Century International Arms
 | |
| Industry | Arms industry |
|---|---|
| Genre | firearms |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Founder | William Sucher |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Products | Ammunition, Firearms |
| Revenue | $40 million |
Number of employees | 200 |
| Website | https://www.centuryarms.com/ |
Century International Arms is an importer and manufacturer of firearms based in the United States. The company was founded in 1961 in St. Albans, Vermont, with offices in Montreal. In 1995, the company headquarters and sales staff moved to Boca Raton, Florida and to Delray Beach, Florida in 2004.
History
[edit]The company was started after William Sucher, a typewriter repairman, took a Lee–Enfield rifle in trade against a typewriter he had repaired for a customer. Having no need for the rifle, he posted a newspaper to sell it and received more queries about the rifle than he had for typewriters. He then sought sources of surplus rifles that he could sell for a profit.[1]
With his brother-in-law, Manny Weigensberg, Sucher made contacts in foreign countries for the importation of military surplus rifles and handguns and by the 1970s, Century became the single largest importer of firearms in the United States and Canada.[2][3]
When sources of importable surplus firearms have become scarce, Century has manufactured their own firearms. The company has manufactured versions of the G3, L1A1, AK-47 and sporterized Mausers among others.[4] The company also imports Turkish-made Canik pistols.
Firearms
[edit]Canik
[edit]
- Mete SFt
- Mete SFx
- SFx Rival
- SFx Rival-S
- TP9 (clone of Walther P99)
- TP9 SF
- TP9 SFx
- TP9 SA
- TP9 v2
- TP40 v2
- TP9 SF Elite
- TP9 Elite Combat
- TP9 Elite Combat Executive
- TP9 Elite SC
- TP9 DA
- TP9 SFL
Draco
[edit]Others
[edit]- C308 (a clone of the CETME rifle)
- C39/C39V2 (clones of the AK-47)
- L1A1
- RAS47 (clone of the AKM)
- SKS rifle
- SSG 82
- vz. 24
- vz. 50
- WASR-series rifles
- Zastava M57
- Zastava M70
- VSKA (clone of the AKM)
- BFT-47 (AKM clone with RPK-style front trunnion)
Ammunition
[edit]In addition to importing bulk surplus ammunition, Century is the US importer and distributor for Red Army Standard Ammunition.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Edwards, Bruce (7 February 2013). "CIA corners the market on surplus weapons". Times Argus. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
- ^ "Georgia, Vt. Century International Arms". PBS: Frontline. 1 February 2011.
- ^ Picard, Ken (23 January 2013). "In Franklin County, a Global Arms Dealer Quietly Makes a Killing". Seven Days.
- ^ Peterson, Phillip (30 September 2008). "Century International Arms". Gun Digest Buyer's Guide To Assault Weapons. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 60–69. ISBN 978-1-4402-2672-4.
- ^ "Red Army Standard Website - About page". Retrieved 21 May 2014.