Black Friday Gun Deals (2026): What to Expect and Where to Shop

Last updated May 2026 · By Nick Hall, who has tracked Black Friday gun sales for 6+ years

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Black Friday Gun Deals 2026: The Biggest Sale Event of the Year

Black Friday is THE day for gun deals. Period. No other sale event comes close. Not Memorial Day, not Independence Day, not even the random Tuesday flash sales that pop up throughout the year. If you are going to buy one gun all year, November is when you do it.

I have been tracking Black Friday gun prices for years now, and the pattern is remarkably consistent. Handguns typically drop $50 to $150 off MAP pricing. Complete AR-15s from budget brands hit prices you will not see again until the following Black Friday. And ammo? Bulk ammo deals on Black Friday are borderline irresponsible in the best way possible.

The big retailers go all out. Palmetto State Armory basically turns into a gun deal factory for two straight weeks. Brownells stacks coupon codes on already-reduced prices. Even the smaller shops get aggressive because they know everyone is comparison shopping.

This page is your Black Friday command center. We will keep it updated as 2026 deals start rolling in. Bookmark it, check back in November, and do not pay full price for anything.

When Do Black Friday Gun Sales Start?

Here is the thing most people get wrong about Black Friday gun deals: they do not start on Black Friday. Most major retailers kick off their sales in mid-November, sometimes a full two weeks before the actual holiday. PSA is notorious for this. They will launch “Pre-Black Friday” deals around November 10-12 and keep rolling out new offers daily. If you wait until the actual Friday, you have already missed some of the best stuff.

The real sweet spot is typically the Monday before Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. That full week is when the deepest discounts land. Doorbusters go live at midnight (or earlier), and the popular ones sell out within hours. I have seen entire shipments of Glock 19s at rock-bottom prices disappear before breakfast.

Cyber Monday extends the party for another 48 to 72 hours, sometimes with different deals than Black Friday itself. A few retailers even run “Cyber Week” sales that stretch into early December. But do not bank on that. The best inventory moves fast and it does not come back.

Best Black Friday Handgun Deals to Watch

Handguns consistently see the best Black Friday discounts in the firearms world. Concealed carry guns in particular get hammered down to prices that make you wonder if the retailer is losing money (spoiler: they are not, but the margins are razor thin). In previous years, we have seen Glock 19s and 43Xs dip under $400. The S&W Shield Plus has hit the $320 to $340 range. Springfield Hellcats regularly drop $75 to $100 off street price.

Manufacturer rebates are the secret weapon here. Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, and Springfield all tend to run holiday rebate programs that stack on top of retailer discounts. That means you could buy a P365 on sale for $50 off, then submit a $50 mail-in rebate on top of that. Double dip city. Keep an eye on manufacturer websites starting in late October for rebate announcements.

If you have been eyeing a carry gun, Black Friday is when you pull the trigger (pun absolutely intended). Use our price check tool to track prices leading up to the sale so you know a real deal from a fake one. Some retailers inflate prices in October just to “discount” them in November. We see right through that.

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Best Black Friday AR-15 and Rifle Deals

AR-15s are the Black Friday poster child of the gun world. PSA complete rifles and pistol-caliber builds routinely drop to the $350 to $400 range. Their daily doorbuster deals are legendary. Full rifle kits (everything minus the stripped lower) for under $300 are not uncommon. If you want to build your first AR on a budget, Black Friday at PSA is basically Christmas morning.

Premium AR brands play the game differently. Do not expect Daniel Defense or BCM to slash prices 30%. That is not how they operate. But their accessories, barrels, and handguards do see meaningful discounts. And retailers sometimes cut their own margins on premium rifles to drive traffic. I have seen DD M4V7s at $200 off MSRP during Black Friday, which is about as good as it gets for that tier.

Bolt action hunting rifles are another strong category. Ruger Americans, Savage Axis and 110 series, and Mossberg Patriots all tend to see $50 to $150 off. If you need a deer rifle and can wait until November, your patience will be rewarded. Check our gun deals page daily once November hits.

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Best Black Friday Shotgun Deals

Shotguns do not get the same hype as ARs and handguns on Black Friday, but that is actually good news for you. Less competition means deals last longer. The Mossberg 500 and 590 series are perennial Black Friday favorites, often dropping to the $250 to $300 range for pump actions. The Maverick 88 has been spotted under $200 on multiple Black Fridays, which is insane value for a home defense shotgun.

Semi-auto shotguns see solid discounts too. Turkey guns from Mossberg and Winchester tend to go on sale right before spring season prep ramps up. And tactical/home defense models like the Beretta 1301 or Benelli M4 clones occasionally pop up with $100 to $200 off. If you are a bird hunter or clay shooter, watch for combo deals that bundle shotguns with extra barrels or choke tube sets.

Black Friday Ammo Deals

Bulk ammo is where Black Friday really shines. I am talking 1,000-round cases of 9mm FMJ dropping to 20 to 22 cents per round. 5.56 NATO brass-cased ammo in the 28 to 32 CPR range. And .22 LR bulk packs priced so low you will wonder why you ever bought the 50-round boxes. If you shoot regularly, this is when you stock up for the entire year. Serious shooters buy their annual ammo supply on Black Friday and do not look back.

