#Blackwater

Blackwater Worldwide the last couple of years has refocused its efforts on the interior of the firearms industry by producing more and more consumer products like ammunition. Now, Blackwater Worldwide has initiated a strategic partnership with DI Optical Co. Ltd (a South Korea-based optical company) which produces both optics and laser aiming devices. The RP-1 Red Dot and TMF-1 Red Dot are now available through the Blackwater online store.

Throughout my life, there’ve been a few things I’ve always wanted to cross off my bucket list. After being cooped up for over a year, I decided early in 2022 that I would travel around the country for various training courses. A friend recently told me about a small training company in the northern part of North Carolina that I had to check out. I hopped in my truck and made my way down to Moyock, NC for quite the weekend. Let’s take a closer look at my experience with Aggressive Defensive Solutions firearms courses.

North Carolina-based Blackwater Worldwide will be launching a new fundraising program to benefit the folks over at the Firearms Policy Coalition and their efforts to challenge several anti-second amendment policies across the nation in various states. Blackwater plans to support the FPC by donating a portion of its ammunition sales to the organization and bringing more awareness to the FPC’s efforts.

Blackwater has a limited edition of their Iron Horse Lower. As you may remember Blackwater Worldwide and Iron Horse Firearms announced a partnership earlier this year.

North Carolina-based Blackwater Worldwide have announced a partnership with Utah-based Iron Horse Firearms which will see Iron Horse come under the Blackwater banner as the company continues to diversify. Blackwater’s new firearms division joins the gear and ammo arms of the business.

Blackwater Ammunition was showing off their new line of 2011 pistols for 2020 called the Raven series. The Raven 2011 will have two different models for duty use or competition as well as coming in both compact and full size frames. Blackwater wanted to throw their hat into the 2011 ring with a high end 1911 that is competitively priced for today’s market. There is a fairly substantial number of options available for each pistol with the ability to customize your gun to your specifications. Lets take a look at what Blackwater will have new to offer in 2020.

Blackwater is back and stronger than ever with them bringing some awesome products to market. Now don’t think this is just a company using the Blackwater logo trying to be an imitator. This is the original company with Erik Prince at the wheel trying to make some pretty interesting and innovating products.

Blackwater Ammunition is a new company established by Eric Prince, the founder of Academy (Blackwater), James Fenech, ammunition and arms distributor, and Nicola Bandini who also is (was?) the CEO of Arsenal Firearms. The launch of this new company was officially announced during IWA 2018 exhibition. Blackwater Ammunition is located in Malta. It is a subsidiary of another Maltese company called  Precision Ballistic Manufacturing.

I challenge you to watch the above video, and tell me the majority of the tactics, gear, people, and location couldn’t have been easily mistaken for a large training center in the United States, such as Gunsite, Blackwater. The Erbil Training Center (ETC) claims to be the largest training facility within Iraq, and autonomous Kurdistan (northern Iraq). ETC boosts numerous short and long distance ranges, a CQB maneuver house, rappel tower, in addition to a wide variety of other establishments and shooting facilities. The Center appears to be much more specialized within the PSD and special operations capacity training than strict infantry material, or what the majority of the Peshmerga is engaged in when it comes to fighting Daesh. Indeed, with previous videos of Kurdish “SF” groups, I can recognize some of the background at this facility.

I just found out that in December 2011 Xe, the company formally known as Blackwater, was renamed to Academi. WSJ reported …

In February 2009, after many scandals, litigation and other PR disasters, Blackwater USA infamously rebranded themselves as Xe Services. We were puzzled when Mossberg announced a range of Blackwater USA branded shotguns. Then last month the situation became clearer when, at E3, a Blackwater videogame was announced for the XBox 360. Whoever owns the Blackwater trademarks , clearly have plans to milk it for all its worth.

Of all the weird guns at SHOT Show, none left me more puzzled than Mossberg’s new range of Blackwater branded shotguns.

In 2007 Sig Sauer came out with a Blackwater branded Sig P226. This year they have partnered with Blackwater to produce a 1911. It features picatinny rail, custom wood grips with blackwater logo, Nitron coated stainless steel slide and SIGLITE night sights.

Lee, a Blackwater armorer, emailed me some info on the BW15:

Blackwater announced that they will soon be selling AR-15s. Customers will choose what features they want and the Blackwater Armory will build it.