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 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 by Oxfam in 2012 put the production of firearm cartridges at 12 billion per year, or approximately 32.9 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 seriesClass of firearmOriginLow estimate of productionHigh estimate of productionNotesKalashnikov AK-47 (and derivatives)Assault rifle40,000,000150,000,0005 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 MaadiMauser Gewehr 98 (and similar)Bolt-action rifle20,000,000102,000,000Mosin–Nagant 37,000,000M16/M4/AR-15 and derivativesAssault rifle/semi-automatic rifle15,000,00020,000,00010 million military M16/M4, (Colt production only as of 2011) 5-10 million civilian AR-15 (as of 2016)Lee–EnfieldBolt-action rifle16,000,000Skennerton, Ian (1993). The Lee–Enfield Story. Gold Coast QLD (Australia): Arms & Militaria Press. .17,000,000SKSSemi-automatic rifle5,000,00015,000,000Mossberg 500Pump-action shotgun10,000,00012,000,000Remington 87010,000,00011,000,000+Marlin Model 60Semi-automatic rifle11,000,000IMI UziSubmachine gun2,000,00010,000,000Arisaka Type 30/38/99Bolt-action rifle7,000,00010,000,000~560,000 Type 30, 3 million plus Type 38 3.5 million or more Type 99GlockSemi-automatic pistol10,000,00020,000,0005 million sold by 2007 and 1 million in 2013 alone. 800,000+ imported into the US in 2012Makarov pistol5,000,00010,000,0005 million at the Izhevsk factory aloneM1 GarandSemi-automatic rifle8,200,000Heckler & Koch G3Battle rifle 8,000,000Winchester Model 1894Lever-action rifle6,000,0007,500,000FN FAL (and derivatives)Battle rifle5,000,0007,000,0002 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 C1Musket Model 1777Musket7,000,000M1/M2/M3 CarbineCarbine Automatic carbine (M2/M3)6,500,000Type 63Assault rifle1,000,0006,000,000PPSh-41Submachine gun5,000,0006,000,000Marlin Model 336Lever-action rifle6,000,000Smith & Wesson Model 10Revolver6,000,000Ruger 10/22Semi-automatic rifle5,000,0006,000,000Remington Model 700Bolt-action rifle5,000,000Walther PP/PPKSemi-automatic pistol5,000,000M1911 (and copies)3,000,0005,000,0002,700,000 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-MolinaSTEN gunSubmachine gun3,500,0004,500,000Carcano Modello 1891Bolt-action rifle3,000,0004,500,000'Brown Bess' Land Pattern MusketMusket3,000,0004,300,0003 million India Pattern Short Land Carbine made from 1795 1.6 million made in Birmingham and 2.7 million in LondonRemington Model 1100Semi-automatic shotgun3,000,0004,000,000Ruger Single Six/ Blackhawk/VaqueroRevolver4,000,000~1.5 million Single Six
~2 million Blackhawk
~650,000 VaqueroLebel Model 1886Bolt-action rifle3,500,000Beretta 92Semi-automatic pistol3,500,000Pattern 1914 Enfield(and derivatives)Bolt-action rifle3,427,7613,500,0001,257 Pattern 1913 Enfieldmore than 1,000,000 Pattern 1914 Enfield more than 2,000,000 M1917 Enfield ~28,000 Remington Model 30Mannlicher M18952,500,0003,500,000Berdan M1870Single-shot bolt-action rifle3,200,000Browning M2Heavy machine gun3,000,000Ruger StandardSemi-automatic pistol2,000,0003,000,000Springfield M1903Bolt-action rifle3,000,000Luger ParabellumSemi-automatic pistol2,000,0003,000,000Browning Auto-5Semi-automatic shotgun2,000,0003,000,000Browning made its 2 millionth gun in 1974 Also produced as the Remington Model 11 and Savage Model 720 and 745Nagant M1895Revolver2,600,0003,000,000+QBZ-95Assault rifle3,000,000Gewehr 1888Bolt-action rifle2,000,0002,800,000Remington Model 740/742/7400 WoodsmasterSemi-automatic rifle1,700,0002,500,000Fusil Gras mle 1874Single-shot bolt-action rifle2,500,000M14Battle rifle1,530,0002,380,0001.38 million US M14 ~150,000 – 1 million Taiwanese T57Marlin Model 1891, 1892, 1897 and 39Lever-action rifle2,200,000M1917 EnfieldBolt-action rifle2,193,429M1917 Enfield (American Enfield) Bolt-Action Service RifleBerthier Models 1890-19072,000,000+Winchester Model 1912/42Pump-action shotgun2,000,000Winchester Model 70/670/770Bolt-action rifle2,000,000Winchester Model 1892 (and copies)Lever-action rifle2,000,000Ruger M77Bolt-action rifle2,000,000PPS-42/43Submachine gun2,000,000Baikal/IMZ MP-27Double-barrelled shotgun1,500,000+2,000,000+Ithaca 37Pump-action shotgun2,000,000Raven MP-25Semi-automatic pistol2,000,000FN M1906/Colt M1908 Vest Pocket/ FN Baby Browning2,000,000FN Model 1910, 1922 and Browning Model 1955 1,786,0002,000,000704,000 Model 1910, 486,000+ Model 1922,
619,000 Model 1955Winchester Models 1900 — 68Single-shot bolt-action rifle1,750,0002,000,000Springfield Model 1861 and 1863Rifle-musket1,500,0002,000,0001 million M1861 and 500,000-700,000 M1863
