Knight Rifles is an American manufacturer of modern

muzzleloading Muzzleloading is the shooting sport of firing muzzleloading guns. Muzzleloading guns, both antique and reproduction, are used for target shooting, hunting, historical re-enactment and historical research. The sport originated in the United States ...

rifles and shotguns that pioneered the in-line muzzleloader in the mid-1980s. The company was founded in 1985 by Tony Knight, a gunsmith from rural

Worthington, Missouri Worthington is a village in southeast Putnam County, Missouri, United States. The population was 47 at the 2020 census. History A post office called Worthington has been in operation since 1902. The community has the name of an early citizen. G ...

, and is now owned by PI, Inc. Originally, Tony built the guns by hand one at a time in his garage, and as demand increased, their first factory was built in 1987 in

Lancaster, Missouri Lancaster is a city in Schuyler County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 675. It is the county seat of Schuyler County. Lancaster is part of the Kirksville Micropolitan Statistical Area. History A post offi ...

. Over the next few years, demand increased dramatically, and a new, larger factory was built in Centerville, Iowa. The company was sold to father/son duo Dale and Bruce Watley in 1991, and then to Pradco in 1999. Under Pradco’s ownership, Knight Rifles sales decreased and in 2009, the Knight Rifles product line was closed. In 2011, Knight Rifles was purchased by Plastic Industries, Inc. and is now headquarters in Athens, Tennessee, although the warranty center remains in Centerville, IA.

References

External links

*{{official website, http://www.muzzleloaders.com/ Gunsmiths Manufacturing companies established in 1985 1985 establishments in Tennessee