Springfield Armory, Inc.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Springfield Armory, Inc. is a firearms manufacturer based in Geneseo, Illinois founded in 1974. It is one of the largest firearms manufacturers in the United States and is the recipient of the National Rifle Association Gun of the Year Award 4 times. [1]
It has no history with the Springfield Armory federal arsenal in Massachusetts, which was established in 1777 and stayed in production until being closed in 1968.
Contents |
[edit] Formation
After the Springfield name was closed by the federal government in 1968, the name was used by a small company in Texas who used the name for several years. The efforts were unsuccessful and in 1974, the Springfield Armory name was used by Robert Reese, who formed a new company to manufacture semi-automatic versions of the M14 rifle called the M1A Rifle. The firearm was what brought success to the business. The company then expanded its market into pistols, notably the M1911. After further success the company began to branch into many fields of firearms. The Springfield arsenal now holds dozens of different firearms of many styles and models.
[edit] Owners
The owners of Springfield Armory are Dennis Reese and Tom Reese, however the company is also operated by another, Dov Pikelni, from Israel.
[edit] Products
The company's main product is manufacturing M1911 (built with Brazilian components produced by Imbel, including frames), M1 Garands, and the M14-based M1A Rifle series, which was its first endeavor. In recent years it has been importing the Croatian XD pistol series.
Rob Leatham has been the captain of Team Springfield, the practical shooting team, since its inception in 1985.
Springfield Armory currently also has a well known custom shop, where full-custom 1911-A1s and semi-custom XD pistols are built and worked on. It is here where the most famous 1911 that Springfield Armory produces is made; the Springfield Armory Custom TRP (Tactical Response Pistol) Professional Model, or TRP Pro for short. This full-custom 1911-A1 was the only gun to pass the rigorous (albeit highly controversial) trials set forth by the FBI when they were looking for a new gun for their Hostage Rescue Teams and FBI SWAT teams.
[edit] Political Involvement
Springfield Armory, Inc. has played a major role in vocally opposing Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposed assault weapons ban that threatens to ban firearm manufacturing in Illinois.
Co-CEO of Springfield Armory Dennis Reese announced on July 13 that Springfield Armory will provide $1,000,000 to kick-off the National Rifle Association’s new Competitive Shooting & National Championships Endowment. [2]
