Harris Gunworks

Lore & Background

Harris Gunworks traces its origins to G. McMillan & Co., formed after Gale McMillan separated the rifle building division from his McMillan Rifle Stock business. The company was acquired by a group led by Wes Harris, who became president and guided it to its first military contracts. Harris leveraged McMillan's established reputation for high-quality, high-accuracy benchrest competition rifles—previously built largely from actions of other manufacturers—to create markets for military sniper rifles and custom hunting rifles.

The company manufactures its own actions, barrels, and stocks, which it considers essential to producing rifles with guaranteed accuracy. Its product line includes a wide range of sniper rifles in calibers such as .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum, and .50 BMG, as well as benchrest, long-range target, and hunting models. The .300 Phoenix, a proprietary cartridge rifle, never entered production due to problems obtaining projected velocities.

Harris Gunworks rifles have been adopted by numerous military and law enforcement organizations worldwide, including the U.S. Navy SEALs, U.S. Army Special Forces, French Foreign Legion, Norwegian Army, Malaysian Army, Pakistani Army, Saudi Ministry of Defense & Aviation, Swedish Army, Turkish Gendarmerie, SAS United Kingdom, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Federal Police of Malaysia, Philippines Army, and the U.S. Department of Corrections for all federal prisons. Many local, county, and state police agencies in the U.S. also deploy Harris models.

Reader's Guide

Harris Gunworks occupies a notable position in the firearms industry as a manufacturer that transitioned from a benchrest competition heritage to become a supplier of military and law enforcement sniper rifles. The company's ability to produce its own actions, barrels, and stocks allowed it to offer rifles with guaranteed accuracy, a key factor in securing contracts with elite units such as the U.S. Navy SEALs and the SAS. Its .50 BMG models—the M-87, M-87R, M-93, and M-96—were adopted by multiple nations, reflecting a global reach. The M-88 was specifically developed for U.S. Navy SEALs, and the M-86 was deployed in all U.S. federal prisons.

The company also served civilian markets with hunting and target rifles, including the Signature and Talon lines. The .300 Phoenix, though never produced, indicates an attempt at proprietary cartridge development. Harris Gunworks' legacy is tied to its role in equipping specialized military and police units with precision long-range firearms, building on the accuracy standards established by Gale McMillan's earlier benchrest work.