The best selling firearms of 2026 are not dominated by one category. The year-to-date list from Sportsman’s Outdoor Superstore, updated through June 4, puts a .22 LR optics-ready pistol at No. 1, followed immediately by short 5.56 NATO and AR-15-pattern firearms, compact defensive pistols, a 12-gauge AR-style shotgun, a rimfire suppressor, and several Daniel Defense rifles and pistols.

That pattern lines up with the broader market signals in the research. SHOT Business reported that handguns were the best sellers at Keith’s Guns in Oregon, with Glock 43Xs, Glock 19s, and Sig P365s holding the high spots, while Sprague’s Sports in Arizona said Glock 43Xs, Glock 19s, and Sig P365s were also moving well. Ronin’s Grips’ March 2026 handgun ranking put the SIG Sauer P365 X-Macro, Glock 19 Gen 5, Glock 43X MOS, and Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 at the top of its handgun list, while Guns.com’s April snippet showed Taurus TX22, Glock G19 Gen6, and Glock G43X MOS among its best sellers.

Our Top 20 Picks

1. Taurus TX22 Gen 2 T.O.R.O. 22LR Optic Ready Pistol with Five Magazines — Item 1-2TX22P141-5MAG

Sportsman’s Outdoor Superstore ranks the Taurus TX22 Gen 2 T.O.R.O. 22LR Optic Ready Pistol with Five Magazines as its No. 1 best-selling firearm of 2026, updated through June 4. The specific item number is 1-2TX22P141-5MAG, and the bundle matters: a rimfire pistol that ships optic-ready and includes five magazines gives buyers a low-cost training platform without immediately shopping for extra magazines.

The TX22’s popularity also appears outside this one retailer. Guns.com’s April 2026 best-seller snippet lists the Taurus TX22 at No. 3, and Guns & Ammo’s February 2026 GunBroker snippet places the Taurus TX 22 at the top of the new semi-auto pistol category. The common thread is high round-count practice: .22 LR remains attractive for new shooters, range customers, instructors, and buyers who want recoil-light practice with modern controls.

2. Daniel Defense DDM4 V7P 5.56 NATO 10.3 Inch Semi-Automatic Pistol — Item SB-021

The Daniel Defense DDM4 V7P, item SB-021, is Sportsman’s No. 2 firearm year-to-date and the highest-ranked centerfire AR-pattern firearm on the list. It is listed as a 5.56 NATO semi-automatic pistol with a 10.3-inch barrel, putting it in the compact AR pistol segment rather than the 16-inch rifle segment.

Daniel Defense shows up repeatedly in 2026 demand data. SHOT Business said Sprague’s Sports in Arizona was still turning one MSR a day on average and named Daniel Defense among its leaders; the Sportsman’s top 20 includes four Daniel Defense entries. That concentration suggests premium AR buyers are still active even while SHOT Business notes that MSR sales have slowed or flattened at several dealers.

3. Andro Corp Industries ACI-15 Bravo16 MLOK 5.56 NATO AR-15 Rifle — Item 55616BB

The Andro Corp Industries ACI-15 Bravo16 MLOK 5.56 NATO AR-15 Rifle, item 55616BB, ranks No. 3 on Sportsman’s year-to-date list. Its name gives the core buyer-facing details: AR-15 format, 5.56 NATO chambering, Bravo16 configuration, and M-LOK handguard compatibility.

This ranking is notable because SHOT Business found a mixed MSR market in early 2026. Red’s Trading Post in Idaho reported MSR sales had flattened to an average of one a week, while Sprague’s Sports in Arizona said it was still turning one a day. ACI’s No. 3 placement indicates that value-oriented or configuration-specific AR rifles can still break through even when the broader modern sporting rifle category is not uniformly hot.

4. Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ 30 Super Carry Pistol with Manual Thumb Safety — Item 13458

Sportsman’s ranks the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ 30 Super Carry Pistol with Manual Thumb Safety, item 13458, at No. 4. The defining details are the EZ platform, 30 Super Carry chambering, and manual thumb safety, a combination aimed at buyers who want an easier-to-manipulate defensive pistol with a non-9mm defensive cartridge.

Smith & Wesson appears multiple times in the 2026 data. Ronin’s Grips’ March handgun summary identified the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 in .380 ACP as the No. 4 handgun, and Sportsman’s lists three M&P Shield EZ or M&P rimfire variants in its top 20. That points to continued demand for handguns that reduce barriers around slide manipulation, recoil management, and carry size.

5. BRG USA BRG9 Elite 9mm Pistol with 4 Inch Barrel — Item BRG9E4111

The BRG USA BRG9 Elite 9mm Pistol, item BRG9E4111, ranks No. 5 on Sportsman’s list and is specified with a 4-inch barrel. Its placement is one of the more interesting signals in the ranking because BRG does not have the same mainstream brand recognition as Glock, SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, or Taurus.

The 9mm chambering is exactly where 2026 handgun demand is strongest. Ronin’s Grips’ March answer-box ranking listed the SIG Sauer P365 X-Macro, Glock 19 Gen 5, and Glock 43X MOS as the top three handguns, all in 9x19mm. A 4-inch 9mm pistol can serve as a range gun, home-defense handgun, or duty-size alternative for buyers who want a conventional centerfire semi-auto without moving into micro-compact territory.

6. Mossberg MC2sc 9mm Optic Ready Subcompact Pistol with Three Magazines, No Manual Safety — Item 89025

The Mossberg MC2sc 9mm Optic Ready Subcompact Pistol, item 89025, ranks No. 6 at Sportsman’s. The listing specifies three magazines, no manual safety, optic-ready configuration, 9mm chambering, and subcompact size, which puts it directly in the concealed-carry market that has been driving handgun traffic.

Ronin’s Grips described the 2026 handgun market as favoring factory optics readiness, high capacity-to-size ratios, and direct-mount micro red dot cuts such as Shield RMSc or Holosun K-series footprints. The MC2sc’s sales rank fits that exact trend: buyers increasingly expect carry pistols to be optic-ready out of the box rather than needing slide milling after purchase.

7. GForce AR-12 12 Gauge Semi-Automatic Shotgun — Item GF12AR1220

The GForce AR-12 12 Gauge Semi-Automatic Shotgun, item GF12AR1220, is the highest-ranked shotgun on Sportsman’s 2026 firearm list at No. 7. It brings the AR-style layout into a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun, a format that appeals to buyers who want familiar controls and a tactical-style configuration rather than a traditional pump or field semi-auto.

SHOT Business reported that higher-end shotguns were selling better at Keith’s Guns in Oregon, with Beretta Silver Pigeon 686 over/unders and A400 semi-autos holding top spots there. Sprague’s Sports in Arizona also reported strong sporting shotgun sales led by Benelli Super Black Eagle 3s and Browning Citori over/unders. The GForce AR-12’s ranking shows a separate shotgun demand lane: budget-conscious, defensive, range-oriented, and AR-influenced.

8. Smith & Wesson M&P22 22 Magnum Optic Ready Pistol with Armornite Finish — Item 13433

The Smith & Wesson M&P22 22 Magnum Optic Ready Pistol with Armornite Finish, item 13433, ranks No. 8. It is not a conventional .22 LR trainer; Sportsman’s identifies it as a .22 Magnum optic-ready pistol, giving buyers more velocity potential than .22 LR while retaining the low-recoil rimfire appeal.

The Armornite finish and optics-ready setup match two 2026 preferences identified in Ronin’s Grips’ handgun analysis: durable slide coatings and factory red-dot compatibility. Its position near the top of the list also reinforces that rimfire handguns are not just entry-level products in 2026; they are major volume drivers when packaged with modern features.

