Why does B&T sue Surefire?
On May 30, 2025, “B&T USA” and its Swiss parent company “B&T AG” filed a lawsuit against “SureFire, LLC” at the District Court in Tampa (Florida). The case centers on a patent dispute relating to a quick-release mounting system for suppressors and an alleged agreement between the two companies many years ago. The complaint (case number 8:25-cv-01408) seeks a judgment against SureFire's patent No. 7,676,976, which protects Surefire's renowned and proven quick-release mounting system for suppressors.
B&T USA, a Florida-based company, has filed a federal lawsuit against SureFire to settle the long-simmering dispute over who owns the popular quick-release system for suppressors. The argument is as follows: B&T developed the technology in 2001, presented it at trade fairs, and sold it to the U.S. military and Navy SEALs beginning in 2002. This would make the technology significantly older than SureFire's 2005 patent for the ROTEX system. B&T also accuses SureFire of breach of contract. There was once an unwritten agreement not to seek patent litigation against SureFire or its customers as long as SureFire did not do so either.
Now this agreement has been broken after SureFire recently took legal action against B&T partners such as Sons of Liberty Gun Works. SureFire had threatened Sons of Liberty Gun Works (SOLGW) with legal action because of their NOX SF QD flash hider, which is based on an adapter manufactured by B&T. As a result, SOLGW stopped using the adapter. As a result, SOLGW stopped using the adapter. Shortly afterwards, SureFire demanded that B&T stop the production and sale of the corresponding components - with reference to its own US patent no. 7,676,976. For B&T, this clearly crossed a red line.
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Jon Scott, CEO von B&T USA, explains to Guns.com:
„B&T has a long and well-documented history of innovation that predates SureFire’s patent by several years," said Jon Scott, CEO of B&T USA, in a statement emailed to Guns.com. "Despite having full knowledge of B&T’s prior invention, SureFire withheld critical evidence from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office while using that same patent as a cudgel against not only us, but our partners. Our lawsuit seeks to hold SureFire accountable for this misconduct, to clear the record regarding B&T’s rights, and to ensure B&T can continue serving the defense and commercial markets without interference.“
How will things evolve?
SureFire has been cautious so far. The company considers the matter unsuitable for public discussion and intends to resolve it exclusively through legal means. The company denies any deliberate misuse or strategic action. As the SureFire patent will expire in about a year, there is great legal interest: B&T wants to protect its market access, safeguard its business relationships, and prevent the Rotex system from being damaged by a legal precedent in the long term.
What may have started as a handshake deal is now ending in court. We'll keep you updated!
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