What handgun is most prevalent in the U.S.?

Status
Not open for further replies.

TheOtherOne

Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2002
Messages
1,422
Location
Ogden
Counting everybody, police, military and regular citizens. I would guess either the S&W 357, 1911, or Glock (because of all the police departments that have them).

Are there any actual numbers out there?
 
Interesting.

I don't know but I'de bet the 1911, especially if the guns that use a slightly different operating system, like the Kimbers are included.
 
Prevailiant for what? Just plain numbers produced or sold? Or LEO handguns (Glocks.. I bet.) Allot of 1911s out there, but allot of Glocks to!
 
Prevailiant for what?
As in exist. No matter who has them: Police, military, civilians. Is it the Beretta 92F, because that's what the military issues or do you think there are still more regular joe's out there with .357's in their sock drawers?
 
For the specific gun I would guess the S&W k frame M&P or AKA Model 10 38 Special. Been producing them for a hunnert years steady. YMMV
 
.38 revolvers
1911's
Ruger MKI - MKII
Ruger P-series all calibers
Glock's all calibers

All have sales in the millions.
 
S&W Model 10 and all of its .38 Special cousins. The number of just those types of revos probably still eclipses the last 34 years of auto production by all makers. Before the 1970s there was the 1911 family, war prizes, a few high powers, and a couple of S&W autos primarily. There were millions of .38 Special revolvers floating around and they were still at their height of sales then.
 
As in exist. No matter who has them: Police, military, civilians. Is it the Beretta 92F, because that's what the military issues or do you think there are still more regular joe's out there with .357's in their sock drawers?

I doubt Berettas. Smith K frame revolvers maybe, or Glocks, or 1911s in various flavors. If just one brand and model, then I would say Smith M10s or Glock 17s. You find them an almost any store.
 
If we were weren't talking about a specific brand, I'd say .38 Special revolvers in the K frame or the equivalent, followed by 1911 styled pistols.
 
I'd have to say .38 Spec. revolvers in all brands and flavors. They've been making them by the ship loads for over a hundred years and still are today. 1911s in all the various types and brands would probably be second, especially when you add in all the Llama, Star and other foriegn variations on the Colt/Browning theme.
 
S&W .38 sp and copies (tauras & rossy). Does anyone not own one or has never owned one? Joe Schmoe owns a .38 special and he keeps it in his sock drawer. When you ask if someone keeps a gun around the house they say "yea, I only have a .38, nothin' like you have though".:D
 
Right off S&W website:
In fact, our .38 Special is so popular, the Smith & Wesson Model 10 firearm that fires it is the only handgun in the world that's been in continuous production since it was introduced in 1899, and to date, over 6 million units have been produced.
 
I might have to get me a Model 10 just for nostalgia purposes! :) I don't have a revolver yet and my first one was going to be te S&W Model 66, but who knows now.
 
Yeah... total in existance would probably be the M&P/Model 10.

Total purchased each year over the last 10 years... G17, G19, G22 and G23 would be way high up there as would all Berettas M9 derivatives taken together.

1911s would have to be up there, esp if you count Kimbers, Colts and Springfields and the various sizes... From 1914-1945 you have a whole lotta military guns and even today, Kimber alone builds over 30,000 per year.
 
Seems that only 2.5 million Glocks have been sold world wide. The military's Berretta numbers seem to be less than half a million, although that may only be the Army's M9s delivered. I cannot find any numbers for the civilian 92 series.

All those numbers pale in comparison.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top