9. Daniel Defense DD4V7 5.56 NATO Ambidextrous Semi-Auto Rifle with Mil Spec+ Finish and 18 Inch Barrel — Item WEBGB-DD4-MSP

The Daniel Defense DD4V7 5.56 NATO Ambidextrous Semi-Auto Rifle, item WEBGB-DD4-MSP, ranks No. 9. Sportsman’s listing calls out the Mil Spec+ finish and 18-inch barrel, separating it from shorter defensive AR configurations and positioning it closer to buyers who want a longer 5.56 rifle setup.

This is the second Daniel Defense entry inside the top 10, following the DDM4 V7P at No. 2. In a market where SHOT Business says some dealers are seeing slow MSR sales, Daniel Defense’s repeat presence suggests brand equity and premium configurations still convert. The 18-inch barrel detail also gives this model a different profile than the 10.3-inch DDM4 V7P and 14.5-inch DDM4A1 RII elsewhere on the list.

10. Daniel Defense DDM4 PDW 300 Blackout AR-15 Pistol — Item 02-088-22070-047

The Daniel Defense DDM4 PDW 300 Blackout AR-15 Pistol, item 02-088-22070-047, ranks No. 10. Its 300 Blackout chambering distinguishes it from the 5.56 NATO Daniel Defense entries and places it in the compact PDW segment.

The PDW format resonates with buyers who want a compact AR-pattern firearm chambered for a cartridge associated with short-barrel performance. Sportsman’s top 10 includes both 5.56 NATO and 300 Blackout Daniel Defense pistols, which shows that buyers are not treating the AR pistol market as a single category. They are sorting by role, caliber, barrel length, and brand.

11. GForce Jawbone 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol with Threaded Barrel and 2 Glock-Compatible Magazines — Item GFHYB52

The GForce Jawbone 9mm Semi-Auto Pistol, item GFHYB52, ranks No. 11. Sportsman’s listing highlights a threaded barrel and two Glock-compatible magazines, two details that make the model more than a generic 9mm pistol listing.

Glock magazine compatibility is a selling point because Glock-pattern magazines are widely supported across pistols, pistol-caliber carbines, and aftermarket ecosystems. The threaded barrel also positions the Jawbone for buyers planning a suppressor host, which is relevant because the same Sportsman’s list includes the SilencerCo Sparrow 22 suppressor at No. 19. Together, those rankings show continued consumer interest in suppressor-ready firearms and NFA-adjacent accessories.

12. Springfield Kuna 9mm Roller-Delayed PDW with Strike Industries FSA Brace — Item KN9069B-FSA

The Springfield Kuna 9mm Roller-Delayed PDW with Strike Industries FSA Brace, item KN9069B-FSA, ranks No. 12. The standout phrase is roller-delayed PDW, which places the firearm in the pistol-caliber defensive and range segment rather than the standard striker-fired handgun category.

The inclusion of a Strike Industries FSA Brace in the product name indicates that buyers are responding to complete packages, not just base firearms. In 2026, the top-selling list rewards configurations that arrive with the features customers would otherwise add later: optics cuts, braces, threaded barrels, extra magazines, and ambidextrous controls.

13. Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ 30 Super Carry Pistol with No Thumb Safety — Item 13459

The Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ 30 Super Carry with No Thumb Safety, item 13459, ranks No. 13, just nine spots behind the manual-safety version at No. 4. Sportsman’s listing makes the differentiation clear: same 30 Super Carry EZ concept, but without the thumb safety.

The fact that both safety configurations made the top 20 is useful for retailers and buyers. It shows that the market is split strongly enough for both manual-safety and no-manual-safety variants to sell in volume. For a gun counter, that argues for stocking both SKUs when available rather than assuming one control layout satisfies all concealed-carry buyers.

14. Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield EZ 9mm Pistol with Thumb Safety — Item 12436

The Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield EZ 9mm Pistol with Thumb Safety, item 12436, ranks No. 14. Compared with the 30 Super Carry versions above it, this model stays in the dominant 9mm chambering while retaining the EZ platform and thumb-safety configuration.

