The rise of Wedgetail Industries
By Sam Talbot
Australia doesn’t have many firearms manufacturers, so it’s worth celebrating the few we have. Victorian-based Wedgetail Industries recently marked its 10-year anniversary, continuing its mission to provide Australian shooters with high-quality, Australian-made firearms. Their ascent has mirrored that of their namesake, the wedge‑tailed eagle – swift, powerful and soaring.
Founded in 2015 by lifelong shooter and qualified product designer Alex Knott, Wedgetail Industries was born from Alex noticing how limited choices there were for Australian shooters.
“In 2015, Australian shooters were very limited for choice. The market was dominated by products from offshore manufacturers that were lacking innovation, had poor ergonomics, long lead times and patchy aftermarket customer support; Wedgetail had a mission: to change everything,” said Alex.
Wedgetail says its focus is on customer needs, and that innovation is their major point of difference compared to other manufacturers. The company says the needs of the customer must always come first. According to Alex, the core mission of the company is to create high quality, durable firearms that suit the exact needs of the operator.
“Human factors, also known as, ergonomics, are at the heart of the Wedgetail product designs. It is essential that a firearm fits the human operating it. Often, shooters are expected to simply fit themselves around a firearm when it should be the other way around,” he says.
The business
As one of only a handful of Aussie firearms manufacturers, the company has experienced plenty of challenges. Australia’s state-by-state firearm laws make it difficult to create products that are legal everywhere. Alex says they are steadily overcoming this by pushing the boundaries of modern design.
“While many view these restrictions as barriers, we take the view that these constraints force us to constantly innovate, to try to find ways to work within legislation, to reach our customers in every state and to develop products that give them the high performing, high quality and durable firearms they are looking for.”
Like many manufacturers, Wedgetail balances civilian and defence contracts. Over the past decade, it’s built strategic partnerships with Lithgow Arms, Beretta Defence Technologies, state and federal police, and special interest groups both locally and overseas.
Being able to support those in the defence and law enforcement space is something that Wedgetail is very proud of. Having both sides to the business is an asset, but Wedgetail is firmly focussed on recreational shooters and hunters, as well as professional shooters.
Another challenge of being an Australian manufacturer is the higher labour cost, but Wedgetail believes in its product, and while it may be too expensive for some, the company backs itself to deliver high quality.
“Everyone wants to see Aussie-made products do well. But we’ve found the major barrier is the price point. We produce high-quality firearms, but to be viable, we need to be profitable and so not everyone can afford it, but we are listening very closely to what Australian shooters want,” says Ben Jarratt from Wedgetail.
Products
Wedgetail MPR Mini
The company has grown rapidly in the past two years and is still growing to service demand. While it manufactures much of its gear in-house, Wedgetail also works with external suppliers where large-scale production makes more sense.
“The decision to make our Modular Pump Rifle (MPR) series pump action rifles was born from our experience building high-performance firearms for professional users,” says Alex.
Wedgetail adapted technologies and design elements from the Modular Sporting Rifle (MSR) format and brought them into the hands of Australian hunters and sporting shooters.
“Creating the MPR gives Australian shooters a product that is modular, adjustable and well supported with a wide range of aftermarket accessories,” says Ben. “It’s something that just made sense to us.”
Wedgetail also notices regional trends in buyer preferences.
“The further north you go, the more interest our customers have in things like the pump action in .308, while the further south you go the more interest in the mini in .223 and .300 Blackout,” says Ben.
Orion Hunter
“We want Australian-made rifles in the hands of Australian shooters, at a price point most people can afford. And most of those shooters are going to be hunters,” says Ben.
The next big release from Wedgetail Industries will be the Orion Hunter, named after the constellation. The bolt-action rifle is a clear move to better service Australian hunters, and The Report and our readers are excited to see its release next month (October). Ben says there is even more in the works as well, including some longer-range stuff.
With a decade of experience behind the company and a bold new product line ahead, Wedgetail Industries is one to watch – and we’ll be bringing you a full review of the Orion Hunter very soon.
“It won’t be the cheapest thing out there, but for the money, it’ll be very hard to go past”.
