SOCom, citing 'operational sensitivities,' declined to comment on what types of weapons Purple Shovel is providing.Д«ut SOCom has a strong interest in American-made Soviet-bloc weapons.ДЄ year ago, the command sent out a market research request regarding what it calls 'non-standard weapons.' This includes Russian-designed guns like the AK-47 and other similar assault rifles, as well as sniper rifles like the Dragunov, light machine guns like the PKM, and heavy machine guns like the DShK and the KPV. Worrell and Wiegand are prohibited by law from talking about those contracts. Special Operations Command, headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, for 'small arms, ordnance and ordnance accessories manufacturing,' according to federal procurement documents. Purple Shovel, named for a child's beach toy, already has more than $110 million dollars worth of contracts with U.S. Wiegand and Benjamin Worrell, owner of Purple Shovel, see things differently. 'I don't see that as a wise investment,' said Greg Frazee, owner of the Tampa-based Trident Arms.ДЇrazee said he prefers to stick with the American-designed civilian line of rifles known as the AR-15 platform, arguing that the AK-47 'is too much of a niche product.' It's a move that has some local gun manufacturers scratching their heads. 'Their investment further enhances our manufacturing base and provides a positive impact for the region,' said Lynda Weatherman, the commission's president and CEO. The investments have garnered the attention of the Florida Space Coast Economic Development Commission. To reach his goal, Wiegand has invested about $5 million in the plant and estimates he needs to invest another $3 million to $5 million for new equipment and work stations.

Purple Shovel is the exclusive government distributor of the company's AK-47s. 'We are taking the best features of American manufacturing and infusing them into an AK-47, with 100 percent American-made parts,' said Wiegand, who moved the company to Florida from North Carolina in 2013. With the help of a Tampa-registered company called Purple Shovel, he wants to double his capacity and his workforce, and switch the bulk of his business from consumers to governments. But Wiegand wants to put Florida on the map as the place where the best AKs are made, combining modern American manufacturing prowess with the original design by Russian Lt.

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