U.S. Fire Arms Manufacturing Company

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U.S. Fire-Arms Manufacturing Co, Inc.
Type Private
Industry Firearms, Defense
Founded 1993
Headquarters Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Products Firearms, weapons
Website www.usfirearms.com
The Colt East Armory is where U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. was founded

United States Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company, Inc. (U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co., also USFA) is a privately-held firearms-manufacturing firm based in Hartford, Connecticut. USFA produces firearms, primarily single action revolvers, of a type associated with the late 19th Century in the United States.[1] In keeping with the company's interest in continuing classic American designs, the factory is located "Under the Blue Dome," the former site of the Colt East Armory, where Colt's Manufacturing Company produced many of their classic firearms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Contents

[edit] Firearms manufacturing in Hartford

U. S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. is the only gun company still manufacturing in the City of Hartford, CT. Though their product line is based on early American designs, USFA employs modern CNC machine technology.[2] This technology enables USFA guns to be efficiently manufactured entirely in the USA.[3] Due to space limitations, USFA built an additional production location outside of the Blue Dome in order to accommodate their CNC machinery.

USFA has maintained an active role in firearms politics in the United States, and was the only major firearms company to issue a statement on the District of Columbia v. Heller court decision on the interpretation of the Second Amendment[4]

[edit] Product line

USFA Single Action Army cocked and ready to fire

USFA is best-known for producing firearms based on the Colt Single Action Army revolver. In addition U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. manufactures semiautomatic M1911 pistols, as well as related models in .38 Super, the Ace .22LR conversion, and the predecessor Colt 1910. USFA also produces rifles such as the Lightning rifle.[5]

USFA's product line continues to be heavily focused on reintroducing and maintaining classic American firearms models. In 2006, USFA acquired the rights to the intellectual property of the Maxim Silent Firearms company.[6] In 2007 U.S. Fire Arms announced a licensing agreement with Remington Arms Company, America's oldest gunmaker, under which USFA would manufacture for Remington a line of historically accurate reproductions of such models as the Remington 1858 and 1875 revolvers.[7][8]

[edit] Custom shop

USFA also maintains the "Old Armory Custom Shop" which produces custom firearms to order. These firearms feature expensive traditional materials and techniques such as engraving or hand engraving, gold inlay, damascening, case hardening, polishing, and fine metal plating, or other finish.

1. Hand engraving, gold inlay, Armory Blue finish, USFA Custom Shop
2. NRA-Charlton Heston presentation gun, USFA Custom Shop
5. Grip, US Marines HMLA-169 commemorative revolver, USFA Custom Shop

[edit] Representative commissions

3. Cylinder, The Cattlebrands of Jackson Hole, USFA Custom Shop
4. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 30th Anniversary revolver, USFA Custom Shop
6. The Cheney gun now in the Cody Firearms Museum, USFA Custom Shop
  • Showing a pistol built by the Old Armory Custom Shop, photo #1 demonstrates a combination of gold inlay, hand engraving including intertwined initials on punch dot background and Armory Blue finish.
  • The USFA Custom Shop produced the decorated gun given by the NRA to Charlton Heston in appreciation for his decade of service as NRA President (photo #2 shows a combination of gold inlay, Helfrict-style hand engraving on Bone Case frame, and the Armory Blue finish).[9][10]
  • The Custom Shop commenced a unique series, The Legend Lives,[11] with a unique pair of guns, The Cattlebrands of Jackson Hole, numbered JH1 & JH2 (photo #3 shows hand engraving of brands, in relief, on a punch dot background, on a bright nickel finished gun).[12]
  • To mark its 30th anniversary, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department asked the Custom Shop to build a commemorative revolver (photo #4 shows gold inlay of text on barrel; decorative bands on cylinder; gold plated trigger and hammer, with "A" engraving coverage on Dome Blue-polished finish with Tru-Ivory grip).[13][14]
  • Members of the United States Marine Corps Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 (Vipers) ordered for themselves a special model (which they paid for privately, as individuals) to commemorate their service in Iraq. These guns featured grips with the Viper insignia on one side, the unit insignia on the other, and "Viper 169" serial number prefixes (photo #5 shows scrimshaw engraving of a custom insignia on Tru-Ivory grip, gun with Dome Blue-matte finish ).[13]
  • The USFA Custom Shop's Master Engraver Dennis Kies[15] engraved the single-action army revolver[16] which Vice President Dick Cheney donated to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center's Cody Firearms Museum in Cheney's home state of Wyoming (photo #6 shows Helfrict-style engraving in full coverage on Armory Blue finish; the Vice President's stylized initials damascened onto the shovel; trigger and hammer with Fire Blue finish).[17]

[edit] Exhibitions

Through January 1, 2009, U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. guns were displayed in the exhibit, Guns West![18] at the National Rifle Association's own National Firearms Museum. A U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. Single Action Army revolver, given by United States Vice President Dick Cheney to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyoming, may be viewed online through the Center's Cody Firearms Museum digital collection.[19][20] ESPN noted[21] U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co's 2007, Orlando, Florida, SHOT Show exhibit, which recalled an exhibit displayed at the 1876 Philadelphia, PA Centennial Exhibition in the same month George Armstrong Custer perished at Little Bighorn.

[edit] Use in film

Hollywood firearms expert Thell Reed selected U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. guns for several films for which he served as key armorer and gun coach.

