Top gun manufacturers in the world by 2019/2020

Do you need a gun? Or you want to invest in the gun producer? Maybe you just want to feed your need for knowledge about history in the industry? You are in the right place now. In this article, we cover the most important information about gun history and firearms industry. Let’s take a look at all of this knowledge we gathered and put together for you. 1. Introduction

Through the years guns began to be part of everyday life in a lot of parts of the world. Since the beginning in China and the invention of gunpowder the global firearms market began to form. Nowadays gun availability and gun possession are controlled by various international and local regulations and laws. In most parts of the world, you are not allowed to carry your pistol in the public, in some you cannot even buy one. There are of course regions like Texas where those laws do not apply and you can freely buy and carry your handgun in most places of the state. There are various opinions about the need of gun availability and its regulations – some people say that we need guns to defend ourselves, on the other side we have people who say that gun possession is unnecessary and it will make crime rates higher because of availability. But let’s do not dig in the politics and regulations deeper. In this article, we will cover a little of firearms history and present to you some gun manufacturers that are on the international market today. Let’s begin! 2. History of guns

When we look at the medieval combats and ancient combats there is no huge difference. There was of course cavalry, infantry, etc. but the weaponry was basically the same: swords, spears, and bows. Of course, there are many more “innovative” weapons in those time but most of them were invented on the battlefield and used only a few times. We also do not talk about war machines like ballistas and trebuchets. What we are covering here is the weapons that changed the war and the world that we know today. We present just a brief look at the history of firearms: when it all began, how fast it was spread all over the world, where the race culminated and how it is today.

It all began in China

We don’t really know the origins of the first gun. but the answer to the question: when were guns invented is pretty easy: with Chinese invention of gunpowder. The ancestor of the firearms we know today is the 10th-century Chinese fire-lance. It was used as the form of a flamethrower with (sometimes) shrapnel hidden inside that flew off along with the flames and causing damage to the enemy. Years passed and Chinese inventors tried to make their weapons more portable, more effective, and more deadly. This led to the creation of cannons and hand cannons – single shot weapons that are way more similar to the guns we know today. The art of war from this moment gained speed and started something we know today: the armaments race. In 13th-14th centuries gunpowder made its way to the Middle East and Europe, which change the world forever.

War…War never changes

With the development of science and technology, we started to create more and more innovations to firearms and guns. Made them more portable, more accurate, more deadly, more destructive. During the 14th-18th centuries, there were so many gun forms, ideas, and producers that it is very hard to write about them and keep the right track. During these years the most notable inventions are the repeatable guns and rifles, semi-automatic and full auto firearms which also make a huge impact in the history of the firearms. What we can say about the history of guns is that the biggest culmination of the armaments race is dated from the first World War to the fall of the Soviet Union, which is exactly 77 years. 77 years of fast development, huge researches, tests, wars, and regulations. The dark years in human history, which was tragic and blood written. Of course, there are other fields of science that also developed with the help of weapons development and researches. But nothing can erase the tragic history of millions, who died because of them.

A new hope

During, and after the wars, people have seen how tragic are the effects of firearm use. Not only soldiers suffered from them. Civilians without the guns suffered probably even more. This led to the creation of various regulations that restrict, limit or fully ban the usage of various weapons during the war and peace. In the 21st century, there are still military conflicts all around the world (mostly on middle east now) but the world governments try to end them. Do this mean we are all safe? Well, regulations and laws help, but we cannot say that the world is safe now. With the hi-tech, we have today the production of guns is much more precise and faster than 70 years ago. Firearms were invented to defense our species but it functions changed through the centuries. The safety level increased because of them, but we have to remember how deadly they can be. 3. Gun industry

