https://youtu.be/fq3ceZ62Ud4

I’m in FN love. The gunmaker’s SCAR-16 and FNS-9C are my go-to outdoor toy and compact carry gun. At the same time, I’m literally joined at the hip to my Wilson Combat Commander-sized X-TAC. And baby you can drive my Kahr. As my P229 proves, SIG SAUER’s quality is legion. That said, despite the gung-ho video above, I find FN’s brand image a bit waffly. I reckon Wilson Combat’s foray into modified Berettas is a bit tawdry. While I’m over the moon about my Kahr, there’s something a bit disconcerting about its owners’ religious zeal. And Sigue Sigue Sputnik (it had to be said). So my favorite gun band brand is…GLOCK. Whatever else you can say about their guns, the brand has a laser-like focus. As Laibach would say, GLOCKS ARE GLOCKs. What’s your favorite gun brand and why?

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146 COMMENTS

  1. Sturm, Ruger & Company. If you could only shoot one brand they’ve got just about anything you’d want to shoot. Plus I like revolvers and that narrows the field quite a bit right there.

    • Ruger is my go-to example for “Cognitive Dissonance.” I like their guns (mostly), but hard to reconcile that with the Uber-Fudd mentality of the late Mr. Ruger (no “hi cap” mags, AWB support, etc)

      • Alright, he’d dead already. Get over it. They are what they are now.

        They always seem to hit the sweet spot on design, price and performance. Maybe that’s why they’re selling more guns than just about anyone else.

        All they need to round out their stable is a good pump shotgun.

      • Bill Ruger has been dead for many years now (2002? Almost 15 years?) and wasnt involved with running the company for several years before his death, , people need to look at the Ruger of 2016, not the Ruger of 1996.

    • In the revolver end of the the spectrum I would have to agree ruger is hands down my preferred manufacturer. How ever I have mixed feelings about their semiautomatic offerings.

      • I love my Ruger SR40C. I don’t love the lack of aftermarket support. Barrels are factory installation only (so no conversions). It’s very shootable, being an exact halfway size between the Glock 19 and Glock 26. The SR40/9 on the other hand is the size of a Glock 17. It’s been reliable as any other striker fired pistol with a decent factory trigger.

        Also, the SR series is one of the few striker fired pistols with a thumb safety. So fits into the market where people want that.

        • Mine’s an SR9C but I like it for all the same reasons. I especially like the size and shape of the grip. It fits my medium – to – small hand perfectly.

      • In the AR realm they’re suffering a bit, too. The AR556 is a great combo of higher-quality parts where you need it, and cost savings where you can, to make a nice lower cost AR.

        Reliability and QC seem to have taken a hit on this, however – not sure if it’s high-volume or new manufacturing plants, but they are sending out some rifles with issues (I’ve had a barrel nut problem and a gas tube replaced, it’s been back to the factory twice. After the first visit it came back to me malfunctioning even worse than before).

        That said, I trust my life to my GP100, my LCR, and my LCP from them.

        I started with Glocks but the Springfield XDM and XDS have totally won me over for EDC

      • They need to bring back a new and improved P series pistol.

        Any company can send out a few lemons, nut Ruger seems to be better than most at fixing the problem with as little inconvenience as possible. Had to send back a Mini-14 with ejection issues. They emailed me a shipping label and got it back 2 weeks later with a new barrel, slide and bolt. Still had occasional failures to eject, though. Much better but not perfect. But you can’t fault them for going cheap on the fix.

      • I carry a Ruger 9E, and love the thing. Almost 700 rounds without a hitch. Ruger is by far my favorite company. Excellent customer service, great guns, and affordable price. What else could you ask for?

    • Ruger here too. They make such a vast assortment of firearms and continually produce new ones at great prices. That shows me that they have some smart engineers who know how to design and manufacture parts in the most efficient methods they can think of to keep costs down and quality high. I also hear a lot of good praise on their customer service.

      Now, I don’t like that their floor workers are paid $10.50/hr with no cross training or possibility for advancement, but I’ll bet that’s the same to every gun manufacturer except Freedom Arms, S&W, Kahr, Dan Wesson, Kimber, and whatever other higher end/pricier gun manufacturer. I’ve also heard that Ruger’s having some quality issues on new guns, they do correct that quickly, but I think they should not be shipping guns that don’t meet QC specs.

