Most Popular Guns
Via DAMIT, comes How Stuff Works Top 5 Most Popular Guns – and Why. The guns are:
1. Thompson/Center Arms Muzzle Loader
2. Remington 870 Pump-Action
3. Bushmaster AR-15
4. Smith & Wesson Model 10
5. Colt M1911
I wonder how they determined most popular? I imagine that the Glock is more popular than the Thompson or Bushy.
November 11th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Because all Bushmasters share the same model number on the lower receiver (XM15E2S) while Glock sells… what, twenty-something different models now?
And “T/C muzzle loader” covers a LOT of ground, from the cheapest kit guns sold in blister packs to 209×50 Encores. Considering that dedicated hunters buy a new one every couple years, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that there were just absolutely jillions of the things out there.
November 11th, 2009 at 11:36 am
They way I read that, it’s:
1. Most popular muzzleloader
2. Most popular shotgun
3. Most popular EBR
4. Most popular revolver
5. Most popular pistol
November 11th, 2009 at 11:37 am
…and clicking over to the article,
“We also considered guns across five major small arms categories — muzzleloaders, shotguns, rifles, revolvers and pistols.”
November 11th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
And “T/C muzzle loader” covers a LOT of ground, from the cheapest kit guns sold in blister packs to 209×50 Encores. Considering that dedicated hunters buy a new one every couple years, it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that there were just absolutely jillions of the things out there.
The other thing to consider is that you don’t need a NICS check to buy one. Under federal and most state laws, it’s not considered a ‘firearm’, and therefore isn’t subject to many of the restrictions on firearms.
November 11th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
I’m not real sure how a third of GUN sales can be ammunition, a cartridge is not a firearm.
November 11th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
IIRC, tracked by excise taxes, which are paid on both guns and ammo.
November 11th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Wizardpc for the win.
November 11th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Hmm. I can’t see how specifically a Colt 1911 is the most popular.
November 11th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I would think that popularity in this case is based entirely off of sales. Let’s face it, the M1911 has almost a century of sales that Glock hasn’t had time to catch up with.
I like both pistols, but you can tell which one I prefer (I own a Glock 22, but no 1911). It’s at least nice that they mention the Glock in the sidebar.
November 12th, 2009 at 8:45 am
“I can’t see how specifically a Colt 1911 is the most popular.”
M1911-type pistols are made by literally dozens of manufacturers in a half-dozen countries. Glocks are made by Glock in Austria.
(Although the mindless hysteric koolaid-drinking loyalty of Glock fans surpasses any other type of handgun, even that of HK fanboys, so that should count for something. I know; I was a moderator at Glocktalk. I had a Glock desktop theme in Windows 95 on my Pentium. I was a GSSF member. I’ve been to Mecc… er, Smyrna. I had to be deprogrammed before I could bring myself to admit to liking other guns.)
If they were going to be straight-up honest, the Browning High Power or the CZ-75 is probably the world-wide winner, though; they’re almost universal.
November 12th, 2009 at 9:29 am
But on the others, they say specific brands. Colt being a specific brand. I would venture that springfield sells more 1911s than colt.
November 12th, 2009 at 9:31 am
You’re right.
Heck, I’d venture that Springfield sells more, say, G.I. Milspec Champions in OD green than Colt does all pistols of all kinds including Peacemakers….
November 14th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
To whom are these popular? The people who responded to a survey? The non-gunning members of the board that decided which article to assemble?
Fuss about naming conventions all you want, but you’re forgetting the part of the picture that shows where the data came from.