| File:Usfa-logo.png | |
| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Firearms, Defense |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Hartford, Connecticut, United States |
| Products | Firearms, weapons |
| Website | www.usfasingleactions.com |
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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 originally produced single action revolvers that were clones of the Colt Single Action Army revolver.[1] 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. The company now produces a semiautomatic rimfire pistol called the Zipgun.
Firearms manufacturing in Hartford[]
U. S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. is the only firearm company still manufacturing in the City of Hartford, CT.[2] 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[3]
Product line[]
USFA Single Action Army cocked and ready to fire
USFA was best known for producing firearms based on the Colt Single Action Army revolver, semiautomatic M1911 pistols and rifles such as the Lightning rifle.[4] These models are no longer manufactured by USFA.
The company is singularly focused on production of an unconventional 22 semiautomatic pistol known as the Zipgun.[5]
Custom shop[]
USFA used to maintain an "Old Armory Custom Shop" which produced custom firearms to order. These firearms featured expensive traditional materials and techniques such as engraving or hand engraving, gold inlay, damascening, case hardening, polishing, and fine metal plating, or other finish.
Exhibitions[]
Through January 1, 2009, U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. guns were displayed in the exhibit, Guns West![6] 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.[7][8] ESPN noted[9] 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.
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.
- 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
- Shanghai Noon (2000)
U.S. Defense subsidiary distributor[]
U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. subsidiary company, U.S. Defense,[10] is the distributor for Connecticut of FNH-USA products for law enforcement, commercial, and Homeland Security applications.
Trademarks and patents[]
USFA Registered Trademarks Device Trademark US Logo (shown in infobox, above)[11] 2385895 United States Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company 2601322 USFA 3168341 Gunslinger[12] 3445187 Maxim 3420642 Officers Model 3371068 Omni-Potent Six-Shooter[13] 3176929 Rodeo[14][15][16] 2828905 The Legend Lives 3257984 The Magic Rifle 3177783 The Woodsman[17] 3502942 Trooper 3451061 US Pre-War 3306711
USFA Trademarks Pending Registration Device Trademark 12/22[18] 77580399 Ace 78788911 Cop & Thug 77580406 Cowboy 77509413 Double Automatic 77580403 Double Eagle 78788952 Fitz Special 77503423 Forehand & Wadsworth 77427790 Gatling Gun Company 77580400 Model 12 77580398 New Police 77580405 Official Police 78788930 Rattlesnake 77580402 Roper 77554138 Royal Blue 77503437 Shooting Master 78788926 Sparrowhawk 77580397 Super .38 Automatic 78788859 Super Gun 77580409 Targetsman 78788927 Twelvette 77580396 United States Cartridge Company 77580407 US 77580410 USCCO 77580394 U.S.F.A. Mfg. Co. Hartford. CT. U.S.A. 77580401 U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. 77580395
USFA Trademarks Device Antique Patina Aged Blue[19] Armory Blue[20] Bone Case Cowboy Action Aged Bluing[21] Cowboy Action Carbine Cowboy Action Matte Blue[15] Custer Battlefield Gun[19] Dome Blue Henry Nettleton[20][22] Maxim Silent Firearms Model 12/22[18] Model 1910[4][23] Old Armory Bone Case[20] Old Armory Color Case Old Armory Original Omni Omni-Target Six-Shooter[13] Silver Steel Snubnose[24] The Magic Carbine The Old Armory Custom Shop The Sixth Round Under the Blue Dome USFA Hunter USFA Plinker USFA Target
United States patents Number Property D420,717 Design for revolvers[25] 6,609,323 Interchangeable barrel for revolvers[26]
See also[]
- Cowboy action shooting
- Historical reenactment
Footnotes[]
- ↑ Rees, Clair (May 1, 1999). "Swords and Plowshares". p. 56.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ see U.S. Fire Arms press release in support of D.C. v. Heller, dated 26 June 2008, retrieved 07 July 2008.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 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.
- ↑ Schoby, Mike. "Error: no
|title=specified when using {{Cite web}}". Petersen's Hunting. http://www.petersenshunting.com/2013/01/11/exclusive-usfa-zip-22-review/. Retrieved 13 June 2013. - ↑ The National Firearms Museum, Fairfax, Virginia, information page about the Guns West! exhibit
- ↑ 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"
- ↑ or see USFA web site Custom Shop Guns page for high resolution pictures of the Cheney gun
- ↑ see Eifling, Sam. Exhibitors in an "Arms Race, ESPNOutdoors.com 12 January 2007, retrieved 10 July 2008.
- ↑ see US Defense website
- ↑ This logo appears on the grips of some guns produced by the company, as well as in company marketing and packaging materials.
- ↑ see USFA Gunslinger page; the trademarked name of the finish applied to the Gunslinger model is Cowboy Action Aged Bluing.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 USFA press release dated 29 January 2007 on reintroduction of Omni-Potent Six-Shooter and Omni-Target Six-Shooter revolvers
- ↑ Williams, Dick. A Rodeo for Cowboys, Shooting Illustrated October, 2006, p. 18. Handgun editor reviews the entry-level Rodeo Single Action Army revolver.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 see USFA Rodeo page; Cowboy Action Matte Blue is the trademarked name of the process used to finish the Rodeo model.
- ↑ also see USFA Rodeo II page
- ↑ see USFA press release dated 12 January 2007 on The Woodsman pistol reintroduction
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 USFA press release dated 17 September 2008 on release of the world's first twelve shot .22 L.R. caliber single action revolver.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 USFA Custer Battlefield Gun page; Antique Patina Aged Blue is the trademarked name of the process used to finish the Custer Battlefield Gun.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 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.
- ↑ Cowboy Action Aged Bluing is the trademarked name of the finish used on the USFA Gunslinger
- ↑ see Colt Single Action Army--Inspector's Marks
- ↑ USFA press release dated 06 February 2007 on release of Model 1910 pistol.
- ↑ USFA press release dated 29 January 2007 on Snubnose revolver reintroduction
- ↑ USFA Patent for design illustrated on Google, or download as *.pdf.
- ↑ USFA Patent for barrel illustrated on Google, or download as *.pdf.
External links[]
- U.S. Fire Arms Mfg. Co. website
- U.S. Fire Arms Collectors & Shooters Society web page on www.CasCity.com
The original article can be found at U.S. Fire Arms Manufacturing Company and the edit history here.