Last updated November 2026 · By Nick Hall, NFA owner who tracks the suppressor and PCC market for USA Gun Shop, including every B&T launch and the B&T USA dispute
Quick take: A fire tore through B&T’s site on Tempelstrasse in Thun, Switzerland in the early hours of October 29, and Bern cantonal police say arson is now the leading suspected cause. Nobody was hurt, and B&T says it will rebuild.
- What changed: B&T says the fire destroyed its operational facilities and caused substantial damage to the Swiss company.
- Why it matters: Thun is B&T’s home base, where it grew over 30 years into a specialist in firearms, suppressors and accessories.
- Affects: B&T AG’s Swiss production first, while US warranty, service and parts still run through B&T USA in Herriman, Utah.
- What’s next: Police are looking for witnesses, and neither company has published a delivery or production update for US customers.
Most factory fires in this industry are industrial accidents, a dust ignition or a solvent fire, and they fade from the news in a week. This one is different. Swiss police are treating it as a possible deliberate act, and B&T’s own statement reads like a company that believes it was targeted. Here is what is confirmed, what is not, and what it means if you own or want a B&T.
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Table of Contents
What Bern Police Have Confirmed About the Thun Fire
The Kantonspolizei Bern says it got the call shortly after 3:10 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, reporting a fire at a firearms business on Tempelstrasse in Thun. The fire was fully extinguished by late afternoon that day. Nobody was injured.
In a witness appeal issued October 30, police said that, based on their inquiries into the cause and the scale of the damage, arson is currently the leading suspected cause. They asked anyone who saw something suspicious at the time of the call, or in the weeks before it, to phone 033 225 31 31.
The police appeal does not name the business. But B&T AG lists its address as Tempelstrasse 6, 3608 Thun, and B&T’s own statement refers directly to the fire and to “the destruction of our operational facilities.”
No arrest has been announced. No suspect has been named.
What B&T Said in Its Statement
B&T posted a statement published November 2, signed by B&T AG. It says the events “have caused substantial damage and placed an extraordinary burden on our company and our employees.”
Then it turns to whoever did it. “You can damage or destroy our buildings. You can destroy our machinery, equipment and materials,” it reads. “You can threaten our management and attempt to intimidate and discredit us and our entire industry.” And then the line the company clearly wanted quoted: “But there is one thing you will never achieve: bringing B&T and our industry to their knees!”
The statement says B&T respects “the right to peaceful criticism” of the company and the industry, but will never accept “violence, destruction of property, threats or intimidation as a means of political or social confrontation.” It closes with a note that determining the cause of the fire, identifying those responsible and assessing any criminal liability “remain the responsibility of the competent authorities.”
The Claim of Responsibility Nobody Has Verified
Some reports in the trade press have described this as a terror attack and said a group has claimed responsibility. Neither the police appeal nor B&T’s published statement names a group, and the word “terror” does not appear in the statement on B&T’s own site. We have not seen a claim we can verify, so we are not going to repeat one.
That matters more than it sounds. A verified claim would turn a local arson case into a political one, and I would expect every gunmaker in Europe to rethink its own perimeter. If Bern police confirm a claim, that is the next story. If they do not, this stays an arson case with a company that says its management was threatened.
Damage estimates in the millions of francs have also circulated. B&T has not published a figure, and neither have the police, so we are leaving the number out until one of them does.
What the B&T Fire Means for US Owners and Buyers
For American shooters there are two B&T entities to keep straight. B&T AG is the Swiss company in Thun that took the fire. B&T USA, based in Herriman, Utah, is the US company whose site lists the APC9, SPC9, GHM9, TP9, APC223 and APC308.
The two settled their dispute in June. Their joint settlement notice, datelined Thun and Herriman on June 25, 2026, says all pending litigation will be dismissed and that “Customers in the United States should continue to contact B&T USA for warranty, service, technical support, and parts.” Nothing in the fire changes that instruction.
B&T USA has its own production too. Our look at B&T USA’s Utah suppressor plant covered its expansion to as many as 7,000 cans a month. So if you are waiting on a US-built B&T suppressor, there is no published reason to expect a delay from this fire.
Swiss-made guns are the open question. If your order is for something stamped Thun, like the B&T GHM9 in the photo above, the fire could matter, but as of November 8 neither B&T AG nor B&T USA has published anything about delays, and B&T USA’s site carries no notice about the fire. Ask your dealer before you assume either way.
Why B&T Says It Will Come Back Stronger
This hits B&T in the middle of a reshuffle. In a July leadership announcement, B&T said founder, owner and board chairman Karl Brügger handed operational control to Reto Flütsch on August 1, 2026. Brügger stayed on as chairman to focus on strategy and “the expansion of the new branch with a production site in the USA.”
That US branch now looks a lot more important than it did in July. A company that can still make product somewhere other than the building that burned is a company that can keep shipping while it rebuilds. Whether B&T uses it that way is a call only B&T can make, and it has not said.
The statement ends on four short lines: “We stand together. We will not be intimidated. We will not be defeated. We will come back stronger.” Swiss precision. Swiss stubbornness, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at B&T in Thun?
A fire broke out at B&T's site on Tempelstrasse in Thun, Switzerland, reported to police shortly after 3:10 a.m. on October 29, 2026. B&T says it destroyed its operational facilities. Nobody was injured.
Was the B&T fire arson?
Bern cantonal police said on October 30, 2026 that arson is currently the leading suspected cause and asked witnesses to come forward. No suspect has been named and no arrest announced.
Has anyone claimed responsibility for the B&T fire?
Some trade reports say a group has claimed responsibility, but neither Bern police nor B&T's published statement names one, and we have not been able to verify a claim.
Who do US B&T owners contact for warranty and parts?
B&T USA in Herriman, Utah. The June 25, 2026 settlement notice from B&T AG and B&T USA says US customers should continue to contact B&T USA for warranty, service, technical support and parts.
Will the fire delay B&T guns and suppressors in the US?
Neither B&T AG nor B&T USA has published a delivery or production update. B&T USA builds suppressors in Utah, while Swiss-made products come from Thun, so check with your dealer on any open order.
Is B&T AG the same company as B&T USA?
No. B&T AG is the Swiss manufacturer in Thun. B&T USA is a separate US company in Herriman, Utah. The two settled their legal dispute in June 2026 and agreed a limited framework for continued cooperation.
Who runs B&T AG?
Reto Flütsch took over management of B&T AG on August 1, 2026. Founder and owner Karl Brügger remains chairman of the board.
Where is B&T located?
B&T AG is at Tempelstrasse 6, 3608 Thun, Switzerland, on Lake Thun.
Related Reading
- B&T USA’s Utah Plant Now Builds 7,000 Suppressors a Month
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