The gun industry is a thing since the invention of gunpowder. China sold its technology to others and the development process began. Throughout the years the market has grown, competition has shown up and technology changed. Gun industry is still growing nowadays. Gun companies are still working to create their best gun, new companies are made, new research centers are built. Gun manufacturers even under multiple regulations are still working to create more effective arms. Today we have 55 worldwide gun manufacturers. Some of them are freshly made, some have a long history since the 18th-19th centuries. In the United States alone gun industry made $51.3B to the American economy, which is a huge part of overall. Despite not being as important as other manufacturing (food, clothing, electronics) and services, the gun industry is an important part of various economies in the world. A lot of gun manufacturers also produce other goods like sporting goods, clothing, survival/bushcraft equipment, safety tools, touristic equipment, ammunition and more. Why do gun manufacturers enter different markets? The first factor is the money of course, but take a look at the fields they are expanding to. Most of them are somehow related to the gun industry, like hunting or sport shooting. They can also do more research on various fields and make their products better, which is key to overcome the competition nowadays. In short summary: the gun industry is huge, rich and still growing, and because of the development of technology, this trend will prevail. 4. Top 20 gun brands in the world

Below you will find the top of the top gun brands in the world. They are not sorted in any way because of the differences between them. We gathered together the most important data about them and created this listing, so you can easily find exactly what are you looking for. You will read about a little the history of each of these brands and get the actual data about them. Let’s check it out!

4.1 Smith & Wesson

logo owner: Smith & Wesson S&W is a well-known gun brand all over the world. They acquired their fame with Smith & Wesson Model 1, which was one of the first repeatable revolvers in history. They also produced weapons for soldiers during the American Civil War (S&W Model 2). After the years they expanded to other countries like Russia, where they achieved great success and gained popularity. Through the years they started to produce other weapons like rifles and standard pistols, along with the ammunition. Nowadays the company is known as Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation and is located in Springfield, Massachusetts. For this moment it is one of the biggest gun producers in history. Founded: 1852 Chairman/CEO: P. James Debney Country of Origin: USAProduces: Various firearms, ammunition, and restraints Revenue: US$903 million Employees: over 2.200

4.2 Remington Outdoor

logo owner: Remington Outdoor One of the oldest gun brands here founded 203 years ago. Formerly Remington Arms, later acquired by the Freedom Group, and renamed in 2015 for Remington Outdoor. One of the first guns it produced was the flintlock rifle, which was shown in the shooting match used by the builder himself. The quality of the build shocked the competitors and organization so, months later Remington joined the market as Remington Arms and started to produce its firearms to the public. Nowadays it operates as a part of Freedom Group which was founded in 2007. Founded: 1816 Chairman/CEO: Cerberus Capital Management Country of Origin: USAProduces: various firearms, long and short ranged, ammunition, clothing Revenue: US$ 865.1 million Employees: over 3000

4.3 Sturm, Ruger & Co.

logo owner: Sturm, Ruger & Co The main competitor of the 2 earlier mentioned brands. Sturm, Ruger & Co. is relatively young gun manufacture (created after second World War). It’s known better as Ruger, and is well known worldwide. In 2015 it became the largest overall gun producer in the USA. The first gun produced by Ruger was Ruger Standard, which was .22 caliber pistol which was the mix of 9mm German Luger and Colt Woodsman. The sales of it were so successful that it pushed the entire company forward. Today it produces various types of pistols and rifles well recognized around the globe, used by military and security services. Founded: 1949 Chairman/CEO: Christopher J. Killoy Country of Origin: USAProduces: various firearms Revenue: $664 million Employees: over 2100

4.4 SIG Sauer

logo owner: SIG Sauer The first company of different origin on our list, and also one of the youngest. Formed in Germany, before the fall of Berlin Wall SIG Sauer was created in the fusion process between Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) and Sauer & Sohn. These two companies were created much earlier but decided to mix their forces to create something new. SIG Sauer is now well-known firearms brands around the globe, with many successful models used by various services and military. Founded: 1976 Chairman/CEO: Ron Cohen Country of Origin: GermanyProduces: various handguns and rifles, ammunition Revenue: Data unavailable Employees: over 1200

4.5 Heckler and Koch

logo owner: Heckler & Koch Founded in Germany right after the WW2, formerly as machine tool producers. In 1956-61 after response to the German government it started manufacturing new weapons for Bundeswehr. Nowadays H&K produce various types of firearms used around the world and is known by its innovations and new ideas to the industry. Founded: 1948 Chairman/CEO: Andreas Heeschen Country of Origin: GermanyProduces: various firearms and weapons Revenue: € 182.038 Employees: over 700

