Canvasback, in the last 50 years AyA most likely has sold the most. Numbers get tricky when you compare Eras to recent or current sales. In my lifetime AyA has sold a ton of guns. Spain was a go to source for price point guns for decades starting in the 1960’s if not earlier. Overtime several other makers have outproduced them for certain but the Spanish gun makers became major players which meant a decline in Belgian,French and British makers share. With the decline of Uk, Belgian, French and German gun makers we have seen an offsetting rise of Spanish, then Italian, Japanese and now Turkish production. I thought that China might also step in but their quality control was even worse than the Russians and consumers quickly went to other makers.

There is actually an interesting video about post WWII manufacturing shifts in Europe and how countries not bombed to scratch or bankrupted by war debt went into manufacturing like guns. Cheap labor, steel making ability, decent infrastructure and ability to undercut prices of traditional suppliers helped countries like Spain gain in the gun business. Also the ability to copy previous designs helped which is why Spain picked a tried and proven box lock and H&H side lock as their starting points. No research, no need to market new features or unproven designs. New gun at less than any used gun of the same design.