[edit] U.S. Defense subsidiary distributor

U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. subsidiary company, U.S. Defense,[22] is the distributor for Connecticut of FNH-USA products for law enforcement, commercial, and Homeland Security applications.

[edit] Trademarks and patents

[edit] See also

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Rees, Clair. With Swords and Plowshares, Guns Magazine, May 1999, p.56.($) "U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. sixguns [sic] capture the spirit of settlers who tamed the West."
  2. ^ Clapp, Wiley.The High-Tech Peacemaker: U.S. Fire Arms applies modern gunmaking to a classic, Shooting Illustrated July 2003, p. 39, reproduced on USFA web site retrieved 17 July 2008.
  3. ^ Taffin, John. The Sixgunner: Long Hunter .45 Rodeo, American Handgunner, May/June 2007, p. 48.
  4. ^ see U.S. Fire Arms press release in support of D.C. v. Heller, dated 26 June 2008, retrieved 07 July 2008.
  5. ^ a b Taffin, John. Auto Retro: USFA, the Leader in "Cowboy" Guns, Steps into the 20th Century, Guns Magazine, May, 2007, p. 58-61, reproduced on USFA web site, retrieved 16 July 2008.
  6. ^ also see Shooting Wire press release dated 01 February 2008 on Maxim Silent Firearms.
  7. ^ USFA press release dated 13 April 2007 on E. Remington & Sons agreement, also Remington website Licensed Products page.
  8. ^ As of June 2009, production of these models has not come to pass.
  9. ^ see USFA web site High Resolution Images page for a picture of the Charlton Heston gun.
  10. ^ Unattributed. Special Revolver Honors Heston American Rifleman, Random Shots section, July 2002, p. 26. "...an honor for U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. to be selected as the manufacturer," quoting Kevin Mooney, Vice President, U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. on the NRA's request for the Heston commission.
  11. ^ The Legend Lives is a registered trademark of U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co.
  12. ^ see USFA web site The Cattlebrands of Jackson Hole page for more pictures and description
  13. ^ a b see USFA web site Special Projects page
  14. ^ USFA web site Engraving Coverage page describes Custom Shop engraving
  15. ^ Unattributed. U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co.: Not Just Another Single-Action, Handloader October/November 2000, volume 35, no. 5, ISSN: 0017-7393. "...[Mr. Kies] has studied Colt engravers from the late nineteenth century to present day and can duplicate many of the old patterns that are once again becoming very popular."
  16. ^ Carmiel, Oshrat. Artist's Reach Belies Location: Master Engraver's Work Widely Known by Collectors Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, 02 September 2002, section B3. Article about Mr. Kies' sketching work includes description of work for USFA.
  17. ^ see the Cheney gun in the Buffalo Bill Historical Center's Cody Firearms Museum
  18. ^ The National Firearms Museum, Fairfax, Virginia, information page about the Guns West! exhibit
  19. ^ see Cody Firearms Museum Object Finder Page, select "Manufacturer" and from the drop-down menu, select "U.S. Fire-Arms Mfg. Co., Inc., Hartford, CT"
  20. ^ or see USFA web site Custom Shop Guns page for high resolution pictures of the Cheney gun
  21. ^ see Eifling, Sam. Exhibitors in an "Arms Race, ESPNOutdoors.com 12 January 2007, retrieved 10 July 2008.
  22. ^ see US Defense website
  23. ^ This logo appears on the grips of some guns produced by the company, as well as in company marketing and packaging materials.
  24. ^ see USFA Gunslinger page; the trademarked name of the finish applied to the Gunslinger model is Cowboy Action Aged Bluing.
  25. ^ a b USFA press release dated 29 January 2007 on reintroduction of Omni-Potent Six-Shooter and Omni-Target Six-Shooter revolvers
  26. ^ Williams, Dick. A Rodeo for Cowboys, Shooting Illustrated October, 2006, p. 18. Handgun editor reviews the entry-level Rodeo Single Action Army revolver.
  27. ^ a b see USFA Rodeo page; Cowboy Action Matte Blue is the trademarked name of the process used to finish the Rodeo model.
  28. ^ also see USFA Rodeo II page
  29. ^ see USFA press release dated 12 January 2007 on The Woodsman pistol reintroduction
  30. ^ a b USFA press release dated 17 September 2008 on release of the world's first twelve shot .22 L.R. caliber single action revolver.
  31. ^ a b USFA Custer Battlefield Gun page; Antique Patina Aged Blue is the trademarked name of the process used to finish the Custer Battlefield Gun.
  32. ^ a b c USFA Henry Nettleton Cavalry page; Old Armory Bone Case and Armory Blue are the trademarked names of the finishes applied to the Henry Nettleton Cavalry and Henry Nettleton Artillery models.
  33. ^ Cowboy Action Aged Bluing is the trademarked name of the finish used on the USFA Gunslinger
  34. ^ see Colt Single Action Army--Inspector's Marks
  35. ^ USFA press release dated 06 February 2007 on release of Model 1910 pistol.
  36. ^ USFA press release dated 29 January 2007 on Snubnose revolver reintroduction
  37. ^ USFA Patent for design illustrated on Google, or download as *.pdf.
  38. ^ USFA Patent for barrel illustrated on Google, or download as *.pdf.

[edit] External links

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