4.6 Mossberg

logo owner: Mossberg A 100 years old gun manufacturer from the USA with a very colorful history. Founded by Swedish emigrant it gained popularity with its small pistol called Brownie, which was designed for hunters and trappers for the humane killing of wounded animals. Nowadays the company is led by sons of the original founder and produce a wide range of firearms and scopes used around the globe. Founded: 1919 Chairman/CEO: Alan I. Mossberg Country of Origin: USAProduces: various firearms and scopes Revenue: no data available Employees: over 500

4.7 Colt Defense

We put Colt Defense on this list to honor its history and greatness. Because of bad decisions the company as far as we know the company is under bankruptcy state but still operating. The long story of this gun producer began with Colt First Model Ring Lever rifle, which was the first firearm produced in the company before it was named Colt Defense (in 1837). Colt was the major weapons supplier for U.S. Army from the 1850s to first World War. Nowadays it is mostly known by the great M1911 pistol used by the USA during first WW, and it’s later version M1911A1 used in second WW. Later it gained more popularity with AR-15, M16, and M4 carbines, which are still used to this day by various defense services in multiple countries. Founded: 1846 Chairman/CEO: Zilkha & Co Country of Origin: USAProduces: various firearms, weapons Revenue: no data available (bankruptcy) Employees: no data available (bankruptcy)

4.8 Beretta Holding

logo owner: Beretta The international producer of small firearms and weapons which originates from Italy. Beretta was created earlier, in 1972, but later it became part of the holding. The most popular models were Beretta 92F (as M9 the basic short firearm used by U.S. Army) and Beretta 92FS. Berettas are very popular amongst the police are over the world because of their quality and durability. Founded: 1995 Chairman/CEO: Pietro Gussalli Beretta Country of Origin: ItalyProduces: small firearms, clothing, optoelectronics, sporting goods Revenue: €679.40 million Employees: over 2900

4.9 Springfield Armory, Inc.

logo owner: Springfield Armory Springfield Armory was formerly the national gun manufacturer of USA. Since 1777 it developed and produced many recognizable weapons such as M1911 pistol (along with Colt) and M1903 model rifle, which are used to this day. Nowadays under the license, it still produces the rebuilds of the classic weapons (mostly for collectors) and much newer firearms. Founded: 1974 (re-opened, under name license) Chairman/CEO: Dennis Reese, Thomas Reese Country of Origin: USAProduces: various firearms Revenue: no data available Employees: no data available

4.10 Savage Arms

logo owner: Savage Arms Very old American gun producer, which played a role in the production of M1911 pistol. It is best known for (no longer produced) Savage Model 99 lever action rifle, which was extremely popular amongst hunters and trappers, especially in Canada, where it was also used in first World War. Nowadays it produces much more different firearms, and popular shotguns. Founded: 1894 Chairman/CEO: Ron Johnson Country of Origin: USAProduces: various firearms Revenue: no data available Employees: 367

4.11 Barrett Firearms

logo owner: Barrett Gun manufacturer from Tennessee, one of the youngest on our list. Mostly known for its powerful and very effective BMG sniper rifles, used by U.S Military. Operate to this day and producing sniper rifles, semi-automatic rifles, machine guns, optics, and ammunition, mostly for military use. Founded: 1982 Chairman/CEO: Ronnie Barrett Country of Origin: USAProduces: firearms Revenue: no data available Employees: no data available

4.12 FN Herstal

logo owner: FN Herstal This gun factory is part of the Herstal Group, which owns also Winchester Arms and Browning. The interesting part in the history of this company is that it also produced cars (for 35 years) and motorcycles (for 65 years) for everyday use. It is also known that the gun made in by this manufacturer (Model 1910) was the one used for the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, which led to the first World War. Founded: 1889 Chairman/CEO: Jean-Sébastien Belle Country of Origin: BelgiumProduces: firearms, ammunition Revenue: no data available Employees: over 3000 worldwide

4.13 Taurus International

logo owner: Taurus Known also as Forjas Taurus. One of the most exotic gun manufacturer on our list that made it to worldwide. Mostly recognizable by .357 Taurus revolver. Fairly young manufacturer amongst the other and not as popular as the others on this list. Founded: 1939 Chairman/CEO: Dennis Braz Gonçalves Country of Origin: BrazilProduces: firearms Revenue: US$342.1 million Employees: over 3100

