Top 10 Gun Manufacturers in the World in 2017

The top 10 gun manufacturers in the world in 2017 had a lot to cheer about last year, as gun sales soared to a record high in the U.S. 27 million guns were sold in the country in 2016, with gun sales setting monthly records for an impressive 19 months in a row.

Interestingly, gun sales surged under President Obama, who was an advocate of stricter gun control, while they began slowing almost immediately after Donald Trump succeeded him as President. It appears the effect was similar to what we see after mass shootings, when gun sales tend to jump, partly on fears that the incident could lead to stricter gun control laws in the future.

However, that may not have been the case after the mass shooting in Las Vegas, with several gun stores stating that they saw no uptick in gun sales. With Trump, who is pro-gun ownership, far less likely to enact changes to gun control, there is little incentive for people to rush out and buy guns now. As one gun shop owner told the Daily Mail, Obama was the greatest gun salesmen the world has ever seen. Citing that, Barron’s recently stated that gun stocks look overvalued at the moment, without any near-term catalysts to drive growth.

Evan El-Amin/Shutterstock.com

Sales have slumped so much under Trump that his administration is considering loosening export regulations that would allow top gun manufacturers in 2017 like Sturm Ruger & Company Inc (NYSE:RGR), American Outdoor Brands Corp (NASDAQ:AOBC), and Vista Outdoor Inc (NYSE:VSTO) to export more of their firearms overseas.

That would be welcome news for gun companies like American Outdoor Brands Corp (NASDAQ:AOBC), whose second-quarter gun sales plunged by 50% from a year ago, including a 66% year-over-year decline in long gun sales. Sturm Ruger & Company Inc (NYSE:RGR) currently does just 5% of its business overseas, giving it huge growth potential. However, it remains to be seen how much demand there is overseas for U.S guns, as Europe and Russia have their own prominent gunmakers. U.S gun stocks surged at the prospect nonetheless.

If there’s any doubt as to what country makes the most guns, it is indeed the U.S. In terms of gun ownership per capita by country, the U.S is also atop the heap, at 88.8 guns per 100 citizens, a full 34 ahead of the next closest country, Yemen.

On the following pages, we’ll list the top 10 gun manufacturers in the world in 2017, based on the number of weapons they manufactured in 2015, which is the most recent data available. Afterwards, feel free to compare it to our previous list of the 6 Biggest Gun Manufacturers in the World.