Montana Rifle Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Firearms manufacturing |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Keith Sipe |
| Headquarters | Kalispell, Montana , United States |
| Products | Rifles, bolt actions, barrels, gunsmith services |
| Owner | Grace Engineering Corp. |
Montana Rifle Company is a U.S.-based enterprise focused on the engineering, production, and sale of rifles, bolt actions, and barrels, in addition to providing professional gunsmith services. The business is presently under the ownership of Grace Engineering Corp.
History
Established in 1999 by gunsmith Keith Sipe with the goal of manufacturing premium controlled-feed actions, Montana Rifle Company filled a niche where such actions were scarce for gunsmiths. In 2007, ownership passed to Jeff Sipe, Keith’s son and a former employee of Kimber Manufacturing.
Early in 2019, the company was acquired by Montana Outdoor Group, a consortium of private investors. Despite strong market demand, operations were halted in early 2020 due to difficulties in scaling production profitably. The Montana Outdoor Group subsequently announced intentions to reorganize financial structures and attract new investment capital.
Grace Engineering purchased Montana Rifle Company in January 2024, marking a fresh phase of investment and strategic focus within the firearms sector.
Products
Montana Rifle Company (MRC) provided a range of products including rifle actions, barrels, barreled actions, complete rifles, and custom gunsmithing solutions.
Their rifle actions blend characteristics from the Model 98 Mauser and pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 designs. The M-98 controlled-feed bolt action features barrel-to-action mounting with an integrated one-piece trigger guard. The safety and trigger mechanism are modeled after the M-70 Winchester style but omit the center screw found on pre-64 M-70 models. Released in 1999, these actions were available in both left- and right-handed configurations with multiple lengths and diameters tailored for various cartridges. While similar to Winchester Model 70 actions, they incorporate enhanced safety elements and are recognized for their superior durability.
The MRC Model 1999 action served as the basis for three primary rifle offerings: "Classic," "High Country," and "Tactical." Stock materials ranged from traditional wood to advanced composites, emphasizing large-bore cartridges suitable for dangerous game hunting. Industry reviewers have praised these rifles for their craftsmanship and quality.
Barrels came in over twenty calibers with diverse contours and finishes. The barrel manufacturing segment of MRC was sold to Remington Arms, which later disposed of much of the inventory.
MRC also developed oversized short action Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) variants derived from the 1999 design, each bearing unique serial numbers. These actions were cast by Sturm Ruger, machined by Smith & Wesson, and completed by MRC. The initial pre-production price was set at US$350.
The WSM variant was eventually replaced by the Pro Hunter action—a contemporary square top iteration of the “square bridge” Mauser action—engineered to handle the most powerful dangerous game cartridges. Pre-production pricing for this model was US$500.
In 2011, MRC introduced a new series of production rifles based on the Model 1999 action that featured options between wood or synthetic stocks along with blued or stainless steel barrels and actions.