It’s been a long and winding road for Watchtower Defense to get to where it is today. You may remember Spring, Texas-based F1 Firearms, a maker of niche AR platform rifles and parts. They were acquired by Watchtower Firearms in 2023 with the stated goal of “redefining the firearm industry.”
Watchtower Firearms expanded the product line, including some well-regarded doublestack 1911s, but that apparently didn’t go as well as hoped. The company filed for Chapter 11 in February of 2025.
Last fall, new investors bought the assets of Watchtower Firearms out of bankruptcy, created an entirely new entity, moved its operations 20 minutes west to Tomball, Texas, and re-christened the company Watchtower Defense.
I was at the ribbon-cutting for Watchtower’s new facility northwest of Houston a couple of weeks ago.
In addition to a couple of AR models, the new Watchtower Defense was showing off its two doublestack 1911s, the Vantage and Vaelon. These aren’t just re-badged versions of the old Watchtower’s pistols. The Vantage and Vaelon have been newly designed from the ground up. Both 9mm doublestacks come in 5-inch standard and 4.2-inch compact versions and felt butter-smooth.
Watchtower’s hand-fitted doublestacks aren’t bargain basement guns. MSRP for the Vantage 5-inch is $3,899 and $3,699 for the Vantage C. The 5-inch Vaelon is $4,499 and the Vaelon C is $4,299.
The pistols have just started to ship and the ARs have been sold to some law enforcement agencies. While they will no doubt keep Watchtower busy as production ramps up, they clearly have plans beyond those models.
I was at NASGW in Phoenix last week where Watchtower Defense was showing off the next stage in their business plan — two new premium bolt action rifles.
Their new Stratis and Stratis Bravo bolt guns, which will be available in six different caliber options, are built around Watchtower’s lightened 700 actions, have Proof carbon fiber barrels, and carbon fiber stocks.
Watchtower says each rifle is individually hand built (and painted) by one man, their design engineer and PRS competitor Bobby Keigans.
I’m told the new bolt guns will start shipping in the first quarter of 2027. MSRP for the Stratis is $4,599 and the Stratis Bravo is $4,199. And while Watchtower hasn’t said so, my guess is that they have still bigger plans beyond the current product line.
We hope to get our hands on a Vantage and one of the new bolt guns soon for full reviews. In the mean time, keep your eye on the new Watchtower Defense.