      Besides Ruger, I’d say other manufactures I like are FN for their quality and innovation and Pedersoli for their quality and vast amount of very different guns they make.

      • Quality control always suffers when you ramp up production too fast. Ruger’s as good as anyone when it comes to making it right though.

        Never heard what they pay, but if that’s true it only makes it more remarkable that they can produce such a high quality product with a workforce made up entirely of 16-20 year olds.

    • +2
      I love my P226 and P938 but sadly I can shoot my GLOCK 17 and 21 Gen 4s much faster and more accurately

      • I own a Sig 556 rifle and a Sig MPX. Both fine firearms, but there were some design features (like take-down pin functionality, for example) on the Sig 556 that left me unimpressed. Also, the Sig MPX and 556 both have lousy triggers as compared to the cost of the firearm. Finally, I thought it was poor form to only include one magazine with the purchase of the MPX. Those mags retail for over $65, and they’re just polymer for crying out loud, so I’m sure there’s an extremely healthy profit margin at that price. A decent trigger on either firearm wouldn’t have broken the bank either.

        Long story short, my thoughts on Sig is that it’s a company that charges a top-tier price for a slightly-less-than top-tier firearm.

        • While I won’t say my 556 trigger is up to Geissele levels, it is 154X better than a stock AR mil-spec trigger (if you like 2-stage triggers that is…if you don’t, you’ll have the 556’s ‘plunger trigger’).

      • Most people, myself included, probably won’t shoot a sig p series any better than they would a glock/Springfield xd/smith MP and you’ll generally pay quite a bit more for the sig. That’s mostly what I meant. Plus they sometimes feel like they make too much stuff or just to many versions of some of their firearms. But like I said they’re my preference. I like the features and engineering on their guns. At least the ones that I have.

  4. My favorite pistols are H&K squeeze-cockers, particularly the PSP style with the butt magazine release. I have two and they are my primary carry guns. Having been around firearms for just over 55 years, I am most comfortable with a manual of arms that precludes an AD but is always ready when necessary. I rotate carrying them and mix in a Boberg XR9L on a regular basis. My favorite .223 is the STEYR AUG M3A1 and my favorite shotgun is a Browning Cynergy O/U in 28 -gauge.

  9. Ruger revolver. Springfield XD compact. My carry guns. They fit my hands and do the job I need them to do.

    But I don’t love the H&R any less, really, or Marlin or the Mossberg. I guess I like all of them “best.” LOL

  12. I would have to go with Stag because I’m a south paw, and it seems the majority of their stuff is available LH or RH for minimally more which is rare.

  13. Ruger —– Merica!

    Plus I hunt small & big game and shoot competition pistol matches so they handle all my different needs.

  15. Another vote for Ruger. Quality guns that won’t break the bank, just about every type of gun is represented somewhere in their catalog and some of the best customer service in the industry.

  17. Harrington and Richardson – “Greatest battle implement ever devised.” (Patton)

    Schmidt-Rubin – “Only the Swiss build match grade rifles for use as a main battle rifle.” (Me)

  18. It used to be Remington.
    On my eleventh birthday I received a 12 gauge 1100 and I was loyal for decades.
    Sigh… not anymore.

  19. Remington and Hi-Point. But really….Savage hands down. Nobody else can touch the precision rifle at that price point. Axis anyone? Best budget gun out there. I’ll always love my Walthers too as far as handguns.

      • I can’t speak to the actions or barrels on the American rifles, but sweet Jesus, the stocks on those things are abominations. Ruger should be embarrassed.

      • I hope you just forgot your “/sarc” tag.
        Had a Ruger American Ranch Rifle (made in USA OMG!!!) in .300 AAC Coolguy, I swear I’ve seen better stocks on Airsoft guns. Put a sling on it to intentionally test stock flex, with a tight hand wrap you can change that gun from 1.5 MOA (maybe) to like 8 MOA. My damn SBR Mosin shoots better than that! Ruger made the only gun I’ve sold with no regrets.

