These are the brands found on almost every gun show floor, from dealer tables at a weekend county fairgrounds show to the full booths of the SHOT Show. Knowing who makes what, and where, helps when comparing prices and spotting a good deal on a used gun.
| Brand | Founded | Based | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beretta | 1526 | Gardone Val Trompia, Italy | Shotguns and the 92 series pistol |
| Colt | 1855 | Hartford, Connecticut | Single Action Army, 1911 and AR-15 rifles |
| CZ (Ceska Zbrojovka) | 1936 | Uhersky Brod, Czech Republic | CZ 75 pistols and rimfire rifles |
| FN Herstal | 1889 | Herstal, Belgium | Military rifles, machine guns and the Five-seveN |
| Glock | 1963 | Deutsch-Wagram, Austria | Polymer striker-fired pistols |
| Henry Repeating Arms | 1996 | Rice Lake, Wisconsin | Lever-action rifles |
| Mossberg | 1919 | North Haven, Connecticut | The 500 and 590 pump shotguns |
| Ruger | 1949 | Southport, Connecticut | 10/22 rifles, revolvers and pistols |
| Savage Arms | 1894 | Westfield, Massachusetts | Bolt-action hunting and rimfire rifles |
| SIG Sauer | 1853 | Newington, New Hampshire | P320 and P365 pistols, suppressors and optics |
| Smith and Wesson | 1852 | Maryville, Tennessee | Revolvers, M&P pistols and rifles |
| Springfield Armory | 1974 | Geneseo, Illinois | 1911s, the Hellcat and M1A rifles |
Based lists the current headquarters. SIG Sauer traces its roots to Switzerland in 1853, and Smith and Wesson moved its headquarters from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Tennessee in 2023.
Seeing the brands up close
The SHOT Show is the one place nearly every manufacturer shows its new line at once, and the NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits opens a similar floor to the public. Local shows are where those guns turn up used, traded and collected, often years later.
More on the major shows is in Major Gun Shows in the USA. Back to Where To Start.
Brands on the show floor
