By Zoe Rose
What started out as a bumpy flight eight years ago, has ended in a smooth takeoff for Hawaii-born Kimo Klawai’a and his Montana-born wife AJ, who, at the time were both working for American Airlines operations in Arizona.
A pilot who also flew parttime on air medical flights for the Cleveland Clinic, Kimo had just come back to Phoenix.
“I walked in, saw her and said, ‘Get the hell off my computer,’” said Kimo with a laugh. “And here we are, eight years and four kids later, working for ourselves in our dream job.”
Montana 406 Rifle Hui Hui is a locally owned rifle company in Townsend, Montana, born from a blend of Hawaiian craftsmanship and Montana ruggedness. What started just a year and a half ago has rapidly become a successful enterprise featuring firearms, accessories, optics, rifles and swag.
“We aren’t just another rifle manufacturer, we’re artisans with a mission,” says Kimo. “We try to incorporate locally sourced components as much as we can. If I could, I would build the whole rifle out of things from here in Montana and surrounding states.”
Located on the Missouri River, the company’s principle aims include uncompromising quality, pride in craftmanship and customization at its finest, whether the customer is a seasoned hunter or a professional operator.
“No two shooters are the same, so every order is custom-made, from caliber selections to stock designs,” Kimo says. “You can choose the barrel length with different parts and optics, and you can pick colors and designs.”
Customers can choose from designs that range from a crouching leopard to a pinup girl to whimsical creations like a unicorn in a wide variety of colors.
Gun selections include the M-406 M Match series, built for competitive shooters. It combines precision engineering with unmatched accuracy and consistency, making it the ultimate choice for high-stakes competition and precision shooting. The M-406 MRH10 is the company’s top-of-the-line heavy hitter, a fusion of high performance and extreme precision made for extreme accuracy and reliability.
You can listen to Kimo, AKA Captain Kimo, on the Coffee & Chaos podcast on Don McDowell’s Outdoors Sports, with guests that include politicians, fish and game officials and hunters and anglers. Check out their website at M406rhh.com or contact them at 406-266-1923.