September 2026 firearms market update: Submission trends, valuation activity and secondary market insights
Key Takeaways From the September 2026 Firearms Market
September generated 1,980 firearm offers totaling a 2026-high $1.15 million. We Buy Guns completed a year-to-date high of 758 purchases and paid $377,320 to sellers.
Handguns drove most activity
Handguns accounted for 59.9% of September offers and 67.0% of completed purchases.
Smith & Wesson led manufacturer activity
After consolidating obvious naming variants, Smith & Wesson led September with 170 submissions and 86 completed purchases.
SIG Sauer P320 led model activity
The SIG Sauer P320 led September with 16 submissions and 11 completed purchases.
Low-volume categories carried outsized value
Machine guns represented 1.2% of offers but averaged $6,800, while premium handgun models extended the upper end of observed values.
Florida led geographic activity
Florida led with 221 submissions and 74 completed purchases, while Georgia posted the highest average offer among states with at least 10 submissions.
Purchases rose as offer volume eased
Offers declined 2.8% from August, while completed purchases increased 8.0% to the highest monthly total of 2026.
Nationwide Firearm Submission and Purchase Activity
September generated 1,980 offers totaling $1,149,663, with 758 firearms purchased through the We Buy Guns platform.
Average offer value was $580.64 and average purchase value was $497.78. These figures summarize separate offer-dated and payment-dated activity within September rather than a matched group of transactions.
- Offers Made
- 1,980
- Firearms Purchased
- 758
- Total Offer Value
- $1,149,663
- Amount Paid to Sellers
- $377,320
- Avg. Offer Value
- $580.64
- Avg. Purchase Value
- $497.78
What Types of Firearms Dominated the Market?
Handguns remained the clear volume driver in September, accounting for 59.9% of submissions and 67.0% of completed purchases.
Rifles represented more than one-quarter of submissions and purchases. Machine guns accounted for just 1.2% of offers and 0.3% of purchases, but carried the highest average values by a wide margin.
Submission Mix by Firearm Type
Share of firearms submitted for review during September 2026.
Purchase Mix by Firearm Type
Share of completed firearm purchases during September 2026.
| Category | Submissions | % of Offers | Avg. Offer | Purchases | % of Purchases | Avg. Purchase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handguns | 1,186 | 59.9% | $462.65 | 508 | 67% | $464.04 |
| Rifles | 573 | 28.9% | $631.31 | 190 | 25.1% | $550.21 |
| Shotguns | 198 | 10% | $418.27 | 58 | 7.7% | $492.24 |
| Machine Guns | 23 | 1.2% | $6,800.00 | 2 | 0.3% | $4,250.00 |
Which Firearm Brands Generated the Most Market Activity?
Manufacturer-level activity provides another lens into the firearms moving through the secondary market. While category data highlights broad firearm types, brand-level trends help identify which manufacturers generated the most seller activity during September 2026.
Mainstream handgun manufacturers dominated overall submission volume, while premium and collector-oriented brands yielded substantially higher average values.
Top Manufacturers by Submission Volume
Submission counts observed during September 2026.
Average Offer Value by Manufacturer
Average firearm offer value among major manufacturers.
| Manufacturer | Submissions | Avg Offer | Purchases | Avg Purchase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith & Wesson | 170 | $384.41 | 86 | $390.99 |
| Ruger | 154 | $340.91 | 53 | $341.04 |
| SIG Sauer | 128 | $532.42 | 55 | $485.91 |
| Glock | 105 | $328.76 | 46 | $347.83 |
| Colt | 61 | $673.77 | 12 | $720.83 |
| Winchester | 57 | $1,064.04 | 20 | $465.00 |
| Remington | 57 | $456.14 | 20 | $380.00 |
| Springfield Armory | 53 | $483.02 | 6 | $491.67 |
| Taurus | 41 | $185.37 | 16 | $204.69 |
| Beretta | 37 | $513.65 | 19 | $470.00 |
What Firearms Were Most Frequently Submitted in September 2026?
The SIG Sauer P320 led both submission and purchase activity during September. Modern defensive handguns dominated the model rankings, while the Remington 700, Ruger 10/22 and Winchester 94 placed rifles among the most frequently submitted firearms.
Most Submitted Firearms
Most Purchased Firearms
Premium and Collector Firearms Defined the Upper End of September Values
September data continued to show substantial value separation between mainstream defensive handguns and premium collector or enthusiast firearms. Select revolvers, premium rifles and high-end handguns produced average values several times higher than the most frequently submitted consumer models.
Premium Handgun
Staccato XC
Three submitted examples averaged $2,666.67, placing the model at the upper end of September offer values.
Premium Rifle
Daniel Defense DDM4
Two completed purchases averaged $1,200, illustrating the premium carried by enthusiast-oriented rifle platforms.
Premium Pistol
Wilson Combat EDC X9
Three submitted examples averaged $1,666.67 during September.
Classic Revolver
Colt Python
Three submitted examples averaged $1,000 during September.
Observed Value Spread
Mainstream Defensive Pistols Continued to Occupy a Consistent Mid-Range Value Band
Frequently submitted carry pistols clustered within a comparatively narrow valuation range during September, while collector and enthusiast models extended the upper end of the observed market.
Note: These values represent the actual user firearms submitted in September. Item condition and accessories can greatly influence listed values.
Where Firearm Market Activity Was Strongest During September 2026
Firearm submission and purchase activity during September remained broadly distributed across the United States, with Florida leading both submissions and completed-purchase volume.
Florida, Texas, Indiana, Pennsylvania and California led submission volume, while Georgia produced the highest average offer value among states with at least 10 submissions.
Geographic activity
National Firearm Activity Heatmap
States are shaded by firearm activity during September 2026.
Highest Submission Volume
Highest Average Values (10+ Submissions)
How Firearm Market Activity Shifted Throughout 2026
September offer activity declined 2.8% from August to 1,980, while completed purchases increased 8.0% to a year-to-date high of 758.
Total offer value reached a new 2026 high of $1.15 million, averaging $580.64 per firearm. September purchases resulted in $377,320 paid to sellers, averaging $497.78 per firearm.
Primary Trend Visualization
Submission and Purchase Activity by Month
Total Market Value
Total Offer Value by Month
What We’re Watching in the Secondary Firearms Market
Future reports will show whether September’s record purchase volume and total offer value persist even as overall offer count moves below August’s peak.
What We’re Watching
September Patterns to Watch During the Remainder of 2026
Continued concentration around modern defensive handguns suggests practical consumer firearms may remain the primary driver of overall secondary-market volume.
Premium collector and NFA inventory may continue to create substantial value outliers despite representing a comparatively small percentage of total activity.
Geographic participation remains broad, with Southern, Midwestern and coastal states all represented among September's leading markets.
During the remainder of 2026, we’ll be watching whether purchase volume remains elevated and whether total offer value holds near September’s record despite monthly changes in submission volume.
How This Report Was Compiled
This report summarizes anonymized, first-party firearm offer and purchase activity observed through We Buy Guns during September 2026. Offers and purchases are grouped by their respective activity dates and represent separate monthly datasets.
Values reflect We Buy Guns offer and payout amounts rather than retail or auction prices. Results may vary with firearm mix, condition, configuration and accessories; common naming variants may be consolidated, and historical totals may change slightly as records are finalized.
Secondary Market Resources & Research
If you are tracking current market activity to determine the optimal time to liquidate an item, a private collection, or an estate portfolio, explore our dedicated specialized guides:
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Inherited and Estate Portfolios
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