Calimesa firearms business is ready for its close-up
Local rifle manufacturer will be on display in latest Bourne movie
Calimesa, Ca. – An Inland company that manufactures high-end sniper rifles is about to become a movie star.
Nemesis Arms Inc. in Calimesa, which makes the “Vanquish,” a hunting rifle that can fire up to five calibers of ammunition with only a barrel change, will see its prized firearm on display in “The Bourne Legacy,” the latest in the series of Bourne espionage thrillers.
The movie, starring Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton and Scott Glenn, is scheduled to open today.
In a crucial scene, Renner shoots down a drone airplane using a Vanquish. The scene is also prominently displayed in the movie’s trailer, according to David Ives, president of Nemesis Arms.
“Even though it’s Hollywood, it’s still a great demonstration of how well the rifle works,” said Ives, a life-long gun aficionado who started Nemesis Arms four years ago. “It shows how sturdy and reliable the rifle is, and how accurate it is. It also shows that it’s easy to take apart and put back together. It’s a very good display for us.”
Nemesis Arms has had its rifles used in several movies and television shows, including Hawaii 5-0 on CBS. None of those firearms, however, have been shown as prominently, or played as crucial a role in plot development, as they do in “The Bourne Legacy,” Ives said.
A company in New York that supplies firearms to movies heard about the Vanquish and asked Nemesis Arms if it would be interested in including the weapon in the Bourne movie.
“What we have to do now is get the word out so that people who see the movie know that it’s our rifle they’re watching,” Ives said. “We also have to let people know this is a hunting rifle that is legal in all 50 states.”