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BY JOE KRIZ. American Handgunner
Each year, the ATF publishes the Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report (AFMER), providing detailed firearm production and export numbers for a given year. However, due to the sheer amount of information collected and compiled — not to mention the slow-moving government being involved — reports are delayed by more than a year.
Recently, the 2019 AFMER became available online, and it doesn't spell good news for revolver enthusiasts.
Revolver Production
Categorizing handguns into pistols and revolvers, as well as each by caliber, some 3.6 million handguns were produced in 2019, according to the report. Of those, 580,601 were revolvers. And while that may sound impressive in today's world dominated by semi-auto, striker-fired, polymer frame handguns, revolver production was down 15% from 2018 (664,835 revolvers), continuing the trend since 2015 and marking the lowest total since 2011. But revolvers weren't alone in their decline.
Overall handgun production, which had been increasing year-over-year since 2017, was down 25% in 2019 from 2018 (4.5 million handguns) — the third time handgun production had failed to grow since 2009, and just the sixth time in the last 20 years. Rifles, shotguns and "Misc. Firearms" — including AR-style pistols and those deemed "firearms" by the NFA — were also down in 2019 as total firearm production fell to 7 million for the first time since 2011.
As for calibers in which revolvers were produced, the rimfire market saw significant growth in 2019 over the prior year, with 63% of all revolvers being chambered in .22. Those in .32 caliber also saw a small increase, with 1,674 produced compared to 1,100 in 2018. Manufacturers clearly favoring smaller calibers and training use over self-defense and hunting, revolvers in .38 Spec, .357 Mag, .44 Mag and up to .50 cal all declined in numbers.
Looking Ahead
At the time of this writing, manufacturers have less than a month to submit production and export numbers for 2020, and while it won't be until early 2022 that the AFMER for the most historic year in firearm history is published, it's safe to say all firearm numbers will be up — way up.
Revolvers may not have been the top purchase choice for gun buyers when the pandemic broke out and new shooters flocked to local dealers, but they've certainly sold alongside their semi-auto counterparts in significant numbers. Since the ATF began publishing the AFMER in 1986, revolver production has never exceeded 885,259, set in 2015. Expect that to be surpassed in 2020's report.
One would also expect the rimfire segment to continue increasing as larger calibers were first to fly off shelves during the ongoing ammo shortage, but .22 soon became a popular choice for the millions of new shooters and those wanting to train without breaking the bank. However, as interest in hunting has grown over the past year, an increase in big bore revolver production also wouldn't be a surprise.
Stay tuned for a follow-up piece highlighting the top revolver manufacturers of 2019. In the meantime, review the top-10 from 2018 and subscribe to our Wheelgun Wednesday newsletter for more weekly revolver content.
Each year, the ATF publishes the Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Export Report (AFMER), providing detailed firearm production and export numbers for a given year. However, due to the sheer amount of information collected and compiled — not to mention the slow-moving government being involved — reports are delayed by more than a year.
Recently, the 2019 AFMER became available online, and it doesn't spell good news for revolver enthusiasts.
Revolver Production
Categorizing handguns into pistols and revolvers, as well as each by caliber, some 3.6 million handguns were produced in 2019, according to the report. Of those, 580,601 were revolvers. And while that may sound impressive in today's world dominated by semi-auto, striker-fired, polymer frame handguns, revolver production was down 15% from 2018 (664,835 revolvers), continuing the trend since 2015 and marking the lowest total since 2011. But revolvers weren't alone in their decline.
Overall handgun production, which had been increasing year-over-year since 2017, was down 25% in 2019 from 2018 (4.5 million handguns) — the third time handgun production had failed to grow since 2009, and just the sixth time in the last 20 years. Rifles, shotguns and "Misc. Firearms" — including AR-style pistols and those deemed "firearms" by the NFA — were also down in 2019 as total firearm production fell to 7 million for the first time since 2011.
As for calibers in which revolvers were produced, the rimfire market saw significant growth in 2019 over the prior year, with 63% of all revolvers being chambered in .22. Those in .32 caliber also saw a small increase, with 1,674 produced compared to 1,100 in 2018. Manufacturers clearly favoring smaller calibers and training use over self-defense and hunting, revolvers in .38 Spec, .357 Mag, .44 Mag and up to .50 cal all declined in numbers.
Looking Ahead
At the time of this writing, manufacturers have less than a month to submit production and export numbers for 2020, and while it won't be until early 2022 that the AFMER for the most historic year in firearm history is published, it's safe to say all firearm numbers will be up — way up.
Revolvers may not have been the top purchase choice for gun buyers when the pandemic broke out and new shooters flocked to local dealers, but they've certainly sold alongside their semi-auto counterparts in significant numbers. Since the ATF began publishing the AFMER in 1986, revolver production has never exceeded 885,259, set in 2015. Expect that to be surpassed in 2020's report.
One would also expect the rimfire segment to continue increasing as larger calibers were first to fly off shelves during the ongoing ammo shortage, but .22 soon became a popular choice for the millions of new shooters and those wanting to train without breaking the bank. However, as interest in hunting has grown over the past year, an increase in big bore revolver production also wouldn't be a surprise.
Stay tuned for a follow-up piece highlighting the top revolver manufacturers of 2019. In the meantime, review the top-10 from 2018 and subscribe to our Wheelgun Wednesday newsletter for more weekly revolver content.
