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Many longtime Cooper Firearms of Montana fans were shocked to read the announcement released this morning that they were acquired by Nighthawk Custom of Arkansas. This acquisition means that Cooper Firearms will be moved to the Nighthawk Custom campus in Arkansas, ending the 33 years of building custom rifles in the small town of Hamilton, Montana. We were fortunate to visit and tour the Cooper Firearms facility in Hamilton. We witnessed incredible workmanship and detail at every turn. I’ve heard that Nighthawk also produces fine workmanship, so we are hoping this is a great move for both companies.
NIGHTHAWK CUSTOM ACQUIRES COOPER FIREARMS OF MONTANA.
January 2023
Mark Stone – Owner/CEO of Nighthawk Custom:
I am pleased to announce that Nighthawk Custom LLC has acquired Cooper Firearms of Montana, known for custom bolt-action rifles. The rifle company will now operate as Cooper Rifles of Arkansas LLC and will be located on the same campus as Nighthawk Custom in Northwest Arkansas. Nighthawk Custom will proudly be the exclusive distributor of all Cooper Rifles.
Customers of Cooper will be pleased to know that the name, legacy, and reputation of building high quality custom rifles will continue, and we as a company look forward to strengthening the brand and even improve upon the quality of the past.
We ask for your patience during this time of transition as we move all operations to Berryville, Arkansas. At this time, we are not able to give you an exact date that Cooper Rifles will begin operations. The process will take time, and our goal is to ensure the same great products and customer service from Cooper Rifles that you have come to know and expect from Nighthawk Custom. It will be worth the wait, and we know that you will be thrilled with the quality, craftsmanship, and our excellent customer support.
As owner and CEO of Nighthawk Custom, I am very excited about this acquisition. Cooper has a long reputation of building fine and accurate rifles for over 30 years. Each rifle will be built with 100% fully machined parts, stunning wood, hand checkering, and beautiful finishes that are a perfect fit with our existing offerings that we are known for.
Please like and follow Cooper Rifles social media and check out the website for the latest news and information. We will do our best to keep you up to date and informed on our progress.
Thank you for your continued support. We are excited for what 2023 holds and we are thankful that you are a part of it.
Mark Stone
Owner/CEO of Nighthawk Custom
History of Cooper Firearms of Montana (from their website):
Cooper began in 1990 when a handful of former employees from Kimber of Oregon, with over 50 years in combined experience, set out to design and build the finest production rifles made in the United States. With the development of the Model 36 TRP-1 (Target Rifle Project-Phase 1), and then the Model 38 in 22CCM in a traditional sporting stock design, the Cooper reputation for craftsmanship and accuracy had begun.
In 1993, the team began experimenting with a single shot varmint rifle in .223 Rem. with an emphasis on accuracy. This 3-lug bolt action single-shot, along with an innovative new stock design, became the Model 21 “Varmint Extreme”. Soon the demand from the varmint hunting and target shooting communities encouraged the development and release of the Model 22 for the 22-250 / 25-06 range of calibers and the reintroduction of the Model 38 to accommodate rimmed cartridges. Followed, in 1995, by the introduction of the Model 40, a 3-mid locking lug 4-shot repeater designed around the 22 Hornet.
The now famous 1/2″ at 100 yards Cooper Firearms of Montana, Inc. accuracy guarantee for center fire rifles began in 1998 with the introduction of the “Varminter” in Models 21 and 22. Soon after, the Montana Varminter became an instant classic.
The Model 57, 22LR, was added to the line-up in 1999, eventually evolving into the Model 57M in 2001 and is currently available in 22LR, 17 Mach 2, 22WMR and the 17HMR with a wide assortment of stock styles to choose from. In 2005, two new stock designs became available; the “Phoenix” a synthetic version of the Montana Varminter and the “Jackson Squirrel Rifle”, said to be the Cadillac of squirrel guns.
For years Cooper fans had been hounding the staff to build a big game repeater that met the high standards of accuracy and beauty that they have come to expect. In 2007 their persistence paid off by way of the Model 52, designed to handle cartridges in the 30-06 family.
History of Nighthawk Custom (from their website):
FOUNDED AND HEADQUARTERED IN BERRYVILLE, ARKANSAS:
Nighthawk Custom was formed in 2004 by a group of four talented individuals who had a true passion for the 1911 platform. Nighthawk Custom is proud to be the home of the World’s Finest 1911 Pistols. As the company continues to grow from those original employees to approximately 95 full-time employees today, our selection and assortment of 1911s has also grown. Nighthawk Custom has expanded the product line from the original two models, the GRP and Talon, to over 40 unique and custom versions of the 1911, including versions built on a double stack, high-capacity frame.
In addition to 1911 pistols, Nighthawk Custom also manufactures top-of-the-line tactical shotguns based on the world’s most popular shotgun platform, the Remington 870. Giving the Remington 870 a complete overhaul, we have created some of the finest home defense shotguns available today.
Nighthawk Custom began offering a line of revolvers in 2016. These top-tier revolvers were the result of a collaboration with Korth-Waffen of Lollar Germany. Because Korth revolvers are known worldwide for their unrivaled quality and value since 1954, a partnership between Nighthawk Custom and Korth was a natural fit. Much like Nighthawk Custom, every Korth revolver is built from start to finish by a single gunsmith. Every part used in Korth builds come from Fully Machined bar stock, ensuring that only the finest materials are used. The result is a revolver renowned worldwide to be the World’s Finest Revolvers.
Our latest partnership is with the remarkable Cosmi SRL shotguns of Ancona Italy. Nighthawk Custom is now the exclusive importer of all Cosmi shotguns in the United States. Cosmi builds the world’s finest and most advanced luxury semi-automatic shotguns. Italian design at its best, each Cosmi contains over 100 hand-fit parts. The unique and ingenious magazine tube runs down into the stock, creating the ultimate shotgun design. These pieces of art are the most exclusive and bespoke shotguns that are built.
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