Entréprise Arms  by Paul Hantke

   Entréprise Arms President Howard is not a shooter, but he dismisses any possible stigma about that fact with simple logic; "What does it matter if I am a shooter or not?" he asks, "I am a business man and a manufacturer. As long as I surround myself with good people who have a passion for the products and I am smart enough to listen to their advice I can only succeed."
    I would go on to point out that, as a disinterested administrator, Howard  may very well be more inclined to listen to his employee's advice than the know-it-all aficionado who believes they can plot a successful course for their company through pure personal Zen.
    This professional approach is reflected in the company's growth over the last few years, which has been quick, but controlled.
    Many young businesses have a flush of success, and then are overwhelmed by it, not being able to keep up with demand for their products or services.
    "Customer service is the first issue for us," said Howard, "we believe in our own products, and we are selective in all the other items we carry for the customer's convenience."
    Howard was referring to the extensive inventory of parts and products they carry for sale in their 64-page catalog.
    The range of products is great, from the Entréprise Arms line of complete pistols (Elite, Medalist, Tactical, and Tournament Shooter), to the comprehensive listings of rifle receivers, 1911 parts, general shooting gear, and ammunition.
    There is a multiple page knife section, plus the information on the 1911 Pro Shop, run by talented pistolsmith Lawrence Abbott, who is also involved with the production quality control.
    Glasses, hearing protection, gun cases, rings & mounts, optics, you name it, and you'll probably find it in the Entréprise Arms catalog.
    Howard's primary business used to be golf clubs, and it's interesting to note the apparent similarities to firearms in the manufacturing process, evident by both Ruger and Smith & Wesson crossing the line the other way to make golf clubs as a secondary item.
    Howard thought he saw an opportunity to fill a niche in the market by supplying certain rifle receivers for repair and replacement purposes. It also was clear that lots of surplus parts would soon be available for certain rifles due to their military retirement, so that parts and service opportunity was going to be here for awhile.
    Entréprise made their first receiver for the FAL series of rifles in 1993, and they haven't looked back since. The first M1A (M14) units were available two years later in 1995, and those proved as popular as the first offering.
    It took awhile to catch up with themselves, but when they did, Entréprise Arms started taking a long, long look at the 1911 pistol, its current variations, and where there might be room in the market for them with a 1911-based product.
    Realizing that the frame (receiver) was the key to the issue, Howard made an exhausting survey of the entire history of the 1911 pistol, its variants, clones, and knock-offs.
    Being smart enough to listen to others is an admirable trait in a person, and Chow consulted with many, including well-known pistolsmith and 1911 authority, Terry Tussey, whose knowledge of the pistol is not surpassed by many.
    The result was their well-received and still-popular Widebody frame and components that utilize a double-stacked magazine holding 10 rounds.
    Finally realizing their ultimate goal, Entréprise had just begun shipping completed 1911 pistols when I visited with them in late 1997. A follow-up visit around Christmas time revealed the completion of the on-site Pro Shop, and the full line of pistols mentioned above in the 1998 calendar.
    When I saw Howard at this January's S.H.O.T. show, he unveiled their newest, the Boxer, which is all 1911, but with styling changes.
    There is obviously too much to Entréprise Arms to cover in one article, so for now I'll limit my conversation about their products to the two examples with which I have some hands-on experience -- The Medalist series pistol, and a "parts gun" FAL.
    Beginning with the FAL, it was a project that was a long time coming, but turned out exceptionally well in the end.
    I had wanted a semi-auto .308 rifle with which to bum up copious quantities of the inexpensive ball ammo in tactical exercises.
    Toward that end, I had been gifted a parts kit for an Australian L1A1 version of the FAL rifle, as fine a battle rifle as has ever been produced.
    Eventually moving forward some what, I procured a receiver for the project, which happened to be from Entréprise Arms.
    Bell & Carlson (101 Allen Road, Dodge City, KS 67801; 316-225-6688; fax 316-225-9095) provided me with a new politically correct butt stock. This appendage is not only within the law because it has no separate pistol grip, it also fits perfectly, retains the same stock geometry and length of pull of the original, plus it incorporates a rubber butt plate for dampening recoil.
    Finally abandoning my first thought of puffing the gun together myself for a "how to" article, I decided to take the whole mess up to Entréprise Arms to be assembled, which was my first look at their company. As above, I was impressed then, and I continue to be  impressed with the operation.

Rear sights are a rudimentary folding leaf aperture on an incremented ramp and screw adjusted windage base. The front sight is a simple post that screws in and out for additional elevation adjustment. The FAL has an adjustable gas system, allowing it to continue to function with unusual ammunition, or when extremely dirty. The Bell & Carlson stock keeps the same geometry and length of pull of the original, but has a handier side-mounted sling arrangement that works well with the floating front sling mount.