        • I know exactly what you mean. When the American rifle first came out I went to my LSG to look at one. I picked one up and it immediately reminded me of the POS Remington SPS that I had just traded in for a Hawkeye a few months previously. I don’t know how you can refer to a rifle as having a free-floated barrel when the stock flexes so badly that simply holding it brings the forearm into contact with the barrel.

  21. Favorite brand is Browning, duh. Who can’t love John Moses Browning’s (praise be unto him) namesake?

  22. Barrett, for taking a bold stand on behalf of firearms freedom and because the 82 is an icon.

    Noveske, for their over-the-top marketing backed up by quality products. Politics tend to squeeze the fun out of recreational shooting. Noveske helps to keep that alive.

  24. Ruger. Best customer service in the industry, probably best in any industry. I broke one of their guns, after owning it for well over a decade and putting more than 30,000 rounds through it. I sent it to them to fix. They sent me a newer, better gun, for free.

    • Ahh but they do have brands, that is what their arsenals are!! Izhmash, Molot, Tula, Radom, Ceska Zbrojovka (CZ), FEG (now dead), Kazanlak 10 (Arsenal), Arsenal 66 and 386 as well as 17 other arsenals (China), Cugir, and much more!!

  30. I’m an HK guy. Been carrying an HK USP c for years now. Have yet to have a failure of any kind…now, I do like the FN five seven but since I live in PRONJ, no 20 rd mags for me.

  31. Since I hate plastic and stamped sheet metal and junk castings for years I stuck with Colt until they started using them and then I dropped them. I stuck with Browning for years until they started using casting then I dropped them. Now I buy only old guns cast free, plastic free and stamped sheet metal free.

    • How well I understand you!
      Just swapped my ak (wooden stock) for a Finnish Mosin.
      Just can’t stand modern guns, with the exception of the SPAS 12!

  33. I carrry a Smith (Shield 9mm), a Springfield (XD 9) or a Ruger (GP 100) depending on what Im doing. But I also own Taurus, Mossberg, Bersa, And Liberty Silencers (Leonidas in 300blk). Really like them all, and come close loving a couple.

  34. I’m such a fan of (older) Mauser and FNH products that I sewed patches of their logos onto the battle jacket I wear at metal concerts. Honorable mention goes to Sig, specifically the P226.

  35. I’ve got a Ruger, some Smiths, some Tauruses, some Winchesters, a bunch of Remingtons, Mossberg, a Bersa, some NAAs, a Sig, some Glocks, some Springfields, at least one Henry, a Rossi, and probably a few other things jammed in the safe that I can’t remember off the top of my head.

    I don’t give a flying fart about brand. Remington made the legendary rifle, the 700… and recalled every one of them. They make the iconic pump shotgun, the 870… and they also made the R51. Need we discuss Marlin?

    I buy products that do what I need done, regardless of what brand they are, so long as it works. Buying into brand affiliation is just willingly blinding yourself to what others have to offer.

  36. Beretta! Particularly the 92 series. They fit my hand perfectly and balance just right for me. I recently added an M9A1 to the stable and I love it. Once I’ve put five hundred rounds through it I’ll swap out my current carry, a 92FS, for the M9A1.

    • ” fit my hand perfectly”
      Well that is the first time I’ve ever heard that. Congratulations on being the one.

      • It’s the same reason I cannot appreciate pocket pistols, they are actually too small for me. The curse of standing 6’4 and nearly able to palm a basketball.

  38. I’ve been a huge fan of FN and their products since I first pulled a trigger on an M240. With that being said, their public image and advertising needs a huge overhaul. (Everyone who has a passing interest in firearms, action movies, or videogames knows who HK is. Not so much with FN the company, but everyone knows their individual products. ‘Nuff said.) Whoever their market trends forecaster is needs to be fired. If they’d come out with the FN15 series 8 years ago, they’d have had something, but this late in the game it looks like pandering to veterans and their supporters, and trying to cash in on war nostalgia. You can tell they aren’t selling well by the amount of advertising online and in print. (All the ads for FN’s “Military Classic” line smells suspiciously like Colt’s old “This is what they mean when they say Mil Spec” ads). M249S? Foolish decision, while holes exist in their rifle and pistol lines. Still waiting for Compact, Longslide, and Tactical versions of all the guns in the FNX and FNS series. Red dot ready Five-seveN with factory threaded barrel? Yes please. 7.62×39 conversion kit for SCAR rifles that accepts AK mags? My dream rifle. Bring back the FNC and FAL? I bet they’d sell better than “just another AR” or an $8,000 20 pound range toy.