SHOT Business and Ronin’s Grips both point to a handgun-heavy market, and 9mm is the recurring center of gravity. Ronin’s March top three handguns were all 9x19mm: SIG Sauer P365 X-Macro, Glock 19 Gen 5, and Glock 43X MOS. The M&P9 Shield EZ’s rank shows that 9mm demand is not limited to high-capacity micro-compacts; easier-to-rack defensive pistols still occupy meaningful shelf space.

15. Daniel Defense DDM4A1 RII 5.56 NATO Semi-Auto Rifle with 14.5 Inch Pinned and Welded Barrel — Item SB-022

The Daniel Defense DDM4A1 RII 5.56 NATO Semi-Auto Rifle, item SB-022, ranks No. 15. Sportsman’s specifies a 14.5-inch pinned and welded barrel, a key configuration detail because it gives buyers a shorter-profile rifle setup while remaining distinct from the 10.3-inch pistol category.

This is the fourth Daniel Defense product in the top 15. The brand’s spread across compact pistol, 18-inch rifle, 300 Blackout PDW, and pinned-and-welded 5.56 rifle configurations shows that the 2026 Daniel Defense buyer is not buying one generic AR. They are selecting precise barrel lengths, chamberings, and use-case profiles.

16. Ruger Harrier 5.56 NATO Semi-Automatic AR-15 Rifle with 16 Inch Barrel — Item 28600

The Ruger Harrier 5.56 NATO Semi-Automatic AR-15 Rifle, item 28600, ranks No. 16. Sportsman’s listing identifies a 16-inch barrel, the standard carbine-length profile many buyers associate with a general-purpose AR-15 rifle.

Ruger appears elsewhere in the 2026 market reports. SHOT Business named Ruger American Generation II rifles as bolt-action sales leaders during hunting season at Keith’s Guns, and Sprague’s Sports said Christensen Arms, Tikka, and Ruger American Generation IIs were selling evenly across price levels. The Harrier’s place on the best-seller list shows Ruger also remains relevant in the AR-15 category, not only bolt-action hunting rifles.

17. One Horse AR-15 Multi Cal Complete Lower Receiver — Item OH-CL01

The One Horse AR-15 Multi Cal Complete Lower Receiver, item OH-CL01, ranks No. 17. It is the only complete lower receiver in Sportsman’s top 20, which makes it a category outlier compared with finished pistols, rifles, shotguns, and suppressors.

A multi-caliber complete lower appeals to AR builders and buyers who want to assemble or customize around an existing lower rather than purchase a complete rifle. Its presence in the top 20 suggests that do-it-yourself AR demand remains alive even where SHOT Business reports complete MSR sales as slow or flattened at some regional dealers.

18. Retay RA1522 22LR AR-Style Pistol — Item RA1522PST-BLK-MLOK

The Retay RA1522 22LR AR-Style Pistol, item RA1522PST-BLK-MLOK, ranks No. 18. Its name combines the two strongest themes in the Sportsman’s list: rimfire affordability and AR-style ergonomics.

The M-LOK reference in the item number points to accessory compatibility, while the .22 LR chambering makes it a lower-recoil, lower-cost platform for range sessions. Given that the Taurus TX22 Gen 2 T.O.R.O. is No. 1 and another TX22 variant appears at No. 20, the Retay RA1522 confirms that rimfire buyers are driving volume across both pistol and AR-style formats.

19. SilencerCo Sparrow 22 22LR Rimfire Suppressor — Item SU75

The SilencerCo Sparrow 22, item SU75, ranks No. 19 and is the only suppressor in the Sportsman’s top 20 firearms list. The listing identifies it as a .22 LR rimfire suppressor, which pairs naturally with the heavy rimfire demand shown by Taurus, Smith & Wesson, and Retay entries.

