Duty Arms Index
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What brand of rifle do police use?

Short answer: Colt. 129 of 234 agencies with a sourced patrol rifle issue one (55.1%), far ahead of Smith & Wesson (11.1%) and SIG Sauer (9.4%). Only 64 agencies (27.4%) issue none of those three as a patrol rifle. For the exact models, see the most common patrol rifle; for calibers, 5.56 vs .308.

Data coverage: Based on 234 agencies in the Duty Arms Index with a current, sourced patrol rifle entry (role: patrol long gun / primary; authorized-only, SWAT and 1033 military-surplus rifles excluded). Entries that name the maker but not the model count toward the brand. Agencies that issue rifles from two makers count once for each. Counts include only current entries with a public source; agencies not yet in the index, or without a sourced entry for this item, are not counted, so treat shares as a picture of the Duty Arms Index, not of every agency. Data last updated Oct 10, 2026.

Patrol rifle brands ranked by agency count

Share is of 234 agencies with a sourced patrol rifle. Top models link to every agency that issues them.

#BrandAgenciesTop models
1Colt129 (55.1%)AR-15 (66), M4 Carbine (33), LE6920 (7)
2Smith & Wesson26 (11.1%)M&P15 (24), M&P15 SBR (2)
3SIG Sauer22 (9.4%)M400 (10), MCX (5), M400 Pro (2)
4Bushmaster15 (6.4%)XM-15 (5), XM15-E2S (3), AR-15 (2)
5Daniel Defense13 (5.6%)DDM4 (6), DDM4 V7 S (2), DDM4 (listed as 'DD4R3') (1)
6FN10 (4.3%)FN 15 (4), FN 15 SRP G2 (3), FN 15 Patrol Carbine (1)
7Rock River Arms10 (4.3%)LAR-15 (3), LAR-15 R-4 (1)
8Heckler & Koch7 (3%)HK416 (3), G36 (2), HK33 (1)
9Bravo Company Manufacturing4 (1.7%)BCM4 (2), CQB MCMR 11 (2)
10LWRC International4 (1.7%)IC-A5 (1), M6 (1)
11Ruger4 (1.7%)AR-556 (2), Mini-14 (2)
12SIONICS Weapon Systems4 (1.7%)Patrol Three (1)

By agency type

Top three patrol rifle brands for each kind of agency, with the share of that agency type.

  • Local police · 173 agencies

    1. 1. Colt103 (59.5%)
    2. 2. Smith & Wesson20 (11.6%)
    3. 3. Bushmaster14 (8.1%)

  • Sheriff's office · 28 agencies

    1. 1. Colt16 (57.1%)
    2. 2. Smith & Wesson4 (14.3%)
    3. 3. SIG Sauer3 (10.7%)

  • State police / highway patrol · 20 agencies

    1. 1. SIG Sauer5 (25%)
    2. 2. Colt3 (15%)
    3. 3. Rock River Arms3 (15%)

  • Federal · 12 agencies

    1. 1. Colt6 (50%)
    2. 2. Daniel Defense3 (25%)
    3. 3. FN1 (8.3%)

  • Special jurisdiction · 1 agency

    1. 1. Colt1 (100%)

Leading brand by state

States (and federal agencies) with 6+ sourced agencies. Colt leads in every one.

StateLeading brandAgenciesRunner-upSourced agencies
CaliforniaColt84 (73%)Smith & Wesson (9)115
FederalColt6 (50%)Daniel Defense (3)12
UtahColt4 (66.7%)Heckler & Koch (2)6

Frequently asked

What brand of rifle do most police departments use?
Colt. 129 of 234 agencies with a sourced patrol rifle in the Duty Arms Index issue a Colt (55.1%), followed by Smith & Wesson (26, 11.1%) and SIG Sauer (22, 9.4%).
What is the most common Colt police rifle?
The Colt AR-15: 66 agencies issue it as their patrol rifle, ahead of the Colt M4 Carbine (33). Entries that name only the maker count toward the brand but not a model.
How many police agencies use Smith & Wesson rifles?
26 agencies in the Duty Arms Index (11.1%) list a Smith & Wesson as their patrol rifle, most often the Smith & Wesson M&P15 (24).
What rifle brand do federal law enforcement agencies use?
Among 12 federal agencies with a sourced patrol rifle, Colt (6), Daniel Defense (3), FN (1) lead.

See also: most common patrol rifle · rifle calibers · rifle optics · pistol brands