Posted on 08/24/2019 4:22:20 PM PDT by PROCON
U.S.-based gun makers produced over 8.6 million new firearms last year, with almost a quarter of those being 9mm pistols. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Initial gun production numbers are in from 2018, showing an increase from the previous year’s figures and the solid popularity of 9mm handguns.
According to the latest figures from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 8,669,259 new firearms of all sorts were produced last year. This is up from 8,327,792 released into commerce in 2017.
The largest single category of firearms produced in 2018 was in pistols chambered larger than .380ACP to 9mm, with 2,281,450 handguns logged. This is up significantly from 1,756,618 in the same category reported in 2017.
By further comparison, 11.49 million new firearms were produced in 2016 — a modern record — while just over 9 million were produced in both 2015 and 2014. Earlier in the century, domestic gun production numbers remained largely constant at between 3 to 4 million from 2000 to 2008 and then began surging upwards to the 2016 peak, coinciding with the administration of President Obama.
The latest information comes as part of the interim installment of the ATF’s Annual Firearms Manufacturers and Export Report. These reports, compiled from all licensed gun makers in the country large and small, are delayed a year due to the Trade Secrets Act. Because of this, the full 2018 data, broken down by manufacturers, will not be available until next year.
According to the full 2017 report, the top six domestic makers of 9mm pistols in the country by volume– not counting firearms that were imported from overseas– were Smith & Wesson (606,732 produced), Sig Sauer (368,264), Ruger (163,865), SCCY (150,235), Kimber (98,385) and Glock (94,665).
I have the SFS trigger/hammer system on mine, to put it on safe you push the hammer forward. flicking the safety off cocks the hammer and you’re ready to shoot
Well, at least they’re only 9mm.
Looks like Smith is getting the economy of scale thing going.
They’re both John Browning designs, so he gets a pass.
The 9mm is just a glorified metric 38. Wimpy by my standards.I carry a .45acp and comfortable with it. I’d rather carry my DE 50 A&E but too hard to conceal.
Modern 9mm ammo is just as deadly as .45.
And neither of them is instant.
Unlike the movies.
That’s why, if you have to shoot...empty the magazine to hurry up the process.
I couldn’t afford the Browning so I settled for an HK USP.
There are a whole bunch of copies of the Hi-Power. They vary from Fair to excellent. Some licensed but most are not. Probably the best was a Canadian Inglis. It was a great pistol despite a war time finish.
I got my first Browning in 1969. Bought it from King’s Hardware in Defuniak Springs. It was a work of art. Cost $104.50.
I have seen a few with equally good finish and one, a very early Astra 400 which was better. It actually had a real cobalt blue finish.
They all need good homes. Please consider adopting one.
“REAL men carry a 1911!”
Great for hot weather outings, especially swimming! ;-)
According to Smith and Wesson’s website, they’ve sold over a million M&P Shields alone!
https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/mp-9-shield-0
Just picked up a Taurus G2C. Great price, nice gun, even has the 1911 thumb safety. Got jacked on the $25 refund they offered. Claimed I didn’t send the right UPC. As of this writing I didn’t check. But still.
Perhaps but everyone is NOT “a real man” & is in fact a small in stature woman, I would suggest that they look into buying something like the “police surplus” Model 81 or 85 Beretta pistols (that are all over the place, these days) in .32ACP or in .380ACP.
Almost ALL of the Italian Civilian Police “trade-ins” that I’ve seen are in FLAWLESS mechanical condition internally, vary from 95-100% external original finish, have a capacity of 13 rounds, feed HPs well, are less than 300.oo to purchase & are perfectly suitable for EVERY DAY CARRY for SELF-DEFENSE out to 20M, especially for people who have SMALLER hands and/or are “recoil sensitive”. = It’s FAR BETTER to HIT a vicious predator in the K-5 area with a .32ACP or .380ACP JHP “double-tap” than to MISS any number of times with a .45ACP
Fwiw, I’m seriously considering buying a Model 81 (or possibly a pair of 81s) “in somewhat holster-worn external condition but NRA excellent internally” at 249.95 plus S&H, to refinish for a tacklebox pistol and/or a spare/loaners.
Btw, I’ve carried my Sig-Sauer P225/P6 in 9x19mm ON/OFF duty as a LEO, for over 15 years, loaded with nine 115 grain +P JHP & never felt “under gunned”.
Yours, TMN78247
The one I linked to is currently in production ... Inglis? not so much ...
I have an early 1990’s vintage Browning “Made in Belgium Assembled in Portugal” P-35 ... very nice, my favorite handgun.
Black Friday 2 years ago, Walmart had a $49.00 rebate on a Samsung cell phone. The rebate was from Walmart not Samsung.
They made it very hard to complete. I suspect on purpose. After 4 tries I finally got it.
Why is 9mm wimpy? Modern loads expand to .73 while travelling around 1200 feet per second, whereas your .45only runs about 750 fps with no or minimal expansion.
Not o my that, but the same magazines space that can hold 8 .45 rounds can hold 10 9mm rounds, with less recoil. AND cheaper ammunition.
.45 ACP is a dinosaur round and those who tout it’s superiority over 9mm are ballistically illiterate.
I bought my son the exactly alike Taurus Millenium model for his 21st b-day awhile back.
But out at the range I'm still more accurate with my Glock 19.
Fact; More guns do not produce more crime.
Ballistically
Illiterate,
.
New
Term
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