Detonics

First Detonics MTX pistol in burl presentation case

Close up of Detonics Nemesis prototype pistol used to develop the MTX series pistols

Detonics is a firearm manufacturing company based in Millstadt, Illinois, United States. Detonics is best known for its innovative design of compact 1911-style pistols, such as the Combat Master.

Company history

Detonics is historically recognized as the innovator of the compact 1911 as a new design and not a cut down version of a full size handgun. The original architecture for the Detonics Combat Master began in the 1960s with an Explosives Corporation of America (EXCOA) engineer named Pat Yates. Through this association, Yates met with a number of other gun enthusiasts in the early 70s, including Sid Woodcock. These meetings led to the development of the original prototypes for the Combat Master. In the middle of the decade, Mike Maes, a manager with EXCOA and Sid Woodcock formalized their collaborative work and began what is the 30 year history of Detonics.

Pat Yates now had an opportunity to fully develop his compact 1911 design. Over the course of a few years, the Combat Master was developed, tested and put into production in 1976. In the early 1980s, Detonics released both the Service Master and Score Master weapons as their equivalents to the mid-sized Colt Commander and full-sized Government Model, respectively.

In 1987, Detonics was purchased by Bruce McCaw of McCaw Cellular. The company was renamed New Detonics with operations managed by Robbie Barkman of ROBAR. During this period, New Detonics was moved to Phoenix, Arizona where operations continued until closing in 1992.

In 2004, New Detonics reappeared as Detonics USA under the guidance of Jerry Ahern. Ahern was the fan of the original Combat Master pistol and in response to concealed-carry laws being passed since the early 1990s, the resurrected Detonics USA saw the reintroduction of the Combat Master to the general public. Operations were moved to Pendergrass, Georgia, where the first significant additions to the product line were made with the Street Master, a full size slide on a Combat Master frame and the commemorative, full size 9-11-01.

In November 2007, ownership of Detonics USA and all of its predecessors was purchased by Bruce Siddle and Dr. Steve Stahle. Lt. Col. Dave Grossman (Ret.) bought into the company and became a board member in October 2008. Now known only as Detonics, corporate operations were relocated to Millstadt, IL.

Newly produced Combat Master

Over the course of 2010, Detonics released several pistols which were updated designs of prior models. The Combat Master model is an updated remake of the original 1970's era Combat Master. The new pistol features a completely redesigned slide that has the rear sight placed at the very rear of the slide, which was, on the original Combat Master placed about an inch forward of the rear. The new model also features a modified triangular hammer, aluminum and wood "Fusion" grip panels, and adjustable trigger and an updated mainspring housing featuring wide longitudinal serrations.

Nemesis prototype pistol which evolved into the MTX production model

In November 2010, the production run of the first fully CNC machined, completely modular 1911 production pistol was initiated. Originally designated in the prototype stage as the NEMESIS model, the final production pistol was renamed as the MTX and then released publicly as the MTX-H. The first production pistol off the assembly line was an all black model compact model with a 12 round double stack magazine and a compact slide and was shipped to a Detonics collector in a burl wood presentation case. MTX pistols are available in either all black (semi-gloss black slides over a mat-black frame) or two tone semi-gloss black slide over a mat-grey frame. The frame of the MTX pistols are machined from aluminum billet, while the slide is steel. The grip of the gun is modular and can be removed from the frame and exchanged between either compact or full length grips. The slide, barrel and recoil spring assembly of the MTX pistol are interchangeable with the original 1970's era Combat Master pistols as well as the newly produced Combat Master pistols.

Current products

• MTX-H Modular Pistol
• Combat Master Legacy Edition
• Street Master
• Service Master
• 09-11-01

References

• "The History of Detonics". Accessed July 2, 2012
• Bigger Hammer's webpage of History and production of Detonics over the years
• The Detonics Story
• Rauch, Walt. "Detonics Combat Master". Handguns Magazine, December 13, 2005.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Detonics.

• Official website