Does Interarms exist?
Anyone know if Interarms is still in business? If "Yes" where are they located?
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"Gone" O.K. Is there a short story behind "Gone"? I understand the founder Sam Cunningham was ex-CIA and that Interarms served as a conduit for our stuff to some of our less savory "amigos". So did Interarms simply close, or did it go bankrupt, or did it loose it's FFL? There was a ruckus in the UK over some Interarms dealings during the Clinton administration. So if they're "Gone", how did they Go?
bobguz0 -
Quietly without a whimper.
AN ARMED SOCIETY IS A POLITE SOCIETY0 -
Bob, Interarms went out of business in 1999. At some point in time someone will no doubt write a book detailing the life of its founder Sam CUMMINGS. He did indeed have a position with the CIA purchasing WWII surplus weapons- for props in war films and then shifting them over to friendly forces. At least that is the story I've heard. Originaly his company was known as INTERARMCO and he became a major player in the firearms import business along with contemporaries like Val Forgett, Martin Retting (Golden State Arms) and Leslie Field (The old MARS Equipment Co.- Importers of the REAL CETME).
There are any number of reasons why Interarms failed and I honestly doubt that Sam's death was that much of a factor. My opinion is that the loss of their key product line, Walther was the cause of the down fall. Interarms had an exclusive right to sell the Walther line between 1968 and 1998. When Walther jumped ship Interarms was left with a VERY big blank spot in their bottom line. There were also several investigations by various governments regaurding questionable arms transfers which did not do the company any good at all. Nothing lasts forever and Interarms, once one of the kings, will now be just another stack of old catalogs gathering dust on collectors shelves.
Mark T. Christian0 -
bought a walther ppk 380 still in box new-- lately---says interams on one side---hmmmmmmmmmmmm 0 -
This is petty but it botherd me for Interarms to stamp that huge tacky logo on the side of some fine handguns. I figured they hated revolvers cause there was no place to put that crappy stamp on . 0 -
Wasn't Interarms the creator of the tec-9 and tec-22?
If your gonna be stupid you better be tough !!0 -
That was Interdynamics of America out of Miami, FL. They distributed the KG-9 open bolt guns from 1981 until 1982 when the ATF ruled those models were machineguns. The company then modified the guns to fire from a closed bolt. They went out of business in 1984 but resurfaced the next year as Intratec or Intratec USA and manufactured the TEC-9 until 1994 and the AB-10 (modified to beat the 1994 ban) until 2000. I believe they are now out of business. The open bolt guns actually worked...the rest were less than reliable. The production of the TEC-22 ended in 1994.
Flinch, I agree with you, but it was not always like that. Back when the Gun Control Act of 1968 was passed all importers had to mark the guns with their name and address. The law did not say WHERE. Some of the first Interarms P-38 pistols imported in 1969 had the Interarms name stamped on the underside if the slide rail. When the slide was
on the frame it was impossible to see any markings. This came to an end very quickly when the BATF issued their regulations about the marking of imported firearms. By the way, I have a Rossi .22 revolver imported by Interarms and there is no logo, just the name Interarms and the usual Alexandria, Virginia. This is stamped on the right side plate below the cylinder.
Mark T. Christian
Edited by - mark christian on 09/22/2002 00:46:300
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