Its rank is important because suppressors are not impulse accessories in the same way as spare magazines or optics; they involve federal NFA transfer requirements. A rimfire suppressor making a year-to-date best-seller list indicates sustained buyer willingness to navigate the added paperwork for .22 LR platforms, especially when several top-selling firearms are rimfire or threaded-barrel compatible.

20. Taurus TX22 22LR Semi-Auto Pistol with Viridian RFX-11 Green Dot — Item 1-2TX22P141-RFX

The Taurus TX22 22LR Semi-Auto Pistol with Viridian RFX-11 Green Dot, item 1-2TX22P141-RFX, closes Sportsman’s top 20. This is the second TX22 entry on the list and differs from the No. 1 model by bundling a Viridian RFX-11 green dot.

That bundle explains why the TX22 platform appears twice. One SKU emphasizes five magazines; the other emphasizes an included optic. Both align with Ronin’s Grips’ finding that buyers in 2026 prioritize optics-ready or optics-equipped pistols and do not want to buy a base model only to immediately replace sights or add major components.

What the 2026 Best-Seller Data Says About the Firearms Market

Three patterns dominate the 2026 sales picture. First, rimfire is unusually strong at the top of the market: Taurus TX22 models hold the No. 1 and No. 20 spots at Sportsman’s, Smith & Wesson’s M&P22 22 Magnum is No. 8, Retay’s .22 LR AR-style pistol is No. 18, and SilencerCo’s Sparrow 22 suppressor is No. 19. That cluster suggests buyers are not treating rimfire as a niche; they are buying it for training, recreation, optics practice, suppressor use, and lower operating cost.

Second, handguns remain the traffic driver. SHOT Business reported that Glock 43Xs, Glock 19s, and Sig P365s held high spots at Keith’s Guns in Oregon, and Sprague’s Sports in Arizona also saw pre V-style Glock 43Xs and 19s, Sig P365s, and Sig P211-GTOs selling well. Ronin’s Grips’ March 2026 handgun ranking reinforces the same concealed-carry center of gravity with the SIG Sauer P365 X-Macro ranked first, Glock 19 Gen 5 second, Glock 43X MOS third, and Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 fourth.

Third, the AR market is selective rather than dead. SHOT Business described MSR sales as slow at Keith’s Guns, flattened to about one a week at Red’s Trading Post, and still averaging one a day at Sprague’s Sports. Sportsman’s top 20 reflects that unevenness: high-ranking AR-pattern products are either premium Daniel Defense models, specific 5.56 rifles, compact PDW-style pistols, or build components like the One Horse complete lower.

Firearm Retailers: Sales Demand and Payment Processing Risk in 2026

Firearms merchants face a mismatch between demand and financial infrastructure. The same products driving sales volume online and in stores—optic-ready handguns, AR-15 rifles, threaded-barrel pistols, suppressors, ammunition, magazines, and accessories—are also product categories that many acquiring banks and payment processors classify as high risk. That classification can affect underwriting, reserves, chargeback scrutiny, prohibited-product lists, and whether a retailer can process card-not-present transactions.

For SEO and operational planning, firearm retailers should be precise about the terms customers and processors use. Relevant high-intent phrases include firearm credit card processing, gun store merchant account, FFL credit card processing, firearms payment processing, ammo credit card processing, firearms ecommerce payment gateway, high-risk merchant account for firearms, gun-friendly payment processor, online gun sales merchant services, FFL ecommerce payments, tactical gear payment processing, and Second Amendment-friendly payment processing.

The practical takeaway for retailers is to match product demand with compliant checkout architecture. A shop selling Taurus TX22 pistols, Daniel Defense AR pistols, Smith & Wesson Shield EZ variants, suppressors, magazines, optics, and ammunition needs processor disclosures that accurately describe the business model, clear FFL transfer workflows, age-restricted product controls, chargeback documentation, and policies for NFA items where applicable.