Kolar

Larry Kolar began machining aluminum subgauge tube inserts in the 1970s in his New York State shop, establishing Kolar Arms as a leader in sub-gauge tubes. Don Mainland acquired the company in the early 1980s and moved it to Racine, Wisconsin. Mainland's background in precision machining began with his 1940 tool and die apprenticeship, and he later established multiple manufacturing companies in Racine. In the late 1980s, Remington approached Kolar to manufacture 10 prototype Parker side-by-sides, evolving into the 90-T single barrel trap gun project with about 3,800 produced from 1990 to 1996. From 1993 to 1996, 10 prototype Kolar shotguns were tested by top shooters before the first Max shotgun was offered to the public in 1996. Back then, European competition shotguns dominated the market, but Kolar knew shooters craved a top-of-the-line American-made competition shotgun. Kolar remains a family business, now managed by the third generation of the Mainland family. Don Mainland was honored by NSSA in 2011 for revolutionizing skeet with sub-gauge tubes. Kolar Champions have won numerous World Skeet, National Sporting Clays, FITASC, and ATA Grand American titles.