    The company needs to bring their behavior up to par with their product quality, is what I’m getting at here.

    • They’re all about military contracts now. They make wonderful handguns that need to be more advertised to the civilian market.

  40. Rifle, big fan of the Savage 99.
    Shotgun, Mossberg 500 is hard to beat.
    Pistol, I haven’t been able to choose a favorite yet.

  42. I was a big fan of smith and Wesson. But their 1911’s these days just aren’t what they used to be. If I had to choose now I guess I would say FN.

  44. I am a huge CZ fan, but not to fanboy status. I acknowledge that there can be problems, it just seems like CZ doesn’t really have great amounts of people who say they are problematic. And I will buy other brands, but I put a special emphasis on buying all the CZs that I really wanted.

  45. Magpul, but they dont make guns anymore.

    Mossberg, because they sent me a free stock screw.

    Glock, because I love my Glocks.

    FN, because they make some good stuff (my latest AR’s barrel).

  46. Pistols: Springfield because they make a solid GI Spec 1911 and their plastic fantastics are solid designs.

    Rifles: Winchester because they still make Maurer action bolt guns.

    If Springfield would start making ’03s they would be my overall favorite.

  48. Ruger.
    SR40
    SR40C (wife likes it better than Glock 26)
    …and the new Blackhawk in 41 Magnum I just bought from Buds.

    Kahr in close 2nd.
    CM9
    T40

    Glock in 3rd
    20 is the beast
    42 is my surprise

  49. Well id vote ruger too. Love some ruger revolvers. They make some great rifles and decent semi auto pistols. Decent shotguns. They also make the 10/22 which I love to shoot more than anything . Not a big mini14 fan though.

    My favorite gun for effectiveness is either my AR ( not a ruger ) or my howa 1500. The AR is not really brand specific , they are basically the stoner design. And howa hardly makes anything else.

    My favorite self defense handgun is my XDM. While I love the XDM I don’t really care for any of Springfields other products.

    I don’t have a ruger precision rifle , but plan to buy one. I don’t have a ruger 17 wsm rifle but plan to buy one. I don’t have any ruger revolvers ( my stepdad has some ) but plan to buy at least 3. And I’d love to have a 44 mag carbine by them also.

    And for all the bill ruger haters out there ,, remember two things. One he’s dead. And two he didn’t sell out like SW did.

  51. FN .45 with all the good stuff from a 1911 (almost) and carry 15 +1.
    Plus it fits like a glove….a great work horse.
    And im a mossberg fan. 12 ga style.
    Good tools….don’t care about politics

    • I’ve been a customer of PSA for years. Not so much lately. They can’t seem to keep even the basic stuff in stock. 90% of the AR components are always out of stock, and it’s getting really old.

  54. I think I’m the first one to say this but for handguns Glock. I’ve carried one every day for work for years and between my work 22 and personal 17 and 26 I’ve put 10000 rounds through Glocks with zero malfunctions. If I had to pick one pistol to trust my life to it would be, and is, Glock.

    Overall company is Ruger. They make great quality products at affordable (not cheap, but affordable) prices. Love my SR-556 and 1971 single six.

    For shotguns I gotta say Mossberg. Inexpensive and reliable.

    Gotta give a shoutout to FN as well for making the 240B, which I used to have to lug around. Great gun. S&W also gets honorable mention.

  58. I’m a big fan of CZ. Their rimfires are built like a rifle should be built and not a piece of junk just because it’s a rimfire. Their handguns are well built also. I’m also a Springer fan.

  59. Not that it matters to anyone but me… but I really like Heckler & Koch handguns, especially the VP series.

  63. here siggy siggy siggy.

