Para USA

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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/