February 20th, 2014

Top Guns — America’s Most Popular Rifles and Pistols

Here at AccurateShooter.com we tend to focus on highly-accurate (1/2-MOA or better), custom-built bolt-action rifles. But for home defense, deer hunting, or just having fun with the grand-kids, factory-built firearms serve their purpose. With that in mind, we wondered, “Just what are the most popular mass-production firearms these days?” To get a complete answer you must consider both new AND “previously owned” sales figures. Gunbroker.com, the biggest firearms auction site, recently tallied the top-selling firearms in various categories. Below we present Gunbroker’s January 2014 “Best Sellers” among rifles and pistols.

Some things we expected — the Rem 700 is the top-ranking bolt-action rifle, and the Ruger 10/22 was the leading semi-auto rifle. But in the pistol rankings, there were some surprises. Despite being out of production, the Colt Python is the best-selling revolver. Why is an out-of-production gun a top-seller? First, high-grade Pythons are actually increasing in value, making this “snake” a good investment. Pythons are also highly accurate, beautifully-finished revolvers with superb triggers. These qualities make the guns highly desirable to serious shooters as well as collectors.

Top-Selling Firearms on Gunbroker.com

Bolt-Action Rifle Semi-Auto Rifle Single-Shot Rifle Lever Rifle

1. Remington 700
2. Winchester 70
3. Ruger 77
4. Ruger American Rifle
5. Ruger M77

1. Ruger 10/22
2. Smith & Wesson M&P
3. Ruger Mini-14
4. Kel Tec Sub 2000
5. Springfield M1A

1. Ruger No. 1
2. T/C Pro Hunter
3. Winchester 1885
4. T/C Encore
5. Browning 1885

1. Winchester 94
2. Winchester 1894
3. Marlin 336
4. Marlin 1895
5. Marlin 1894

Remington 700

Semi-Auto Pistols Revolvers Single-Shot Pistols

1. Smith & Wesson M&P
2. Sig Sauer P226
3. Sig Sauer P238
4. Glock 42
5. Colt 1911

1. Colt Python
2. Smith & Wesson 686
3. Ruger Blackhawk
4. Smith & Wesson 629
5. Ruger GP-100

1. T/C Contender
2. Remington XP-100
3. T/C Encore
4. Bond Texas Defender
5. Colt Derringer

Colt Python (Royal Blue) — An Appreciating Asset
Colt Python Revolver

Colt Python Revolver