When COVID-19 reared its ugly head in March, it had a pretty profound effect on the gun industry. We immediately name it “Gun Salesman of the Year” as gun sales surged. The FBI report a 24.7 percent year-over-year increase in NICS checks for April. Then for May, the NSSF reported a 75.2 percent year-over-year increase. But with that much of an increase, what are the highest-selling guns so far in 2020? Well, now we have the answer.
The Highest-Selling Guns & States
The NSSF just released a report on gun sales so far in 2020. It covers the period between Jan. 1 and May 31. The report pulls data from GunBroker.com, so it’s not 100-percent accurate as to all sales in the U.S. However, it gives us a pretty good idea of what people are shopping for.
Along with the highest selling guns of 2020, the report also details what states bought the most pistols and rifles so far. For revolvers, the top three states in order were Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania. For semi-auto pistols, those rankings remain the same. Moving onto bolt-action rifles, the order changes to Texas, Pennsylvania, then Florida. For lever-action rifles, the order is Texas, Florida, and California. Lastly, semi-auto rifles goes back to Texas, Florida, and then Pennsylvania. So, Texas reigns supreme — no surprises there.
But what about specific gun sales? The NSSF broke sales down by age bracket: Sales for people under the age of 50, and sales for people ages 50 to 99. Here’s a look at the data we received.
Top 10 Revolvers (Under Age 50)
- Ruger Wrangler
- Colt Python
- Smith & Wesson 642
- Heritage Arms Rough Rider Revolver Rifle
- Ruger GP-100
- Smith & Wesson 629
- Ruger Blackhawk
- Heritage Arms Rough Rider
- Taurus 856
- Smith & Wesson 686 Plus
Top 10 Revolvers (Ages 50-99)
- Colt Python
- Ruger Wrangler
- Smith & Wesson 642
- Ruger GP-100
- Smith & Wesson 629
- Heritage Arms Rough Rider Revolver Rifle
- Ruger Blackhawk
- Colt King Cobra
- Ruger SP101
- Smith & Wesson 686 Plus
Top 10 Semi-Auto Pistols (Under Age 50)
- Sig Sauer P320
- Glock G19
- Springfield Hellcat
- Sig Sauer P365 Nitron Micro-Compact
- Beretta M9A3
- Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield
- Springfield XD(M)
- Glock G19 GEN4
- Glock G43
- Beretta 92FS
Top 10 Semi-Auto Pistols (Ages 50-99)
- Sig Sauer P320
- Springfield Hellcat
- Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield
- Glock G19
- Sig Sauer P365 Nitron Micro-Compact
- Kimber Stainless II
- Ruger Ruger-57
- Beretta 92FS
- Beretta M9A3
- KEL-TEC PMR-30
Top 10 Semi-Auto Rifles (Under Age 50)
- Ruger AR-556
- KEL-TEC Sub-2000
- Smith & Wesson M&P 15
- S&W M&P15 SPORT II
- Smith & Wesson M&P Sport II
- Springfield Saint
- Diamondback Firearms DB15
- Ruger 10/22
- The Ruger PC Carbine
- Ruger 10/22 Carbine
Top 10 Semi-Auto Rifles (Ages 50-99)
- Ruger AR-556
- Ruger PC Carbine
- KEL-TEC Sub-2000
- Ruger 10/22
- Smith & Wesson M&P15
- Smith & Wesson M&P15 SPORT II
- Bushmaster XM-15
- Ruger 10/22 Carbine
- Smith & Wesson M&P Sport II
- Springfield Saint
The rest of the NSSF’s report includes bolt-action rifles, lever-action rifles, average price, and historical data. Be sure to check it out.
