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 wouldn’t ever argue against a M1911, though I prefer a .38SUPER with ten 147 grain +P+ JHP to seven .45AP rounds, w/o reloading.
Fwiw, I’m in the process of buying a MINT Series 70 Colt’s 1911 in .38SUPER, w/3 extra magazines for 500.oo, as I write these lines, to carry on-duty as a SDUSM.
Yours, TMN78247
The late ‘80s called ... they want the “caliber wars” back.
The M&P (S&W) is my fav 9mm shooter by far. Great grip. Has the green built in laser.
Now that there is funny I don't care who you are.
There’s also us small men to remember as well.
Oh I still think the 1911 is a fine gun. I would be perfectly content to use one for the rest of my life. I would get 8 round mags tho.
After all is said and done the high quality, high capacity 9’s are better.
Actually if I had to choose just one gun and was not concerned with price, it would be a Glock full size in 10mm or maybe a Sig P210 in the same caliber.
If you don’t have regrets about guns bought, guns sold, or the ones that got away... you’re not a real gun guy.
Ballistic illiteracy is a thing, in my experience. A .452, 230 grain solid round moving at 750~ fps compared to a .355” JHP round moving at almost double the velocity of a .45, opening to double it’s size WHILE MAINTAINING that velocity. It’s called math. Modern 9mm loads are mathematically superior to .45ACP.
Now, if you wanna start getting into .460 Rowland conversions for the obsolete .45ACP, I’ll chat it up all day. I wanna convert my 1927A1 Thompson to .460 and make it a hog gun
And by the way, before someone calls me a hypocrite for running a Thompson after what I say about .45, I got better muzzle velocity than a 1911 due to a rifle-length barrel.
9mm Luger...good enough for Wehrmacht good enough for me.
Keep churning them out!
Good enough for a whole lot of people.
Don’t feel bad. I bought a cherry hi power when I was stationed in Germany. Then came LBJagoff and his Gun Control Act of 1968. Had to leave it and an equally mint PPK behind. The son of a bitch.
I found the Hungarian FEG PJK-9HP to be an exact clone of the pre-’73 Browning HP (the year they went from round to spur hammer). Finish is all but identical.
They were used by the IDF & can still be found on gunbroker.com. I’ll take steel frame over composite any day.
Blue steel & wood - the only materials a gun should be made of.
“I carry a Browning Hi-Power, it has 17+1 rounds of federal hst 124gr and I think that’s at least as good as a 1911”
I retired mine in favor of a Glock. But it’s in it’s own shelf in my gun cabinet. I actually had to pull it once.
Now her Talking!
.
Love Thompsons!
Most of us own and operate 9s and .45s.
Malcolm X favored the Browning Hi-Power. At least that’s what Alex Haley records in his “autobiography.”
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