Much like the internet was supposed to kill print, the rise of auto pistols was supposed to render revolvers a relic of the Old West and detective movies from the ‘40s. But you’re still reading this in a magazine, and I’m willing to bet you have at least a few revolvers in your cases. You can probably do a better job selling them with a few tips and a different narrative.
It may come as a surprise to some folks, but there are still people who own and ride horses, read newspapers, and burn wood for heat. The car, the internet, and coal, then natural gas, then propane were supposed to do away with those, but here we sit in 2026 with people still using all these old-timey widgets and doohickeys despite other more modern solutions to the problems they solve. How like the revolver…
While the first semi-automatic handguns started popping up in the late 19th century in Europe from names like Bergmann, Luger and Mannlicher, it wasn’t until the Colt made the Model 1900, designed by John Moses Browning, that the Americans entered the fray and the U.S. military picked up on the design.
From there, it was a typical evolution of trial-and-error designs between rival factions of the burgeoning firearm industry that delivered the tried-and-true models we enjoy today. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, and for a lot of shooters, semi-autos were not the preferred solution as recently as the 1980s.
Then things changed. There’s no one reason why, but at the same time, the floor for everything was raised. Production techniques improved and everything got a lot better all at once. For the last three decades, semi-auto technology has gotten better. The guns are more reliable than ever, and out-of-the-box performance has never been better, even for the budget-leaning options.
Just like we saw with the automobile, the internet, and natural gas heat, people were quick to start shoveling dirt on the grave of revolvers. Subsequent years have seen revolver users slandered as Fudds, Old Timers, Sticks in the Mud, and dozens of other euphemisms for troglodyte.
But the revolver has trudged on. In the last handful of years, there has even been whispers of a bit of a revolver renaissance. Is it valid? Is it really happening? Is your shop missing out on revolver sales? If so, how can you capture those dollars and those customers?
The Data
You don’t need me to tell you this, but according to the latest data, sales are down across the board. From the NASGW Scope quarterly report to the figures available from Gunbroker and their transactions, we’re seeing something around a 10-15% reduction in sales YoY, as of this writing.
Handguns, specifically, are down a little less than 10% — slightly better than the overall average, but still a decline. Revolvers aren’t tracking significantly different than the rest of the handgun class, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
For Q2 of 2025, revolvers made up about 12% of handgun sales according to NASGW. That’s more than AR and AK pistols combined, THEN TRIPLED. For all the buzz around AR and AK pistols, revolvers are still outselling those platforms at a more than three-to-one clip, pun intended.
If you aren’t seeing that number reflected in the sales in your shop, it may be time to do some investigation as to why.
Gunbroker also provided some insight as to what the market is doing, as did their Gun Genius research site. It helps to be able to see what models are being sold, which can be done on a unit or dollar basis, and compared to month-over-month or year-over-year trends. The usual suspects top the list. Pythons, Blackhawks, Judges, and Rough Riders.
Something that surprised me? Two of the top three guns by number of watchers on Gunbroker: the Ruger Wrangler at number one, and the Blackhawk at number three. Six of the top 10 for Smith and Wesson were wheel guns; four of the top five for Taurus. Clearly there is market interest, and volume.
Not to take it all at face value, I also reached out to Mike Barham at Galco. After some arm twisting and horse trading, I talked Mike into sharing some details of the sales mix they’ve seen. The results surprised even him.
“Frankly, I assumed to find 10 to 15% of our sales for revolver-specific stuff,” he told me. “In reality, it made a full 25% of our holster and ammo carrier sales.”
Investigating further, it isn’t just the premium stuff for the guy that spends on Python or S&W Classic Series — the budget stuff is moving too. “The Stow-N-Go, the Tuck-N-Go, the WalkAbout 2.0, this is stuff for small-frame carry revolvers, really approachable for all budgets. They did really well too,” Barham shared. “Honestly, digging into the figures surprised me a little. We’ve been introducing a pile of new things since we started to see this trend a few years back. Still, this is more than I expected.”
Sounds to me like your shop might not just be missing out on revolver sales, but accessory sales, too.
I also spoke to Dave Larson, director of marketing at Diamondback America, a bit of a newcomer to the revolver scene, with their big splash being the SDR in .357 Magnum, introduced at SHOT in 2024.
“Reliability is a big driver in revolver interest when we talk to our dealers. The consumer is looking for something they can trust. It isn’t just a nostalgia piece, it’s a legitimate carry option that a lot of people are adding to their rotation,” Larson said. “The other part that can’t be ignored is just how good and affordable the latest product offerings are. Between the improved sights and trigger designs, lightweight frames and designs that make them shootable, modern revolvers are a great option that give up very little when it comes to choosing them for EDC. The customer is seeing that, and they want to incorporate them to their carry plan,” he concluded.
I’ve written many times, even in these pages, that the floor for so many product categories has come up so much in the last 25 years or so that it has gotten truly difficult to buy a shooting product that won’t run, and run well.
