What Guns And Rifles Are Americans Buying (At Near Record Numbers)?

American firearms sales have remained strong throughout this year. Even as July saw a slight decline from the record-setting numbers of 2020, when a combination of factors including lockdowns from the pandemic and increased social unrest served as a catalyst for the best year the industry has had, it was still the second-highest July for overall firearms sales, ever.

Who Is Making Money?
Firearms makers big and small have reported increased sales, and last month Springfield, Mass.-based Smith & Wesson reported that its sales more than doubled in its last fiscal year to $1.1 billion. The company’s sales certainly remained strong into July, when the company claimed the top spots on Guns.com top firearms sales charts for the month with its M&P 15 Sport II Optics Ready, an AR-style modern sporting rifle that the company noted was engineered for a wide variety of recreational, sport shooting and even professional applications.

Chambered for .556mm NATO and .223, the M&P 15 Sport II has been seen as an affordable AR with an MSRP just under $800, while according to GunWatcher.com sales could be found online for less than $700. In addition to being the top seller according to Guns.com, the rifle was also the fourth-best selling semi-automatic rifle on the online firearms auction platform GunBroker.com.