    P239 EDC
    SP2022 nightstand
    MCX evil black rifle

    Ruger is #2. Absolutely love my LCP custom.

  64. You don’t have to like Glocks to admire Glock’s narrow focus and relentless brand promotion. They are definitely the top major firearms maker when it comes to brand management.

  65. Beretta and Glock for pistols, S&W and Ruger for revolvers.
    They’re affordable, usually good quality for the price, very accurate and easy to maintain.

    As for rilfes, S&W and FN.

  67. I really dig anything by Steyr, from their old WW1-era rifles to the modern AUG & M9 pistol. But I also love Tokarev rifles & pistols, though I don’t think there hasn’t been any new Tokarev designs since the Great Patriotic War.

  69. If I could do it all over again (firearms owner since 1990) for pistols I would have gone Glock. I own and have owned various flavors of the Sig P series but the classic Sig finish is shit and the magazine prices have been eye-wateringly bad until recent improvement in the last decade. Daily carried p220, p228, and p225 for years. 225 is my favorite of the Sigs but if I could hop in the wayback machine with Mr Peabody I would have purchased 2 Glock 19s, a Ruger SP101, then called it a day. [carry the 225 for 8 months of the year and S&W Shield .40 the other 4]. I shoot my 1911s better than my Slug Sauers but the manual of arms works better for me.

    • I love SIG’s for the ergonomics and I have always found mine to be completely reliable. But yes, there finish is absolutely terrible. It shows wear faster than any other brand I have owned.

  71. I own so many brands of handguns, I couldn’t really choose a brand. Pretty much the same for rifles. For shotguns, I have to go with Benelli.

  72. Huge fan of the 10/22. Some friends have the AR556, and it seems solid. Ruger is a great company making some really great stuff.

    Glock, enough said. Own many. Carry one every day.

    Black rifle world, I’m going to throw in Spikes Tactical. Never an issue with any of their parts.

    Shotguns, hands down, goes to Mossberg.

  74. I love older wheelguns. My favorite is a 4″ Stainless Ruger Security Six (1977), however my favorite revolver manufacture is S&W. They just do revolvers right.

    In Semiautos, I really don’t have a favorite manufacture, but I have a bunch of excellent guns from many fine makers. My go to SHTF bottom feeder is a trusty FNH FNP 9.

    Long guns, I like the Remington 700 platform

    Favorite splattergun goes to Beretta.

  75. FN with their FN, Browning and Winchester lines #1, Ruger a very close second! Nobody beats Ruger in product support and customer service

  76. I own more firearms from Ruger than any other manufacturer. Their stuff works pretty well, they’re backed up spectacularly if they don’t, and they’re priced to sell. But my favorites are my CZs. So take it as you like.

  77. “….a veritable plethora of arguably, shootable, firearms….” Howard Cosell (paraphrase).

    Are we living in a golden age of firearm choices? I believe we are.

    A firearm for every purse, pursuit, purpose, and passion.

  81. I’m a Smith and Wesson fan, but the Rebel alliance (Ruger logo) is slowly taking over the safe.
    My favorite is currently Arcus. I would love for them to import the multiple caliber revolver.

  82. One brand for all guns: CZ, Ruger or Kel-tec

    If Team Perfection would stoop to join the Savages and Mossbergs, they combined may just squeeze ahead of the pack, though.

  83. Send me one of each, and a case of ammo per, and I’ll get back to you with my favorite brand…in a few years.

  85. Sturm, Ruger & Co. The first gun I bought myself was a Ruger Blackhawk Convertible, and the first carry gun I bought myself [which I’m still carrying over a year later] was an SR9e, which I plan to upgrade to an SR45 fairly soon. If I hadn’t been gifted an Israeli copy of a Hi-Power by my father last December, then Rugers would be all I own. Not having a lot of money means I have to pick-and-choose, and I’ve found that Ruger is a perfect mix of quality and affordability. I’ve been drooling over their 1911 for a while now; that will probably be one of the next guns I buy. If I didn’t feel so strongly about definitely wanting a Henry sometime soon, I’d honestly be fine with owning a slew of different types of guns that all happen to be Rugers.

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