Ratio of bolt to semi-auto rifles

[M88]

While discussing with a non-gun friend some of the new gun related laws on the books now and especially some that are proposed, I said if they somehow managed to ban all semi-auto rifles, that would entail the vast majority of rifles out there. I said I THINK there are far more of them than bolt or lever guns. However, I admitted that I was not sure. I'm not sure how one would even tally that ratio, as I assume it would entail keeping track of all gun sales, and I'm guessing there are many reasons why that is not done. Does anybody have even a rough estimate of that ratio? Was also curious about number of revolvers compared to semi-auto handguns. My guess is there are far more semi-auto handguns. I'm not including military weapons, just civilian owned rifles and handguns. Any help on this?

 

[44 AMP]

I'm not including military weapons, just civilian owned rifles and handguns. Any help on this?

Other than select fire weapons (such as the M16) I don't see how you can exclude military rifles and handguns from any such count, as they ARE civilian owned these days, and have been for generations.

All those milsurp bolt actions and semi autos in civilian hands are a significant number of the total. And, if you just want to count only civilian designed sporting rifles, then despite the few million semis sold in the last few decades, I think overall you'd find the number of manually operated repeaters to be a larger percentage of the total.

 

[buck460XVR]

Was also curious about number of revolvers compared to semi-auto handguns. My guess is there are far more semi-auto handguns.

I tend to think the rario mught be closer than you think, but since semi-auto handguns have been more popular and more readily available for a longer period of time, and that a big majority of handguns sold nowadays are semis, I tend to agree there are more pistols in the average home than revolvers.

But for long guns, other than the military, semi-autos have not always been that popular. Growing up as a kid, the most popular repeating deer rifle was a lever. In .22s and shotguns, it was a pump. Trap shooters all used doubles then. New sales have definately changed some, especially with the new craze for EBRs, but considering overall owned civilian guns, I'd hafta think the ratio is pretty even.

 

[griz]

My guess would be that there are still fewer semi auto centerfire rifles, but the popularity of the AR platform will soon turn the tide. I may be biased since I like bolt and single action rifles (save the brass!) but it's still just a guess. If you include rimfires I think the semi has long ago become the majority.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

ATF does a report on firearms manufactured every year and what types are built. They’ve been selling at least a million AR15s a year for a decade now - and that is just one type of seni-auto rifle. The vast majority of handguns sold have been semi-autos for probably three decades now.

 

[TXAZ]

Other than select fire weapons (such as the M16) I don't see how you can exclude military rifles and handguns from any such count, as they ARE civilian owned these days, and have been for generations.

All those milsurp bolt actions and semi autos in civilian hands are a significant number of the total. And, if you just want to count only civilian designed sporting rifles, then despite the few million semis sold in the last few decades, I think overall you'd find the number of manually operated repeaters to be a larger percentage of the total.

^^^^ This.

How many semi's don't have a military heritage (aka design knockoff)? Not many.
And can you name a bolt gun that doesn't have design features of a Mauser / Mauser-style weapon?
Then you get into the imports of (virtual all early semi-AK's et al) that had a really really similar non-auto sear that could be converted to full with a file and elbow grease.

I think you're going to have a hard time separating military from non.

 

[cjwils]

I think M88 meant to exclude guns that are presently owned by the military, not former military or military-style weapons.

 

[reddog81]

The ATF has reports on their website show a couple of different catergories of firearm sales. They do break out "pistols" vs revolvers and the split is about 85/15. I haven't ever seen a breakdown for the different types of rifles. I wouldn’t be surprised if the number of AR's made every year is over 1 million.

One thing that did surprise me is the increase in sales over the last 10 years. The reports show 1.6M handgun sales in 2007 and close to 5.6M sold in 2016. Rifle sales jumped from 1.6M to 4.2M over the same time frame. Thats a huge increase. On a somewhat unrelated topic it boggles my mind how Colt managed to go through a bankruptcy during this timeframe.

 

[M88]

I think M88 meant to exclude guns that are presently owned by the military, not former military or military-style weapons.

Thank you cjwils... that is exactly what I meant, but my bad for not explaining that better. NOT excluding weapons styled after weapons used by the military now or previously, or all the milsurps out there, of which I own many myself. I wanted to exclude current enlisted military issued weapons, as I assume the vast majority other than designated sniper rifles, are either semi-auto or auto. I agree with 44 AMP's comments. I'm surprised to hear several comments saying the ratio is more even than not however. It's true growing up hunting I rarely saw anybody carrying a semi-auto, and although I don't hunt as much now, still see way more bolts or levers than semi-auto. I have to say at my range though, I see at least 2 or three semi-auto handguns than revolvers. That's hardly a serious sample size though. Was really wondering if there is more data on this subject since many ant-gun politicians are calling for outright ban of ALL semi-auto rifles. Not that I think they could get away with that here in PA quite yet, but if they did, about a quarter of my collection would be affected.