | |
| Henry Lever-Action .22 | Lever-action rifle | 1,000,000+ | Announced in December 2017 | ||
| Winchester Model 1897 | Pump-action shotgun | 1,024,700 | |||
| Colt Army Special/Official Police/ | Revolver | 1,000,000 | |||
| DShK | Heavy machine gun |
Soviet Union
|
1,000,000 | ||
| Vz. 58 | Assault rifle |
Czechoslovakia
|
1,000,000 | ||
| Taurus Millennium series | Semi-automatic pistol |
 Brazil
|
1,000,000 | Nearly 1 million before 2015/16 recall, still in production | |
| Daewoo Precision Industries K2 | Assault rifle |
 South Korea
|
1,000,000 | "Nearly a million" in 2017, still in production and being exported | |
| FN Browning M1900 | Semi-automatic pistol |
Belgium
|
724,550 | 1,000,000 | |
| Martini-Henry | Single-shot rifle |
United Kingdom
|
500,000 | 1,000,000 | |
| Total | 390 million | 645 million |
Designs produced in numbers from 100,000 to 1,000,000
| Model or series | Class of
firearm |
Origin | Low estimate
of production |
High estimate
of production |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabilondo Ruby (and similar) | Semi-automatic pistol |
 Spain
|
700,000 | 900,000 | The term "Ruby" is often also applied to "Ruby-style" pistols produced by 45 companies other than Gabilondo
and its official partners. |
| Degtyaryov machine gun | Light machine gun |
Soviet Union
|
792,000 | ||
| Krag-Jørgensen Rifle | Bolt-action rifle |
 Norway
|
748,500< | +750,000 | Official rifle of the US military from 1892-4 until 1904. |
| Ruger GP100 | Revolver |
United States
|
734,500 | ||
| Colt 1903/1908 Pocket Hammerless | Semi-automatic pistol | 710,000 | 572,215 in .32 ACP and 138,009 in .380 ACP | ||
| Winchester Model 1873 | Lever-action rifle | 702,000 | |||
| SIG SG 510 | Battle rifle |
Switzerland
|
700,000 | ||
| MAT-49 | Submachine gun |
France
|
700,000 | ||
| Colt Woodsman | Semi-automatic pistol |
United States
|
690,000+ | ||
| Lorenz rifle | Rifle-musket |
 Austria
|
688,000 | ||
| Werndl–Holub rifle | Single-shot rifle |
Austria-Hungary
|
686,000 | ||
| Model 1816 Musket | Musket |
United States
|
675,000 | ||
| M3 submachine gun | Submachine gun | 655,363 | |||
| SA80 | Assault rifle |
United Kingdom
|
600,000 | ||
| SIG SG 550 | Assault rifle |
Switzerland
|
600,000 | ||
| MG 34 | General-purpose machine gun |
Germany
|
577,120 | ||
|
Browning M1917
and M1919 |
Machine gun |
United States
|
567,340 | ||
| Tula-Korovin TK | Semi-automatic pistol |
Soviet Union
|
500,000 | ||
| Colt Single Action Army | Revolver |
United States
|
457,000 | 357,000 from 1873 to 1940. 100,000 from 1956 to 1978.
Still in production |
|
| StG 44 | Assault rifle |
Germany
|
425,000 | ||
| MG 42 | General-purpose machine gun | 423,600 | |||
| Ross Rifle | Bolt-action rifle |
 Canada
|
420,000 | ||
| Vektor R4 | Assault rifle |
 South Africa
|
420,000 | ||
| Gewehr 43 | Semi-automatic rifle |
Germany
|
402,713 | ||
| FAMAS F1/G1/G2 | Assault rifle |
France
|
400,000 | 410,000 | 400,000 F1 pattern, used by the French Army. The French Navy have about 10,000-15,000 G2. Still in use. |
| Type 14 Nambu pistol | Semi-automatic pistol |
Japan
|
400,000 | ||
| Fusil Gras mle 1874 | Bolt-action rifle |
France
|
400,000 | ||
| Colt New Service | Revolver |
United States
|
356,000 | ||
| M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle | Automatic rifle | 351,679 | |||
| Lee–Metford | Bolt-action rifle |
United Kingdom
|
350,000 | ||
| Colt Model 1849 Pocket | Revolver |
United States
|
350,000 | ||
| Modèle 1892 revolver | Revolver |
France
|
350,000 | ||
| MAC Mle 1950 | Semi-automatic pistol | 341,900 | |||
| MAS 1873 revolver | Revolver | 337,000 | |||
| M1917 revolver | Revolver |
United States
|
300,000 | ||
| Steyr M1912 | Semi-automatic pistol |
Austria-Hungary
|
300,000 | ||
| Pistolet modèle An XIII | Flintlock pistol |
France
|
300,000 | ||
| MAS-49 | Semi-automatic rifle | 295,840 | |||
| Chauchat | Light machine gun | 262,000 | |||
| Heckler & Koch G36 | Assault rifle |
Germany
|
260,000+ | ||
| TEC-9 | Semi-automatic pistol |
United States
|
257,434 | ||
| Colt Model 1851 Navy | Revolver |
United States
|
257,000 | ||
| Howa Type 64 | Battle rifle |
Japan
|
230,000 | ||
| Lewis gun | Light machine gun |
United Kingdom
|
202,050 | ||
| Colt Model 1860 Army | Revolver |
United States
|
200,500 | ||
| MAB Model D pistol | Semi-automatic pistol |
France
|
200,000+ | ||
| Škorpion vz. 61 | Submachine gun | Czechoslovakia | 200,000 | ||
| FM 24/29 light machine gun | Light machine gun | France | 190,400 | ||
| Colt Model 1877 Lightning | Revolver |
United States
|
166,849 | ||
| Winchester Model 1866 | Lever-action rifle | 157,625 | |||
| FN Model 1903 | Semi-automatic pistol |
Belgium
|
153,173 | ||
| Model 1795 Musket | Musket |
United States
|
150,000 | ||
| Colt Diamondback | Revolver | 130,000 | |||
| Webley Revolver | Revolver |
United Kingdom
|
125,000 | ||
| Beretta AR70/90 | Assault rifle |
Italy
|
120,000 | ||
| Colt Open-Top Pocket | Revolver |
United States
|
114,200 |
Citations
- Jenzen-Jones, N.R. (January 2017). Global Development and Production of Self-loading Service Rifles: 1896 to the Present (PDF). Working Paper 25. Small Arms Survey. ISBN 978-2-940548-34-7. JSTOR resrep10728. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2017.
External links
- Colt serial numbers:Serial Number Data