A Field and Stream magazine award for the country’s “Best of the Best” new rifle on the market turned out to be a catalyst to exponential growth for the Montana Firearms Group.

The award came in 2011, the first year the Flathead Valley firearms company had its American Standard Rifle in production.

“It had a very big impact. I think it really put our name on the map,” said Jeff Sipe, director of sales and marketing for the Montana Firearms Group. “We’ve been here a lot of years doing what we’re doing, but that really put our name out there that we’re a real manufacturer.”

The Montana Firearms Group is a sister company to the Montana Rifleman, both located in obscure buildings off Montana 35 east of Kalispell, a business tandem brought about by Sipe’s father, Brian Sipe.

While the Montana Rifleman produces firearms barrels and actions that are sold to a wide variety of clients, the Montana Firearms Group concentrates on selling three type of production rifles in multiple cartridges — the American Standard Rifle, the Xtreme Weather Rifle and the Dangerous Game Rifle.

In the summer of 2011, Sipe had those products in 150 dealer stores, none of them located in the Flathead Valley. Now they are in 500 dealer stores, including Snappy’s Sports Center in Evergreen, and Sipe gets applications from more stores every week.

“Two years ago, everyone in the firearms industry knew who we were but the retail market didn’t,” Sipe said. The best new rifle award grabbed attention, because other contenders included firearms giants such as Remington, Ruger and Winchester.

The Montana Firearms Group currently has a capacity to produce about 2,000 production rifles per year, and Sipe said the company is 85 to 90 percent of reaching that capacity. The business employs about 15 people, but it relies on the barrels and actions produced by many more employees at the Montana Rifleman next door. Combined, the two businesses have an annual payroll of about $3 million to $4 million, with wages widely varying depending on skills and positions.

“We certainly wouldn’t be buying barrels from anyone else who makes barrels,” said Sipe, reflecting on the synergetic relationship between the two businesses.

Sipe marvels at how robust the firearms industry has become in the Flathead Valley. Multiple companies are manufacturing firearms products for different customers, but there is one element of competition that has emerged.

“I’ve got former employees at probably every one of those places,” Sipe said. “That’s the competition that it becomes, trying to keep and hold good employees.”

It is certain, though, that it’s a growth industry. “They’re all growing, and it’s a growing work force in the firearms industry,” said Sipe, noting that his family businesses have been working with the Flathead Valley Community College machining program to help produce skilled workers who can easily transition into firearms manufacturing. 

“We have a firearms-friendly valley, there’s no doubt about that,” Sipe said.

Montana Firearms Group is located at 3172 Montana 35 in Kalispell; call 756-4867 or go online at www.montanarifleco.com.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.