CENTRAL MN MADE: DPMS Panther Arms [GALLERY]

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ST. CLOUD -- A major manufacturer of military, law enforcement and sportsman rifles is located right here in St. Cloud. In today's installment of our "Made in Central Minnesota" series, we look at DPMS Panther Arms.

DPMS Product Manager Adam Ballard says their rifles are assault rifles by design, but he says they are not machine guns and are not automatic weapons. He says some military applications may require automatic firing features that can be incorporated, but he says their guns have become very popular with former military men and women who are now sportsmen.

Ballard says their guns are some of the most versatile out there. Ballard says you can easily change out parts on the rifles to allow for different calibers, whether you are deer hunting, competitive shooting or just hunting small game.

That versatility has catapulted DPMS Panther Arms into the major sporting goods stores like Cabella's, Gander Mountain and Scheel's.

DPMS Panther Arms assembles, tests and ships all of their rifles from the St. Cloud assembly plant.

Ballard says they are averaging 60-thousand gun orders every year and are growing.