Tag Archives: Pistol

SIG Sauer

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 founded in 1985
Virginia, New Hampshire

Old World Sig

  •  founded in 1853 in
    – Friedrich Peyer im Hof (1817–1900)
    – Heinrich Moser (1805-1874)
    – Johann Conrad Neher (1818-1877)
  • 1860 awarded contract to produce 30,000 Prelaz-Burnand rifles
  • 1860 company name was changed to Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
    (SIG, German for “Swiss Industrial Company”)
  • 1947 SIG P210 pistol was developed
    – single-action semi-automatic
  • 1949 adopted by the Swiss military as “Pistole 49”
  • 1970s SIG purchased J. P. Sauer and Sohn
    – renamed  SIG Sauer
  • 1977 – 1980 Browning BDA, amodified SIG Sauer P220 design was produced for the Browning Arms
    –  the first SIG Sauer P220 type sold in the US
  • Swiss law limits the ability of Swiss companies to export firearms
    – have to use a foreign partner

SIG in the USA

  • January 1985 established SIGARMS, in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia
    – to import the P220 and P230 models into the US
  • 1987 moved to a larger facility in Herndon, Virginia
    – P225, P226 and P228
  • 1990 moved to Exeter, New Hampshire
  • 1992 production began on the P229
  • 1996 SIG Sauer Academy in Epping, New Hampshire
  • 2000 became known as Swiss Arms
    – still using the SIG Sauer brand
  • 2007, SIGARMS changed its name to SIG Sauer Inc
  • Sig 556
  • 2014 new corporate headquarter and production facility in Newington, New Hampshire
    – 206,000-square-foot
  • 2015 expanded to include suppressors, optics, ammo and airguns
  • January 2017 awarded US Army contract for the P320
  • July 12, 2018 Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS) used the SIG SAUER P320
  • 2019 Swiss Arms was renamed SIG SAUER AG
  •  one-third of law enforcement in the United States use SIG firearms
  • June 4, 2020 closing factory Eckernförde, Germany

SIG SAUER, Inc.
72 Pease Boulevard
Newington, NH 03801

603-610-3000

sigsauer.com

Intratec

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based in Miami, Florida
started in 1984

  • 1982 Interdynamic AB of Sweden
    – George Kelgren
    – Carlos Garcia
  • 1982 KG-9
  • 1983 KG-99
  • 1984 George Kelgren left to start Grendel
  • 1984 Intratec started
    – from the remains of Interdynamic USA
    –  Carlos Garcia remained
  • renamed the KG-99 the TEC-9
  • KG-99 Mini became the TEC-9M (“TEC-9 Mini”)
  • +P+ submachine gun ammo would crack the receivers
  • 1987 Intratec USA went bankrupt (because of lawsuit by the anti-gun side)
  • 1988 TEC-22 “Scorpion” introduced
  • 1989 CA bans both the TEC-9 and TEC-22 by name
  • TEC-DC9 “Designated California”
  • 1990 Intratec CAT-9
  • 1994 Assault Weapons Ban = banned the TEC-DC9 and TEC-22 by name
  • 1995 CAT-45
  • 1996 CAT-380
  • 1997 TEC-DC9 introduced as AB-10 (legally, without the threaded barrel)
  • 1997 TEC-22 became the Sport-22 (10-rd mag, no threaded barrel)
  • 1998  CAT-380 and CAT-45 discontinued
  • 2001 ceased manufacture

Goncz Armament, Inc

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1984 – 1990
North Hollywood, CA

  •  Lajos John Goncz invented
    – Hungarian
  • Goncz Armament GS-9 (9 mm)
    – GS-4 (.45 ACP)
    – GS-3 (.30) Mauser
    – 5.5 inch threaded barrel
    – 16-round magazines
    – closed-bolt
  • Goncz Armament GA-9 (9 mm)
    – GA-4 (.45 ACP)
    – GA- 3 (.30) Mauser
    – 9.5″ shrouded button rifled match
  • Goncz Carbine GC-9 (9 mm)
    – walnut forearm
    – GCL-9 (9 mm) has integral laser
  • receiver made of 4130 alloy
    – machined out of solid piece
  •  produced a few hundred

Calico

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Calico Light Weapons Systems

founded October 1982
California, Nevada, Oregon

  • Oct 1982 in Bakersfield, California
    – California Instrument Company
    – totally new concept in firearms magazine technology was developed
  •  Pistols and pistol-caliber carbines
    – with 50 and 100 round magazines
  • May 1985 first working 100 round helical feed .22LR carbine prototype  successfully tested
  • 1985 first guns
  • June 1987 first 50 and 100 round 9mm “double helix” firearms were produced
  • 1998 moved to Sparks, Nevada
    – replacement parts produced
  • 2006 moved to Hillsboro, Oregon
    – full production of firearms resumed

Calico Firearms
1090 Hemlock St
Elgin, OR 97827

(541) 437-1031

calicofirearms.com

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

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

 

AMT

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Arcadia Machine & Tool

1977 – 1998

  • from Irwindale, California
  • 1978 AMT Backup 380
  • 1982 to 1995 produced the AutoMag line of pistols
  • 1989 acquired by IAI (Irwindale Arms Incorporated)
  • 1998 purchased by Galena Industries of Sturgis, South Dakota
    –  assembled guns from existing parts
    – phased out the use of the “AMT” brand
  • 2001 – 2018 purchased by High Standard Manufacturing Company in Houston, Texas
  • 2005 – 2018 reintroduced & produced:
    – AutoMag II, AutoMag III, AutoMag IV, and Backup 
  • May of 2018 High Standard Manufacturing went out business

 

AMT Information site

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