Jamie Young
New member
I'm working on a magazine design project and need some help in identifying the most common semi-auto pistols in use right now.
Only semi-autos please.
What are they?
Only semi-autos please.
What are they?
What would you say are the 10 most common semi-autos in use today?
- Thread starter Jamie Young
- Start date
I assume you are asking for specific models and brands? Of course if 100 people answer you know you will get 100 different answers, so you will have to stack and poll'em for the average 
My humble opinion in no certain order:
Glock 17 9mm
Glock 19 9mm
1911-A1 .45ACP
Sig 226 9mm
Sig 229 9mm
Beretta 92F(S) 9mm
Beretta 96 .40S&W
SA XD 9mm/.40S&W/.45ACP
Sig 230/232 .380ACP
Ruger MK Series .22
My humble opinion in no certain order:
Glock 17 9mm
Glock 19 9mm
1911-A1 .45ACP
Sig 226 9mm
Sig 229 9mm
Beretta 92F(S) 9mm
Beretta 96 .40S&W
SA XD 9mm/.40S&W/.45ACP
Sig 230/232 .380ACP
Ruger MK Series .22
Jamie Young
New member
Specific models/calibers.
If you are looking at total number of guns sold ( all semi auto's Double Action, Single Action, 1911 frames, etc ...) I think you'll find that the numbers will be skewed by law enforcement and military contracts with their large quantities but I would think :
1. Glock
2. SIG
3. Kimber
4 - 10 are anybody's guess ( Colt, Springfield, H&K .....,)
The higher end guns - custom gun manufacturers like Wilson Combat, Ed Brown and Les Baer are going to be well down the list and I doubt any of them are in the top 7 certainly.
If you look at it by caliber - I think Glock will still be number one (although I would never own one) - with the #1 caliber as
1. probably 9mm
2. probably .45 ACP
3. probably .40 S&W
4. probably .380
Most gun stores will tell you they sell a lot of Glocks - most of it based on price and their reputation of reliability - and the typical price tag around $ 500 - but a lot of them are shooters that are buying their 1st or 2nd gun and probably the primary market as under 40 years of age. I think the market for shooters over 40 years of age are probably buying more expensive guns and probably dominated by the 1911 frame. I'd be willing to bet that at least 75% of the custom market manufacturers are sold to shooters over 40 years of age ( Wilson Combat, Ed Brown, Les Baer ) where an average gun is about $2,500 .
You're asking a complicated question - and I'd suggest you will have to break it down by:
1. market share by Mfg
2. by caliber ( all models )
3. then by models
4. lastly by model and by caliber ( but mfg's like Sig are making dozens of models - as an example the Sig 226 lineup alone right now has 14 different models in 3 different calibers ......most vary only by finish, so it gets pretty cumbersome). But all my numbers are guesses based on what I see in my part of the country - not based on hard data.
1. Glock
2. SIG
3. Kimber
4 - 10 are anybody's guess ( Colt, Springfield, H&K .....,)
The higher end guns - custom gun manufacturers like Wilson Combat, Ed Brown and Les Baer are going to be well down the list and I doubt any of them are in the top 7 certainly.
If you look at it by caliber - I think Glock will still be number one (although I would never own one) - with the #1 caliber as
1. probably 9mm
2. probably .45 ACP
3. probably .40 S&W
4. probably .380
Most gun stores will tell you they sell a lot of Glocks - most of it based on price and their reputation of reliability - and the typical price tag around $ 500 - but a lot of them are shooters that are buying their 1st or 2nd gun and probably the primary market as under 40 years of age. I think the market for shooters over 40 years of age are probably buying more expensive guns and probably dominated by the 1911 frame. I'd be willing to bet that at least 75% of the custom market manufacturers are sold to shooters over 40 years of age ( Wilson Combat, Ed Brown, Les Baer ) where an average gun is about $2,500 .
You're asking a complicated question - and I'd suggest you will have to break it down by:
1. market share by Mfg
2. by caliber ( all models )
3. then by models
4. lastly by model and by caliber ( but mfg's like Sig are making dozens of models - as an example the Sig 226 lineup alone right now has 14 different models in 3 different calibers ......most vary only by finish, so it gets pretty cumbersome). But all my numbers are guesses based on what I see in my part of the country - not based on hard data.
gordo_gun_guy
New member
That's a pickle. "In use today" is a bit harder than, say, "totals sold in 2006".
Constraining it to LE would be easier; somebody (FBI?) probably already quantifies what pistols are used by the most departments. For civilian CCW, I think the best you can do is tell damn lies--I mean, take a survey and apply statistics.
I'd be confident in a few:
1911 and derivatives in .45 ACP
Berretta 92F/M9 in 9x19
Glock 17
Glock 22
S&W J-frame in .38
S&W J-frame in .357
I'd suspect:
certain Sigs
certain XDs
the compact Glocks
something from Taurus or Rossi
Good luck in your research!
Constraining it to LE would be easier; somebody (FBI?) probably already quantifies what pistols are used by the most departments. For civilian CCW, I think the best you can do is tell damn lies--I mean, take a survey and apply statistics.
I'd be confident in a few:
1911 and derivatives in .45 ACP
Berretta 92F/M9 in 9x19
Glock 17
Glock 22
S&W J-frame in .38
S&W J-frame in .357
I'd suspect:
certain Sigs
certain XDs
the compact Glocks
something from Taurus or Rossi
Good luck in your research!
gordo_gun_guy
New member
-Homer Simpson.
With all the Airweights, Chief's, M&P, Centennial, Hammerless, and all, I thought there was a semi-auto J-frame, too.
Which reminds me, due to PD use, an older auto Smith may squeak onto the list.
Jamie Young
New member
Future customers.
Hopefully Law-Abiding ones.Mike Irwin
Staff
You talking in the United States or around the world?
Civilian only, or military included?
There could be different answers.
Civilian only, or military included?
There could be different answers.
Tough to say by model number, but I'll guess Glock 9mm and 40, 1911 5" 45 ACP in Colt, Kimber, Springfield, Sig 9mm, Ruger Mark 22 pistols and Beretta 92. Lot's of S&W autos around I would guess, but they have so many models?
Fair amount of people own Browning Hi Powers, but in use...not sure!
Fair amount of people own Browning Hi Powers, but in use...not sure!