Jeff Thomas

If you asked a hundred gun enthusiasts, “where are the best pistols in the industry being manufactured?” Not many would immediately think of Norwich, N.Y. Yet, at the Dan Wesson facility, American craftsmanship and New York ingenuity are creating some of the highest quality handguns the United States has to offer.
Dan Wesson Firearms was founded in 1968 by Daniel B. Wesson II, but the story of the Wesson family and their place in history as American gun makers goes back almost 200 years.

There’s a movement happening in the firearms industry as gun enthusiasts want the freedom to customize their handguns and major manufacturers have found the solution.
Originally, Sig Sauer and more recently Ruger have created platforms with serialized fire control units or “FCUs.” This modular adaptation to the normal design has created ripple effects in the world of pistols. It has allowed new and innovative American companies like Shalotek, Icarus, Zaffiri, and ARC to manufacture aftermarket parts to improve upon the platforms that utilize a Fire Control Unit.