#IndustryNews

The GWACS Armory/KE Arms lawsuit saga is set to continue well into 2023. For those who are out of the loop, GWACS Armory is suing KE Arms on the grounds that the KP-15 lower receiver violates certain NDA and trade secrets. If you’re interested in reading what has happened so far with this firearms industry lawsuit, we’ve provided several links down below to articles that should give you a good overview of what has happened so far.

American Technologies Network (ATN) has just announced the latest addition to its growing roster of physical retail stores. At these stores current and potential ATN customers can browse, try out, and purchase ATN’s thermal and digital night vision optics with the aid of ATN’s experienced retail teams. The opening of this new retail location marks the second Texas retail location to be opened since the opening of the first one in 2021 and ATN hopes to have a total of 4 retail stores opened by 2023.

Most of you here already know that KE Arms is knee-deep in a court battle over the design of the KP-15 monolithic polymer lower receiver. While KE Arms will not ask for direct support in the form of direct donations, they are indeed seeking the help of the 2nd Amendment community via purchases from their website. They are also now seeking information from current or former GWACS customers who have had communications with the company that were not disclosed during the discovery phase (the trial phase where both sides exchange information about the witnesses and evidence that they will present at trial). It is because of this fact that KE Arms is requesting that anyone with communications with GWACS Armory regarding product improvements, manufacturing information, or product improvement suggestions for the CAV-15 lower forward this info to KE Arms. It is hoped that these communications between GWACS and its customers will help KE Arms in their ongoing battle over alleged infringements regarding the KP-15 design. Full details directly from KE Arms are below.

Back near the end of July 2022, we reported to you from KE Arms that the company was being sued by GWACS Armory over alleged patent and IP theft in regards to the KE-Arms KP-15 Monolithic Polymer Lower. While KE Arms has been attempting to work towards a resolution with GWACS Armory, it seems that these efforts have failed and that this lawsuit will now go to trial. Russel Phagan of KE Arms recently reached out to us with a public statement on this development surrounding the ongoing lawsuit and we’ve posted it below for your convenience.

Federal Ammunition is one step closer to further expanding its ammunition output with the recent groundbreaking ceremony of its new Raw Materials Warehouse being built in Coon Rapids, MN. The new raw materials storage facility will supposedly help reduce wait times for raw materials to make their way from distributors and into the production facilities located in Anoka County, Minnesota. This new facility will add to the already near-1-million sq/ft footprint that Federal’s ammunition manufacturing facilities currently sit on.

A new manufacturing, assembling, and finishing facility built by Rock Island Armory USA have just opened up in Cedar City, Utah. RIA-USA and Cedar City celebrated the opening of this new facility on June 8th which already has plans in motion to further expand the location to provide more jobs and opportunities for expansion for Rock Island Armory USA.

Officially opened on June 18th, 1977, and fulfilling orders for shooters, hunters, and outdoorsmen all across the nation ever since, MidwayUSA celebrates 45 years in business. Based in Columbia Missouri, MidwayUSA started out as just another small gunshop in a small 1,600-square-foot building and has grown to become one of the biggest names in the firearms, ammunition, and parts supply industry. MidwayUSA celebrates this 45-year anniversary by extending a heartfelt thank you to its customers.

MidwayUSA announced a while back that they had begun construction on the single largest project in the company’s entire history – a new distribution center. MidwayUSA, like the rest of the gun industry, has seen explosive growth over the last 10 years and as a result, the team at one of the most popular online gun and sporting goods stores had to take a hard look at where they can increase efficiency to keep up with customer demand in a timely manner. Now at the start of 2022, MidwayUSA is in the final stages of completing its new 400,000 square foot distribution center which should help keep lead times down to a minimum.

When it comes to distributing firearm products, there seems to be a lot of gaps that are left unfilled with information or product information when it finally makes it to market. That is why the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers has been working on their new SCOPE PLX (Product Link Exchange) platform which aims to standardize products across the industry between the manufacturers, and distributors.

TriStar Arms has been offering years of quality service with a wide selection of firearms including pistols, shotguns, and rifles for just about every discipline of shooting. Most recently popular among their products are probably TriStar’s line of Bristol SxS shotguns which feature steel frames and precision laser engraved dovetails. The company has just completed its third facility expansion in just 7 years in a bid to meet the increasing demand for their firearms that they’ve experienced year over year.

In the grand scheme of things, rocket motors aren’t too far off from black powder propellants in terms of what both compounds do. Estes Energetics, a newly formed company born from the well-known Estes Industries rocket motor company, has made plans to continue the legacy that the GOEX has built by acquiring the company from Hodgdon. Back in September of 2021, Hodgdon made the decision to shut down the GOEX production facility which was a disappointment to both black powder shooters and general gun owners alike. Thankfully, the small model rocket motor company has not only picked up the GOEX line but has created an entirely new company around it.

It is with a heavy heart and our deepest condolences that we report that the Chairman of O.F. Mossberg & Sons Inc, Alan Mossberg has passed away on November 6th, 2021. In addition to being the Chairman of Mossberg, Alan was also the grandson of the company’s founder Oscar Mossberg. Alan Mossberg passes away at his home in Tierra Verde, FL surrounded by his close friends and family at the age of 89 years old.

You all know them and love them – Henry Repeating Arms. The company has enjoyed a lot of recent success over the years with the leadership of now-former company president Anthony Imperato. Now, Mr. Imperato is handing off the reigns of the Henry Repeating Arms brand to the new company president Andy Wickstrom. Andy has had a long history with the company dating as far back as 1998 and has now risen to officially be the company’s president after several years of being the de facto president.

In the midst of this current pandemic, Remington Arms has offered to take part in its manufacturing space at their Ilion New York factory and convert it supplies dedicated to combating the coronavirus. Items such as ventilators, surgical masks, hospital beds and other critical medical supplies used in hospitals are in short supply and Remington has offered one million square feet of unused manufacturing space.