Back in 2008 (or 2007?) PARA USA purchased the rights to produce the ZM Weapons LR 300 rifle, a AR-15 like weapon that replaced the AR buffer with a forward recoil spring, allowing the use of a folding stock. PARA has announced that they are now dropping the product and exiting the rifle business.

I suspect the high price of the rifle, which I think was over $2,000, coupled with the old fashioned looking folding stock (when everyone wants the latest curvy Magpul design) was the reason it never became popular.

From the press release …

Pineville, NC – PARA USA announced today that it was exiting the rifle market to concentrate on its core competency in handguns. CEO Thanos Polyzos said, “PARA has some exciting new projects in development that will continue the innovation that we started with the high capacity P14-45 pistol. We want to bring these exciting new major caliber handguns to the firearms market and we need to focus our attention on them.”

The Tactical Target Rifle is the best battle rifle in the world. It has the remarkable Delayed Impingement Gas System (DIGS) that makes it the softest shooting, most reliable rifle of its type. While PARA USA will cease production of the Tactical Target Rifle, it will continue its tradition of providing unparalleled service in the firearms industry.

PARA USA will continue to service all of the Tactical Target Rifles it has sold. However, the production and marketing of new rifles using the DIGS operating system will be resumed by Al Zitta, the original developer of the rifle.

For information on new rifles contact: ZM Performance Systems, Inc., 1958 Wes White HL Rd., Richmond, VT 05477 or www.zmweapons.com.