Icon Defense- We’re Excited!

Icon Defense- The Next Company You Need To Be Watching?

SHOT Show is a great place to find new brands and companies in the industry. While we love visiting with our tried and true manufacturers and reps, it’s fun to find the ‘next big thing’ and watch them grow from the start.

Icon Defense– you may not have heard of them, but you will definitely recognize the names behind the company. Found on a quick Google search, the Icon Defense website has this:

“MEGA ARMS founder, Mike Miller has joined Rick Olsen, from Killer Innovations to form ICON Defense.”

THIS. IS. BIG.

The Perfection of Mike Miller

Mike Miller, best known for his role at Mega Arms, is considered a connoisseur of firearms as well as machining. In 2001, MEGA Aerospace and MEGA Machine Shop merged. Mike was the President of MEGA Aerospace at that time. MEGA was a massive OEM supplier for the firearms industry with clients including our local manufacturer, Primary Weapons Systems. In 2002, MEGA started producing upper and lower receivers under the MEGA Machine Shop brand featuring their classic atom logo:

Fast forward to 2017, MEGA announced they would be merging with ZEV Technologies. Mike was running both companies as VP of Manufacturing and quickly acquired the role of VP of Engineering. Does that make him the MVP? We think so. What truly made the products superior, under Mike’s supervision, was the level of detail and pristine machining. One of our close contacts that’s been in the firearms industry over 20 years and used MEGA as an OEM supplier says he could tell the difference between product made by MEGA and other machine shops, including his own.

Products manufactured under Mike’s regime were flawless. We preferred the OEM products they made over the products made in our own facility.

Needless to say, Mike has the skillset and passion that most manufacturers can only hope to have on their team.

Rick Olsen & Killer Innovations

Rick Olsen started Killer Innovations around 2009, but has been working with 3D models since he was a teenager. Killer Innovations’ first “HQ” was in a small shop outside of Rick’s house. Fourteen year later, Killer Innovations is known for their Velocity barrels that use their SPT (Single Process Technology). The innovation behind these barrels is unparalleled- it makes sense as a theory, but how they can do it while keeping the cost down is something miraculous. Killer Innovations offers products compatible with GLOCK, Sig and CZ right now.

Now Icon Defense!

Mike and Rick together are the dream team when it comes to innovative technology and impeccable machining. We spent some time with Icon Defense at SHOT Show and are SO excited to bring their products into the shop.