Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte is giving firearms industry members more reason to consider the Big Sky State as a home from which to do business. Gov. Gianforte just signed legislation revising the state’s public nuisance law and adding protections to keep gun-control activists from enacting “lawfare” against firearms and ammunition businesses.
The recent upgrades to the state’s firearms protections has led to several businesses moving to the state:
- Ultimate Defense Technologies moved from Arizona to Billings, Montana after meeting Gov. Gianforte at SHOT Show 2023 and opened their new firearm safety systems solutions headquarters in September 2024.
- Olympus Arms celebrated production expansion in Helena, Montana after the company announced an investment of $50 million with plans to add jobs for 60 employees.
- Brixtel Defense, an ammunition manufacturer, announced their relocation from Virginia to Dawson County in Montana, adding a $125 million investment in and bringing 125 jobs, with plans for a total of 350 jobs.
- Alpha Loading Systems, an ammunition loading and primer machinery manufacturer, announced in 2023 it was expanding its footprint in western Montana and tripling its workforce.
- Shield Arms announced an expansion and move into a new $5 million 36,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Bigfork that will also bring 30 new jobs to its existing 40-employee footprint.
Gov. Gianforte signed HB 791 into law on May 8. The law clarifies that the design, manufacturing, selling, labelling or marketing of firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition or its components, are not considered a public nuisance. Additionally, state law preempts local municipal laws and ordinances from overriding state law. Gov. Gianforte’s signature on this law will prevent the attempts to skirt the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) that has happened in other states.
“Governor Gianforte, and Montana’s lawmakers, are sending a clear message that gun-control lawfare targeted against our industry, which is critical to Montana’s economy and the nation’s heritage of Second Amendment freedoms, will not be tolerated,” said Nephi Cole, NSSF Director of Government Relations – State Affairs. “The firearms industry is grateful for state Representative Anthony Nicastro for shepherding this bill through the legislature and for Governor Gianforte’s leadership in signing this important protection into law.”
Gov. Gianforte is a regular SHOT Show attendee and participant in NSSF’s Governors’ Forum. Gov. Gianforte recently posted a call to Colorado firearm and ammunition businesses to consider Montana for a new place to do business following Colorado Gov. Jared. Polis signing SB3, a law the bans the bans the manufacturing, distributing, transferring, selling or purchasing of Modern Sporting Rifles, unless a gun purchaser first obtains a permit-to-purchase the rifle.
