Gun manufacturing volume rose slightly from 2005 to 2006, BATFE records show.
The ATF’s latest Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report (AFMER) provides valuable insight into the performance of individual companies and the type of firearms they produce. ATF embargoes the data for one year, so 2006 is the latest data
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available.
Highlights from the 2006 numbers include:
Total firearms production in 2006 increased 3.3 percent, following a 4-percent uptick in 2005. Pistol and rifle production increased the most in 2006, while shotguns posted a slight increase, and revolvers a 14-percent decline.
In 2006, Remington Arms Co. outpaced other U.S. firearm manufacturers by slightly more than 175,000 firearms to top the Gun Tests list of the Top 5 U.S. Manufacturers. This is the sixth straight year Remington has achieved the number-one ranking, making only long guns. With 603,279 firearms, Remington led Mossberg (425,761), Smith & Wesson (408,095), Sturm, Ruger (403,272), and Savage (122,438) in total manufacturing.
The Top 5 U.S. Manufacturers by category in 2006, the numbers of firearms they produced, and their percent changes from 2005, were:
l Total Manufacturing 2006: Remington Arms, 603,279 (-9.29%); O.F. Mossberg & Sons, 425,761 (46.71%); Smith & Wesson, 408,095 (23.99%); Sturm Ruger & Co., 403,272 (-2.57%); and Savage Arms, Inc., 122,438 (2.10%).
–The top pistol manufacturers were Smith & Wesson, 223,017 (-1.34%); Sturm Ruger & Co., 100,976 (-23.85%); Sig Sauer, 90,107 (-1.18%); Kel-Tec CNC, 82,727 (26.79%); and Beretta USA, 74,791 (16.40%).
–The top revolver manufacturers were Smith & Wesson, 185,078 (-72.06%); Sturm Ruger & Co., 105,830 (44.30%); Heritage Mfg. Co., 34,298 (24.02%); North American Arms, 31,065 (32.58%); and Charco, 9,857 (61.88%).
–The top rifle manufacturers were Remington, 304,721 (0.80%); Marlin, 226,761 (9.39%); Ruger, 196,466 (-10.74%); Savage, 122,438 (+3.34%); and Argus Publications (Henry Repeating Arms), 106,243 (+11.10%).
–The top shotgun manufacturers were Remington, 294,167 (-5.08%); Mossberg, 225,909 (11.53%); H&R 1871, 87,268 (0.36%); Maverick Arms, 82,744 (19.92%); and Legacy Sports Int’l., 8,831, which didn’t record any 2005 sales, according to the report. Instead, the fifth-largest shotgun seller in 2005 was U.S Repeating Arms Co., with 30,517.
–As a share of manufacturing, Remington accounted for 16.5% of the total firearms produced in 2006, followed by Mossberg, 11.66%; S&W, 11.18%; Ruger, 11.05%; and Savage, 3.35%. All told, those five companies accounted for almost 54% of the guns manufactured in the U.S. in 2006.
To examine the AFMER report for yourself, log on to our sister site, GunReports.com, navigate the top bar and find “Gun News,” and download the PDFs for 2006 and 2005. GT
