Detroit Gun Works – Direction Change; Won’t Be At SHOT

I recently published a teaser ad that suggested a cooperative effort between Detroit Gun Works, Blackhawk! and Kroll International. I speculated that Detroit Gun Works would be building an AR-style rifle. Well, it now looks like Detroit Gun Works will not be at the SHOT Show and may not be making any products with their brand on it in the near future.

In a statement published on their website, Detroit Gun Works stated they will not be at the 2013 SHOT Show, and they will not be making lowers or rifles with the company name on them.

Detroit Gun Works stated that the company is continuing to make components. Also, the company states they are not “…currently manufacturing lowers with the Detroit Gun Works name on them.” To me, this suggests they are still cranking out AR lowers, but for someone else exclusively.

The stated reason for the company’s shift is a “strategic business decisions (sic) to refocus on our strengths.” This could obviously mean many things, such as a new business deal to provide lowers to a larger company that would eat up all of their manufacturing capacity. It could also mean that the company believes the market for the AR-platform will soon dry up due to future anti-gun legislation. There may also be some other reason, or combination of reasons, to cause the company to make a significant shift.

I do not envy any company in the industry right now. Between a suppressed economy and the potential for devastating legislation, there are a lot of unknowns to deal with. Piloting a gun company right now is a bit like trying to take a ship into an unknown, uncharted harbor: you know where you want to go, but there is a lot of dangerous territory between here and there.

I am disappointed that the company will not be be bringing a .308 or .300 BLACKOUT rifle to the market in 2013, but can understand that the health of the company comes before my own desires to see an expansion of the AR market.