Category Archives: Firearm Manufacturer

Davis Industries

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1982 – 1999
Chino, California

  • 1982 established by Jim Davis in Chino, California
    – previously been the office manager at Raven Arms
    –  also Jennings’ son-in-law
  • sold pocket pistol clones of Raven Arms
    – in larger calibers (.32acp & .380acp)
  • sold derringers based on the Remington Design
  • one of the “Ring of Fire” Manufacturers
  • 1999, Davis filed for bankruptcy and went out of business

Davis Industries

FN USA

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established in 1889
USA factory opened in 1981
Columbia, South Carolina

Belgium history

  • 1889 FN Herstal originated in the small city of Herstal, Belgium
    – co-founded by the major arms makers of the Liège region
  • 1897 entered into relationship with John Moses Browning
  • 1935 – 2017 Browning Hi-Power

FN USA history

  • 1981 FN Manufacturing LLC plant in Columbia, South Carolina
    – 200,000-square-foot
    – military division of FN
  • responsible for the production of
    – M16 rifles
    – M249 light machine guns
    – M240 machine guns
    – M2 machine guns
    – Mark-19 40 mm grenade launcher
  • 2014 FN America is the result of the merger of FN Manufacturing and FNH USA
  •  2015 U.S. military to produce 120,000 M4 and M4A1 carbines
    – $77-million
  • 2016 new retail store
    – Two Notch Road in Columbia, SC
  • 2020 contract to manufacture 167,000 M4 and M4A1 carbines
    – $119 million
  • FN America, LLC, is a U.S. subsidiary of FN Herstal, S.A.

Headquarters: McLean, Va

FN America, LLC
PO Box 9424
McLean, VA 22102

703-288-3500

fnamerica.com

Lewis Machine and Tool Company

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 founded in 1980
Eldridge, Iowa

  • founded by Karl Lewis
  • 1976 Karl worked for Springfield Armory
  • left Springfield Armory and started to make Bolt Carriers for government contracts
  • Providing US law enforcement and government agencies with military type weapons
  • facility in Milan, Illinois
  • manufacture M203 grenade launchers
  • 2000 moved to larger building in Illinois
  • 2000 Started making rifles
  • 2009 L129A $30 million contract
  • CSW 300
  • 2019 moved 25 miles south to Eldridge, Iowa
    – 80,000 sq ft

Lewis Machine & Tool Company
1600 E. Leonard Ct
Eldridge, IA 52748

309-787-7151

lmtdefense.com

Dillon Precision

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started 1980
Scottsdale

  • Dillon Precision is privately owned by the Dillon family
  • 1970s Begins to sell to fellow Class 3 shooters, commercial loaders
  • 1980 Business grows out of garage, creation of Dillon Precision Products.
  • January 1984 – Dillon goes factory direct for sales
  • May 1985- RL-550 replaces the RL-450
  • November, 1986- Introduction of the Square Deal
  • 1980s- Introduction of the RL 450 jr
  • Winter, 1989- RL1000 replaced by the RL1050
  • 1991-ish- Introduction of the XL65
  • December, 2005- Case feeder becomes available
  • they also manufacture a 7.62 NATO high speed ammunition unloader

Dillon Precision Products, Inc.
8009 East Dillon’s Way
Scottsdale, AZ 85260 U.S.A.

800-223-4570

dillonprecision.com

Magnum Research

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founded in 1979
Minnesota, Pennsylvania

  • 1979 Magnum Research’s founders, Jim Skildum and John Risdall in Pillager, MN
  • January 1983 filed a US patent for a gas-actuated pistol
  • 1985 – 1995 pistols were manufactured by Israel Military Industries (IMI)
  • 1995 – 1998  manufactured by Saco Defense in Saco, Maine
  • 1998 – 2009 manufactured by Israel again
    – 2005 IMI was privatized and renamed Israel Weapon Industries (IWI)
  • 2009 manufactured in Pillager, Minnesota
  • June 2010 purchased by Kahr Arms
  • 2015 moved to Pennsylvania
    –  620-acre
    – 40,000 square foot

Magnum Research
12602 33rd Avenue SW
Pillager, MN 56473

 

Kimber Manufacturing

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founded in 1979

  • 1950s Jack Warne started Sporting Arms (Sportco) in Adelaide, South Australia
  • 1968 Omark Industries purchased Sporting Arms
  • 1968 Jack Warne moved to Oregon
  • 1979 founded as “Kimber of Oregon” by Jack Warne in Clackamas, Oregon
    – accurate .22 long rifle caliber rifles
  • second manufacturing plant in Colton, Oregon
  • 1989, Kimber of Oregon sold to WTD Industries, Inc (Bruce Engel)
    – later went bankrupt
    – Kimber of Oregon’s tooling ended up in a Portland junkyard
  • 1990 Dan Cooper (fomer Kimber employee) founded Cooper Firearms of Montana
  • February 1991 Jack Warne founded the Warne Manufacturing Company
    – manufactured new rifle scope mounting system
  • Mid 1990s  Greg Warne & Les Edelman purchased the original tooling and partnered to found Kimber of America
    – Edelman forced Greg Warne out
  • 1996? – Kimber mves to Yonkers, New York
  • 2002 LAPD SWAT chose a Custom TLE II as standard issue
  • 2019 moved from Yonkers, NY to Troy, Alabama

Wilson Combat

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started in 1977
Berryville, Arkansas

  • 1977 started by Bill Wilson as “Wilson’s Gun Shop” in Berryville, Arkansas
    – gunsmith business in the back of the family jewelry store
  • modified
    – 1911-A1
    – Smith & Wesson Model 10
    – Ruger Single Action Revolvers
  • 1983 began making custom parts
  • 1996 building  M1911 pistols in house
  • 2000 bought “Scattergun Technologies”
    – Wilson Combat Scattergun Technologies

Wilson Combat
Scattergun Technologies
2452 CR 719
Berryville, AR 72616

800-955-4856

wilsoncombat.com