It may well be that this is more evident with revolvers than it is anywhere else.
The Anecdotes
No two shops in a given area work with exactly the same clientele, so talking to my local shop here in Northeast Indiana is no substitute for doing your own research, and that’s why it falls more into the anecdote side of the equation.
Todd Franks, store manager at Precision Arms of Indiana in Columbia City, Indiana, is a good avatar for the reader of Tactical Retailer. With a significant part of the business catering to the LEO market, and with a strong relationship with HK, you’d be hard-pressed to peg PAI as a revolver-first store.
“It’s a more responsive market for us. When something new is available, there’s a big surge right off the bat, and then it tends to trail off pretty quick,” Franks said when asked about the revolver market.
“It’s great that they always work, just pull the trigger again, and that has appeal to some customers. Platforms like the M&P9 Shield EZ 2.0 have cut into that market a little bit, though, for those customers who were worried about slide manipulation — we have some newer answers for those customers that historically might have chosen a revolver,” he added.
“For us, it does seem to be more of the collector-type market than anything, but we still move some through. This year has been slower for revolvers, but just a couple years ago we couldn’t keep them in stock. It’s just more of a boom-or-bust segment for us,” Franks concluded.
Is there a revolver renaissance in the training world? Greg Ellifritz, president and primary instructor at Active Response Training, one of the premier firearms and self-defense trainers in the world, says there is.
“When we first did a snubby revolver class at TDI back in 2006 or so, we had real trouble filling it,” he said. “Now the Gunsite Revolver Roundup and the Revolverfest event are national conferences with 150 students or more diving into learning revolver skills.”
When asked why, Greg had three reasons.
“First, boredom. How many tactical carbine or performance pistol classes can you take? Shooters are looking for a new challenge, and revolvers can be that challenge.
“Second, we’re seeing fewer restrictions around concealed carry, and more people are doing it. A lot of people who aren’t really gun people still want to carry a gun for protection, and pocket carrying a J-frame is a pretty easy self-defense option. Then those people realize that easy to carry doesn’t mean easy to shoot, and they start looking for training.
“Then last, a significant minority of my revolver shooters are getting time with wheel guns because they are worried about possible restrictions on semi-auto pistols in the future. They want to build proficiency now with a gun unlikely to be banned,” Ellifritz concluded.
Brent Wheat, host of the GunsPodcast.us podcast, sees the resurgence as well.
“We see a spike in downloads anytime we’re talking about revolvers. No question about it. Does this mean there’s a renaissance, or just that we’re meeting an unmet demand, I don’t know for sure, but there’s no doubt there’s a segment of shooter starting to show interest in revolvers that we wouldn’t normally see. Maybe it’s aging shooters looking for a new challenge outside of the AR and poly-nine, or maybe it’s just momentum carrying it along, but there’s something there,” Wheat said.
In a recent video discussion on revolvers put out by USCCA, owner of Concealed Carry Magazine, Kevin Michalowsi stated that 25 to 27% of Concealed Carry Magazine readers use a revolver as their primary concealed-carry firearm.
It seems like there’s something there. Something you shouldn’t be ignoring.
Takeaways
Just because you’re a tactical shop, you shouldn’t be avoiding revolvers, and if you’re selling some, you might not be selling as many as you should. What does the data tell us about the revolver market and how you can maximize it?
Understand Your Market: Locally, I mean. Ellifritz touched on the legality of revolvers. While you may be ok to carry a high-capacity semi-auto in your state, what about the next one over? Talk to your customers. If they travel and want to be able to carry their gun while in other states, a snub-nose revolver may be the perfect travel gun that can serve as a backup when home.
Sell the Features: Not all gun owners are shooters. Repeat that line until you can’t forget it. As much as we want to believe everyone who buys a gun is going to shoot it regularly and get training, the reality is very different. Revolvers can fail, but it’s far less likely than a jam with a semi-auto, and usually is resolved by just pulling the trigger one more time. Know the customer and sell the feature that matters to them.
Use the Data: Tools like the Gunbroker Gun Genius site or the NASGW report give insights as to what models are moving. No, they aren’t specific to your area, but if you’ve tried revolvers before and had no luck, see if it wasn’t the right ones.
Variety Is the Spice of Life: Are inexpensive Heritage Rough Riders getting carried for self defense? Probably not, but we see a lot of guns sold as novelty pieces or range fun. Snub-nose carry pieces are a good option, but I’ve been in many shops where someone asks to see the single-action cowboy gun because, well, a lot of us grew up watching John Wayne or Clint Eastwood, and there’s no substitute for that cool factor. Lean into the variety that revolvers offer and give your customers something new to ask to see.
Market conditions don’t look like they are going to change significantly any time soon. More than ever, as a shop owner, you need to be looking at all possible revenue streams and how you can maximize them. Just because you think of yourself as a shop that leans more tactical doesn’t mean you should be ignoring the revolver market.
There’s likely some sales you’ve been missing by not taking it seriously.
