Davis Industries

{{Short description|Defunct firearms manufacturer}} {{Infobox company | name = Davis Industries | logo = File:DavisIndustriesLogo.jpg | logo_size = 150px | type = Private | fate = Bankrupt | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = {{start date and age|1982}} | founder = | defunct = {{end date and age|1999}} | location_city = Chino, California | location_country = U.S. | location = | locations = | area_served = U.S. | key_people = Jim Davis | industry = firearms | products = firearms }}

'''Davis Industries''' was a firearms manufacturer established in 1982 by Jim Davis.<ref name="viz1">{{cite book|last=Vinzant|first=Carol|title=Lawyers, Guns, and Money: One Man's Battle with the Gun Industry|date=November 13, 2005|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=1403966273|page=119}}</ref> Davis produced a series of inexpensive handguns, which were sold primarily through pawn shops and marketed towards people with low income.<ref name="vpc">{{cite web|url=http://www.vpc.org/studies/deaddavi.htm|title=Davis Industries|year=2000|publisher=Violence Policy Center|accessdate=14 January 2015}}</ref> The guns were constructed of injection-molded Zamak, a zinc alloy.

Jim Davis had previously been the office manager at Raven Arms,<ref name="pbs1">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/guns/ring/families.html|title=Hot Guns: Ring of Fire|work=Frontline|publisher=PBS|accessdate=14 January 2015}}</ref> established by George Jennings, and was also Jennings' son-in-law.<ref name="viz1"/> As one of the companies connected to Raven Arms, and a maker of Saturday night specials, Davis was described by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as one of the "Ring of Fire" companies, a series of companies established around Los Angeles, California, all of which manufactured inexpensive handguns of similar design and all of which were connected to Raven Arms.<ref name="lat1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/24/us/lawsuits-lead-gun-maker-to-file-for-bankruptcy.html|title=Lawsuits Lead Gun Maker To File for Bankruptcy|last=Butterfield|first=Fox|date=June 24, 1999|work=New York Times|accessdate=14 January 2015}}</ref>

Davis primarily manufactured and sold pocket pistols and derringers, in .22 Long Rifle, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP.

In 1999, Davis filed for bankruptcy and went out of business in 2001 as a result of a large number of lawsuits being filed by cities and municipalities and wrongful death and personal injury suits.<ref name="lat1"/><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/officialgundiges0000unse_j6s2/page/340/mode/1up |title=The official Gun digest book of guns & prices : rifles, pistols & shotguns |date=2005 |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=9780896893245 |pages=340}}</ref> Cobra Firearms bought the rights and tooling to manufacture and sell firearms from Davis.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Republic Arms, Inc. == Republic Arms was owned by Jim Davis.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 2000 |title=DEADLY EXCEPTIONS |url=https://vpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Deadly-Exceptions-2000.pdf |page=18}}</ref> The company had two products, the Republic Patriot Pistol chambered in .45 ACP, polymer frame, with a 6 round magazine, it was Introduced in 1997.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/gunsillustrated20000unse_r6j5/page/156/mode/1up |title=Guns illustrated, 2000 |date=1999 |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=9780873417570 |edition=32nd |pages=156}}</ref> Their second product was a holster for their pistol.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/gundigest20010000unse/page/118/mode/1up |title=Gun digest, 2001 |date=2000 |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=9780873419246 |edition=32nd |pages=118}}</ref> Republic Arms went out of business in 2001.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/officialgundiges0000unse_j6s2/page/801/mode/1up |title=The official Gun digest book of guns & prices : rifles, pistols & shotguns |date=2005 |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=9780896893245 |pages=801}}</ref> Cobra Firearms bought the rights and tooling to manufacture and sell products from Republic Arms.<ref name=":0" />

== Products == thumb|Davis Industries P380 Semiautomatics<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/gunsillustrated20000unse_h1s2/page/14/mode/1up |title=Guns illustrated, 2003 |date=2002 |publisher=Krause Publications |isbn=9780873494892 |edition=35th |pages=14 126 177}}</ref>

* Davis P-32 Pistol chambered in .32 ACP, with a six-round magazine, Introduced 1986. * Davis P-380 Pistol chambered in .380 ACP, with a five-round magazine, Introduced 1991.

Derringers<ref name=":0" />

* Davis D-Series Derringers chambered in .22 LR, .22 WMR, .25 ACP, or .32 ACP, with a 2.4 inch barrel, Introduced 1986. * Davis Big Bore Derringers chambered in .22 WMR, .38 Special, or 9mm, with a 2.75 inch barrel, Introduced 1992. * Davis Long-Bore Derringers chambered in .22 WMR, .38 Special, or 9mm, with a 3.5 inch barrel, Introduced 1995.

== References == {{commons category|Davis Industries}} {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis Industries}} Category:Defunct firearms manufacturers of the United States Category:American companies established in 1982 Category:American companies disestablished in 1999 Category:1982 establishments in California Category:Derringers Category:1999 disestablishments in California Category:Defunct manufacturing companies based in California Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1999