According to ATF’s Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report for 2000, the fifth-largest rifle manufacturer in the United States is Wright Products, of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, with just under 128,000 made in 2000. (The report for 2001 is not out yet, being delayed a year in the interest of the companies.)
So if I know the answer to my question, why am I asking it? It’s because I went to Wright Products’ website, and found that they make latches and closing devices for screen doors! “There’s more than one Wright Products and Boris just has the wrong one”, you’re thinking. Ah, but according to the Wright Products website and the ATF document, they are both located on Coleman Street in Rice Lake, I reply.
Does this seem weird to anybody? If you had whipped Colt, USRAC (the folks who make Winchester guns), and Springfield, Inc. in rifle production wouldn’t you be proud of it? Wouldn’t you at least mention it on your website?
I am guessing that these guys are just one of many subcontractors for some brand-name gun, and legally speaking Wright is the maker because they make the gun part which counts as the gun (in this case, the receiver, I think). The thing is, my web research has come to nothing - no mention of some big gunmaker farming out receiver fabricating to Wright or anything in any industry journal. If it were a flash in the pan - a big short-term contract - maybe I could see leaving it out, but the same company was the number 11 riflemaker for 1999.
How would you research something like this? It’s not a matter for Who Owns Who , I don’t think, because Wright and the gun brand aren’t necessarily owned by the same folks.
If you’re wondering why I care, it’s just a habit of mine to keep track of who the really big gunmakers are. I make a spreadsheet each year and try to learn at least a little about the biggest companies in each category.
If they made that many in 2000, then something changed. According to this table they only made 28,614 in 1999. This table shows that this is apparently the only thing they produce in the way of guns.
Their phone number is 715-234-7077 and I just tried calling them, but they apparently don’t have any phone coverage on Saturdays. You might try them on Monday.
Along with your idea that maybe they are a subcontractor on a part, they made no rifles in 1998, 28,614 in 2000, and 128,000 in 2001. Sounds to me like they may have won a contract in late 1999.
Also, the ATF field offices can be reached 7 days a week, 24 hours. I don’t know how much help you could get with this question on a weekend, but you might try them. The list of field offices is here and Wright Products would be within the jurisdiction of the St. Paul field office.
For what it’s worth…
A lot of companies have their products manufactured by outside contractors. For instance, I have a Browning shotgun in my cabinet that was made in Japan.
A few years ago, Weatherby declined to renew their contract with their Japanese supplier and started to have their rifles made by a company called (IIRC) SDI, Inc. in Saco, Maine. They have “Weatherby” nicely engraved on the barrels, but Weatherby itself isn’t the actual manufacturer.
Given the anti-gun climate, it doesn’t surprise me at all that a company like Wright would want to keep their gun manufacturing quiet. They probably don’t want the bad publicity and exposure to frivolous lawsuits.
Well, I haven’t gotten to the bottom of this yet, but if I do, I’ll tell y’all about it. Frankly, I’m a little shy to just give them a call, for reasons Sam Stone has mentioned: I don’t want to make some over-worked receptionist think I’m an anti-gun activist bent on “outing” her employers. Maybe if I think of some good excuse, or just a good way to phrase the truth (i.e. that I am a nosy guy who likes to make spreadsheets of gun production) I’ll give it a shot.
One thing I did do was notice that, by coincidence the fifth largest pistol-maker (SW Metal Finishing in Tempe Arizona) is also a mystery.