This isn’t news if you are in the firearms industry, but handguns are all the range nowadays.

Semi-automatic pistols are clearly more appealing than revolvers in this era, not that they are out of favor because reliability and simplicity will always be valued.

This trend isn’t just because shooting activity keeps migrating towards indoor ranges. More so, long gun shooters are hunting less, and to a lesser extent, there is less clay, skeet and trap shooting.

From feedback that I get from gun stores nationwide, demand for shotguns and rifles has decreased, though the high-end market is as strong as ever, so there’s mixed signals. Additionally, less is less caliber diversity as people look to keep it simple. Maybe that aligns with ammunition purchases and price points as .22 caliber and 12 gauge ammo dominate more than ever.

Besides that, semi-auto action is very appealing. It enhances the immediate gratification that many people desire, especially the younger gun owners. Then, it comes down to what state you live in as far as magazine capacity goes. Maybe that’s why some people are moving to red states.

After all of these years, it looks like Glock is still the leader of the pack in its class of handguns. SigSauer was second in my book but recent negative publicity around their P320 model has been a problem for them. And then, there are the smaller but higher growth brands like Canik and Staccato, though they will never do the sheer volume of a Ruger or Smith & Wesson. Also worth a mention are Beretta, FN, Springfield, H&K, CZ and Browning.

Personally, I mostly care about semi-automatic designs offering greater opportunity to sell gun cleaning products. With so many more parts to clean and lubricate than revolvers, it requires more attention to detail to assure for uninterrupted operational reliability.

Still, there are some gun owners out there who downplay firearm maintenance. That’s fine. I look forward to seeing you in competition.

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