Tag Archives: 1911

Para USA

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moved to USA in 2009 – 2015
Canada, North Carolina, Alabama

History in Canada

  • 1985 founded by Ted Szabo and Thanos Polyzos in Canada
    – two childhood friends
    – Szabo was born in Hungary
    – Polyzos was born in Greece
  • had a factory in Markham, Ontario, Canada
  • January 2009 moved to Pineville, North Carolina

USA History

  • January 2009 moved to Pineville, North Carolina
  • Renamed Para USA
  • January 2012 bought by Freedom Group
  • 2014 moved into Remington Arms facility in Huntsville, Alabama
  •  March 2015 cessation of the Para name

Nighthawk Custom

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formed in 2004
Berryville, Arkansas

  • Mark Stone is a founder and the owner
  •  gunsmiths who worked for Wilson Combat
  • Custom pistols fully customizable from finishes to sights to grip design
  • Tactical branch of Nighthawk specializes in military and home defense products rather than collectible or competition pistols

Rock Island Armory

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USA office opened in 1985
Nevada, Montana

Armscor history in Philippines

  • 1941 – Don Celso Tuason purchases Sportsman’s Headquarters
  • 1952 – In postwar Philippines, Don Celso Tuason obtains the first license in his country to begin firearm and ammunition manufacturing
  • 1952 – The company is renamed Squires Bingham Manufacturing Inc.
  • 1965 – Don Celso turns over control of the company to his three sons: Bolo, Butch, Concoy
  • 1980 – Squires Bingham Manufacturing Inc. is reorganized
    – becomes Arms Corporation of the Philippines (ARMSCOR)
    – Demetrio “Bolo” Tuason is named Chairman and President
  • Armscor bult 1911s for
    – Charles Daly
    – Tanfoglio
    – Rock Island Armory

  • 1985 – Armscor Precision International opens its first office in the US
  • 1985 – acquires the Rock Island Armory brand
    – partly outsourced to IMBEL (Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil)
    – distributed in the U.S. by SARCO
    – rebranded Armscor  1911s
  • 1997 – the second manufacturer awarded the ISO 9001 certification
  • 2011 – new production facilities in Stevensville, Montana
    – Armscor USA Ammo
  • 2012 – Martin Tuason becomes new president
  • 2016 – Open US Manufacturing plant in Pahrump, NV
  • 2017  M200 .38 caliber revolver

 

Armscor USA and Rock Island Armory
150 North Smart Way
Pahrump, NV 89060

(775) 537-1444

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

 

Springfield Armory

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named for the original Springfield Armory in Massachusetts
the original armory closed in 1968

  • Elmer C. Ballance  renamed LH Manufacturing in Texas to Springfield Armory
  • 1974 Bob Reese bought the company
  • M1 Garand
  • 1911-A1,
  • M1A, which is the civilian model of the M-14 rifle
  • 2001  introduced the XD pistol line
  • 2007 introduced the XD-M
  • 2016 SAINT  AR-15
  • 2017 introduced XD-E
  • 2019 Hellcat

Springfield Armory
420 W Main St
Geneseo IL 61254

800.680.6866

springfield-armory.com

Bill Wilson

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Nov. 4, 1953

  • 1976 started shooting IPSC
    USPSA membership number is “CL-15”
  • 1977 started Wilson’s Gun Shop building 1911s in Berryville, Arkansas
    optimized pistols with aftermarket parts from noted gunsmiths
  • 1983 he was making his own parts
  • 1996 began building complete handguns
  • 1996 co-founder of the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA)
    IDPA number is “CL-01.”
  • 2000 the company bought “Scattergun Technologies”
  • 2005 gave up formal competition
  • on Instagram (@wilsoncombat)

Wilson Combat

https://www.wilsoncombat.com/