4.14 Browning Arms Company

logo owner: Browning For this moment Browning Arms is a part of the Herstal Group, amongst Winchester and FN Herstal. Along with the firearms, the company produces fishing rods and reels, knives, bicycles, and sports bows. Mostly known for their A-Bolt and X-Bolt action rifles and BAR semi-automatic rifle. Founded: 1878 Chairman/CEO: Philippe Claessens (Herstal Group) Country of Origin: USAProduces: firearms, sport equipment Revenue: no data available Employees: no data available

4.15 Winchester Repeating Arms

logo owner: Winchester Amongst the Browning and FN Herstal, Winchester is now part of the Herstal Group. Mostly known for the very popular lever action rifles, M1 rifle used during WWII and .50 BMG ammunition. Founded: 1866 Chairman/CEO: Philippe Claessens (Herstal Group) Country of Origin: USAProduces: firearms, ammunition Revenue: no data available Employees: no data available

4.16 Glock Ges.m.b.H

logo owner: Glock Another youngster on our list. Glock is the now most popular manufacturer of sidearms used by various law enforcement agencies and military. They are also very popular amongst civilians for home defense and concealed/open carry. Glock pistols gained their fame because of their durability, quality of construction, ability to function in extreme conditions and ability to fire a wide range of ammunition. Founded: 1963 Chairman/CEO: Gaston Glock Country of Origin: AustriaProduces: firearms, knives, apparel Revenue: no data available Employees: over 1200

4.17 Benelli

logo owner: Benelli Started as an auto service and motorcycle builders Benelli is nearly as young as Glock. Recognition was brought to the company by very popular M4 Super 90 semi-automatic, gas operating shotgun. Founded: 1967 Chairman/CEO/Key people: Bruno Civolani Country of Origin: ItalyProduces: shotguns, rifles, and pistols Revenue: no data available Employees: no data available

4.18 Walther arms

logo owner: Walther Walther is on the market for more than 100 years, producing high-quality handguns for military, law enforcement and civilians. It also produces air guns which are very popular in hunting, sports and even ASG games (using BB pellets). Founded: 1886 Chairman/CEO/Key people: PW Group Country of Origin: GermanyProduces: firearms and sporting goods Revenue: no data available Employees: over 200

4.19 CZ

logo owner: CZ CZ is an abbreviation of Česká zbrojovka which is the main firearm manufacturer of Czech Republic. Mostly known in Europe, but operates worldwide. CZ produces a wide range of weapons including pistols, rifles, machine and submachine guns and accessories for them. Founded: 1919 Chairman/CEO: Lubomír Kovařík Country of Origin: Czech RepublicProduces: firearms Revenue: no data available Employees: over 1800

4.20 Henry Repeating Arms

logo owner: Henry The leading lever action rifle manufacturer. Henry firearms manufacture operates under the motto: “Made in America and Priced Right”. Theoretically the youngest manufacturer on our list, but it’s because of reboot of the company. The first Henry Repeating Arms was formed by Benjamin Tyler Henry, who also made the first rifle of the company. Nowadays it produces a wide range of rifles and shotguns, used mostly by various services, hunters and for sport shooting. Founded: 1996 Chairman/CEO: Anthony Imperato Country of Origin: USAProduces: firearms Revenue: no data available Employees: over 500 5. Summary

In this article, we covered the topic of the top gun manufacturers, gun history and the gun industry. We presented a brief overview of gun origins and created a list of the most popular gun brands today. The gun industry is, of course, huge and rich, but also very hard to compete and stay in. There are many companies with hundreds of years of gun making traditions and other obstacles such as the morality of this industry. This is business for decided people who know what they want and know how they want to do it before they do anything with it. It requires nerves of steel, passion, and knowledge, along with the wisdom and courage to embrace every consequence. If you have those characteristics then you can consider jumping in. If not, better stay away from this business. We hope that you found what you searched for in our article. Thank you for your attention and time, and see you in the next text. _Source of information:_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_firearm https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/technique/gun-timeline/ https://historycooperative.org/the-history-of-guns/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/g1002/the-11-most-important-guns-in-history/ https://www.marketing91.com/top-17-gun-brands/ https://www.ranker.com/list/best-gun-brands/werner-brandes?page=2