Free shipping thresholds often get lowered during Black Friday sales, which is a bigger deal than people realize. Shipping on a 50-pound case of ammo is not cheap. Some retailers offer flat-rate or free shipping on all ammo orders over $99 during the sale (normally it is $150 or more). Sportsman’s Guide is particularly good for bulk ammo deals, especially if you have their Buyer’s Club membership.

Check our ammo deals page for real-time pricing throughout November. We track prices across all major retailers so you can compare without opening 15 browser tabs. Pro tip: defensive ammo (hollow points) also sees discounts, though not as steep as range ammo. Stock up on your carry ammo too.

Black Friday Optics and Accessories Deals

If there is one category where Black Friday discounts are genuinely jaw-dropping, it is optics. Red dots, LPVOs, scopes, and rangefinders routinely see 30% to 50% off. Vortex runs aggressive Black Friday pricing through their dealer network. Holosun optics (already a great value) drop even further. And EuroOptic runs what might be the single best optics sale event of the year, with deep cuts on everything from Leupold to Nightforce.

Sig Sauer optics have become a Black Friday staple. The Romeo5 red dot, already one of the best budget optics on the market, has been spotted under $90 during Black Friday. The Romeo-Juliet combo packs are another hot item that moves fast. If you have been sitting on an optics upgrade, November is your month.

Accessories are the unsung heroes of Black Friday. Holsters, magazines, range bags, gun safes, cleaning kits, and bipods all go on sale. Brownells and MidwayUSA are the go-to shops for accessories and small parts. Gun safes from Liberty and Winchester often see their lowest prices of the year during Black Friday. It is the perfect time to round out your setup without feeling guilty about the credit card bill.

Best Stores for Black Friday Gun Deals

Not all retailers run the same kind of Black Friday sale. After years of tracking these events, here is where I would focus your attention. Each store has a strength, and knowing what to buy where will save you serious money.

Palmetto State Armory is the undisputed king of Black Friday gun deals. Their sale runs for two-plus weeks with new doorbusters every single day. AR-15 builds, complete pistols, ammo bundles, and accessories all get the treatment. If you only check one store, make it PSA. Brownells takes a different approach with sitewide coupon codes (often 10% to 15% off) plus free shipping, which is phenomenal for parts, accessories, and reloading supplies. Stack a coupon on a sale item and the savings get real.

EuroOptic is your destination for optics. Bar none. Their Black Friday sale features premium glass from brands that rarely go on sale anywhere else. If you want a Nightforce, Leupold, or Kahles scope, check EuroOptic first. Sportsman’s Guide dominates the bulk ammo game with their Buyer’s Club pricing stacking on top of sale prices. Great for stocking the ammo closet.

Guns.com runs clean, straightforward sitewide discounts without the gimmicks. Good for handguns and shotguns especially. GrabAGun is the dark horse pick. They often have hidden gems buried in their sale pages, and their prices on less popular models can beat everyone else. Worth browsing even if it is not your primary shop.

KyGunCo offers competitive base pricing plus free shipping on firearms, which makes their Black Friday deals even more appealing since you are not eating a $20 to $30 shipping fee. MidwayUSA is the reloader and accessory lover’s paradise, with deep discounts on components, tools, and gear. And Battlehawk Armory consistently posts some of the lowest base prices on firearms if you do not mind a bare-bones shopping experience.

For a full breakdown of where to shop online, check out our cheapest online gun stores guide. And if you are new to buying guns online, start with our how to buy a gun online walkthrough before Black Friday hits.

Tips for Maximizing Black Friday Gun Savings

Start building your wishlist right now. Seriously, do not wait until November to figure out what you want. Know the exact make, model, and SKU. Check current prices on our price check tool so you have a baseline. When a Black Friday “deal” pops up, you will immediately know if it is actually worth it or just marketing fluff. I have seen retailers mark things as “40% off” when the real discount was maybe 10%.

Have your FFL info ready before the sale starts. If you are buying a firearm online, it ships to a licensed dealer for your background check and transfer. Find your FFL now, confirm their transfer fee, and have their info saved. Nothing is worse than finding a screaming deal and fumbling through the checkout process while inventory disappears. Also make sure you have an account set up at every major retailer so you can check out fast when doorbuster deals drop.

Watch for stackable savings. Manufacturer rebates, retailer coupons, and credit card cashback can all work together. Some years you can effectively save $150 or more on a single handgun by stacking a $50 sale price, a $50 manufacturer rebate, and 5% credit card cashback. Those are the wins that make Black Friday legendary. Check out our best gun deals page and the best time to buy a gun guide for more strategies on timing your purchase. And remember: if a deal seems too good to pass up, it probably is. Do not overthink it.

Miss Black Friday? We track deals year-round. Check our Memorial Day gun deals and 4th of July gun deals for the next big savings events. For category-specific pricing, browse our handgun deals and AR-15 deals pages updated daily.

Black Friday Gun Deals FAQ

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