founded in 1961
Vermont, Florida
- William Sucher took a Lee–Enfield rifle in trade against a typewriter he had repaired
– he posted a newspaper to sell it and received more queries about the rifle than he had for typewriters
– then looked for sources of surplus rifles he could sell for a profit - 1961 founded in St. Albans, Vermont
- 1970s largest importer of firearms in the United States and Canada
- 1995 moved to Boca Raton, Florida
- 2004 moved to Delray Beach, Florida
- 2012 US importer and distributor for Red Army Standard Ammunition
Century Arms
430 South Congress Avenue, Suite 1A
Delray Beach, FL, 33445
1-800-991-4867
centuryarms.com
About Century International Arms
Century International Arms, better known as Century Arms, is one of the oldest and best-known firearms importers in North America. William Sucher, a typewriter repairman, founded the company in St. Albans, Vermont in 1961 after a Lee-Enfield rifle he took in trade drew more buyers than his typewriters did. Working with his brother-in-law, Manny Weigensberg, to build foreign contacts, Sucher turned military surplus into a business, and by the 1970s Century was the largest firearms importer in the United States and Canada.
For generations of collectors and budget-minded shooters, Century crates were the source of surplus Mausers, Enfields, SKS rifles and bulk ammunition. As surplus supplies dried up, the company moved into manufacturing, opening a 100,000-square-foot plant in Georgia, Vermont in 2000. Its own designs include the C39 and BFT47 AK-pattern rifles, the C308 (a CETME-pattern rifle) and the TP9 pistol line. Century is also the U.S. importer of Canik pistols from Turkey and Red Army Standard ammunition. The company is headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, with a sister company in Quebec, and remains active in 2026.
Key Facts
- 1961: Founded by William Sucher in St. Albans, Vermont
- 1970s: Largest firearms importer in the United States and Canada
- 1990s: Headquarters and sales moved to Delray Beach, Florida
- November 2000: Bought a 100,000-square-foot plant in Georgia, Vermont
- Today: U.S. importer of Canik pistols and maker of C39 and BFT47 rifles
Sources
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