Small Business Spotlight: Black Hills Designs

Welcome to our first edition of TFB’s Small Business Spotlight! We recently asked you to tell us about your small firearms businesses. This week, we profile our first respondent, Black Hills Designs. Thanks to them for volunteering to be included!

Want to be featured in our Small Business Spotlight? Fill out the Google Form and we’ll consider you for inclusion.

Business Name: Black Hills Designs

URL: https://www.blackhillsdesigns.net/

Years in business: One to five years

About Black Hills Designs

Black Hills Designs is a small business based in South Dakota, focused on solving real-world problems with straightforward, purpose-driven tools. We prioritize field-centric design, incorporating direct input from end users, whether military, law enforcement, or prepared citizens.

Our flagship product, the RANGE-R Card, is a minimalist analog rangefinder. Simply hold the card at arm’s length, bracket the object of interest, and read off the distance. No batteries, no bulk, no nonsense.

In a world full of $1,000 solutions to $1 problems, we aim to do the opposite: Deliver smart, simple, and affordable tools that work anywhere and fit everywhere. The rest of our product line reflects that same ethos—compact, durable, mission-ready gear.

What makes Black Hill Designs unique

At Black Hills Designs, what sets us apart is a relentless focus on the end user, rapid iteration, and a hands-on, self-reliant approach to manufacturing. We're a two-man shop doing almost everything in-house: Laser cutting, 3D printing, metal work—so we design products specifically around processes we control. That lets us move fast, adapt quickly, and build tools that are both functional and efficient.

We also embrace an open-source or hybrid model with some of our designs. By sharing our work, we’re not just selling gear. We’re enabling others to learn, build, and adapt our tools for their own needs. We'd rather teach someone how to fish or inspire them to start fishing than just hand them a cooked fish.

This mix of small-batch precision, community-driven development, and a commitment to accessible innovation is what makes Black Hills Designs different.