750,000 Model 1863 Type IIRuger P-seriesSemi-automatic pistol1,000,0002,000,000Mauser Model 1871Bolt-action rifle2,000,000Over 1 million single-shot M1871 and 1.1 million magazine-fed M1871/84 'Chassepot' Fusil Modèle 1866Single-shot rifle2,000,000Winchester Model 1200/1300/120Pump-action shotgun1,900,000Stevens Model 87Semi-automatic rifle1,000,0001,800,000Thompson submachine gunSubmachine gun1,700,000TT pistolSemi-automatic pistol1,700,000SVT-38 and SVT-40Semi-automatic rifle1,000,000+1,600,000Winchester Model 1890 and 1906Pump-action rifle1,600,000Colt Police Positive Special and Detective SpecialRevolver1,500,000Beretta M1934 and M1935Semi-automatic pistol1,500,0001 million plus Model 1934
525,000 Model 1935Harrington & Richardson Young America Double ActionRevolver1,500,000Ruger Security-Six/ Speed Six/ Service Six1,240,0001,500,000Ruger LCPSemi-automatic pistol1,500,000Browning Hi-Power1,000,0001,500,000A BBC article claims 10 million. 650,000 may have been produced in Indian arsenals.Remington Model 760/7600 GamemasterPump-action rifle1,000,0001,500,0001,034,462 of the Model 760 alone were made from 1952-1980Vetterli M1870Bolt-action rifle1,500,000Remington Rolling BlockSingle-shot rifle1,500,000Pattern 1853 EnfieldRifle-musket1,500,000MP 38 and MP 40Submachine gun1,100,0001,500,000INSASAssault rifle700,0001,400,000Based on strength of Indian army (1.3 million) and annual production rate. In service 1998-2017.Schmidt–Rubin Model 1889 etc.Bolt-action rifle1,366,000Harrington & Richardson Model 2 Double ActionRevolver1,300,000Smith & Wesson N-frame (including models 27, 28 and 29)1,300,000333,454 S-prefix serial numbers 970,000 N-prefix serial numbersMannlicher M1886 and M1888Bolt-action rifle1,200,000Walther P38Semi-automatic pistol1,173,000WWII production aloneSmith & Wesson I-Frame (Model 30 & 31, Model 32 & 33 and Model 34 & 35)Revolver1,169,000Model 30 and 31: 826,977 Model 32 and 33: 122,678
Model 34 and 35: 219,801Dreyse Needle GunSingle-shot rifle1,150,000MAS-36Bolt-action rifle1,100,000Ruger Mini-14/AC556Semi-automatic rifle1,000,000+CZ 75 series (B, Omega, SP-01 models)Semi-automatic pistol1,000,000+Mauser C96 (and derivatives)Semi-automatic pistol Machine pistol1,000,000+920,000-984,000 C96, 98,000 M712 'Schnellfeuer' Tens of thousands of Spanish and Chinese copiesBeretta Model 38Submachine gun1,000,000Marlin Model 1894Lever-action rifle1,000,000+Savage Model 991,000,000+PK machine gunGeneral-purpose machine gun1,000,000+Smith & Wesson M&P ShieldSemi-automatic pistol1,000,000+1 million mark reached in December 2015Henry Lever-Action .22Lever-action rifle1,000,000+Announced in December 2017Remington Nylon 66Semi-automatic rifle1,050,350Winchester Model 1897Pump-action shotgun1,024,700Colt Army Special/Official Police/ .357/Trooper/Lawman/PythonRevolver1,000,000DShKHeavy machine gun1,000,000Vz. 58Assault rifle1,000,000Taurus Millennium series Semi-automatic pistol1,000,000Nearly 1 million before 2015/16 recall, still in productionDaewoo Precision Industries K2Assault rifle1,000,000"Nearly a million" in 2017, still in production and being exportedFN Browning M1900Semi-automatic pistol724,5501,000,000Martini-HenrySingle-shot rifle500,0001,000,000Total390 million645 million
Designs produced in numbers from 100,000 to 1,000,000
Model or seriesClass of firearmOrigin Low estimate of production High estimate of productionNotesGabilondo Ruby (and similar)Semi-automatic pistol700,000900,000The term "Ruby" is often also applied to "Ruby-style" pistols produced by 45 companies other than Gabilondo and its official partners.Degtyaryov machine gunLight machine gun792,000Krag-Jørgensen RifleBolt-action rifle748,500< +750,000Official rifle of the US military from 1892-4 until 1904.Ruger GP100Revolver734,500Colt 1903/1908 Pocket HammerlessSemi-automatic pistol710,000572,215 in .32 ACP and 138,009 in .380 ACPWinchester Model 1873Lever-action rifle702,000SIG SG 510Battle rifle700,000MAT-49Submachine gun700,000Colt WoodsmanSemi-automatic pistol690,000+Lorenz rifleRifle-musket688,000Werndl–Holub rifleSingle-shot rifle686,000Model 1816 MusketMusket675,000M3 submachine gunSubmachine gun655,363Iannamico, Frank, The U.S. M3-3A1 Submachine Gun, Moose Lake Publishing, , (1999), pp. 14, 22–24, 34–39, 44–46, 54–55, 59–63, 67, 73–74SA80Assault rifle600,000SIG SG 550600,000MG 34General-purpose machine gun577,120Folke Myrvang (2003), MG34-MG42: German Universal Machineguns. Collector Grade PublicationsBrowning M1917 and M1919Machine gun567,340The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Chris Bishop. Sterling Publishing Company. 2002. p. 240Tula-Korovin TKSemi-automatic pistol500,000Colt Single Action ArmyRevolver457,000357,000 from 1873 to 1940. 100,000 from 1956 to 1978.