Bergara Sporting Rifles

Lock, Stock & Barrel

- Lee J. Hoots

Given an increasing interest in Bergara rifles, as noted by queries from readers, not to ignore questions from hunting buddies and from perfect strangers at the local public shooting range, it seemed appropriate to dig into a subject that, in some ways, can be a little confusing. The trouble with asking questions that are sometimes difficult to respond to is that many manufacturers in the firearms business often are unwilling to divulge certain information, or “trade secrets,” for public consumption. This is not an uncommon situation in many industries, even though most, if not all, information eventually becomes available over time. Employees change employers a lot in the firearms trade.

In the last several years, I have been somewhat able to follow the progress of the Bergara brands, and unlike some others, the company fortunately is quite open to providing information. A little recent research helped fill in much of the unknown that may be of interest to U.S. hunters and shooters. In order to better understand the various facets of the Bergara brand, a short version of the company’s evolution is warranted.