A small gun-smithy based in the ruins of Devil Lake Airport, Devil's Hands have been arming the more well-off of the region for decades. Recently under the control of the CLA, it continues to produce weapons, though with less class.
History
The Devil's Hands were a small raider gang operating in the ghost town of Devil's Lake. Like many others it would stop to scavenge and get caught up in territorial squabbling. The Hands would make their camp in the municipal airport, picking it over for any valuables. This would lead to the discovery of the maintenance section, and its collection of tools and work benches.
Apparently the camp of someone else previously, it had maps, plans, and other documents that were totally useless to the gang until one of them found a drawing. Thinking it was a poor excuse for art, the raider passed it to his boss, Kleet. A former student in the Free State of Vermillion, he recognized them as basic blue prints. Ordering the group to look some more, he would wind up with four separate designs.
Two of those would be for panels and grates the airport used, but the others were for rifles. One showed a basic Bolt-action design, while the other was for a lever-action rifle. Celebrating their find, the group would head out to scavenge the next day.They found some usable metal and returned it to their base, unaware they had also lead another crew there. They were ambushed as they left the next day, and forced back inside the workshop.
Under armed, the Devils would barricade the doors and pray they had enough time to make a few rifles. They would end up with plenty of time as the other crew pulled back soon after attacking and would be destroyed later that day. The Devils wouldn't know that for a week however, as they worked tirelessly and rationed their supplies. They emerged armed to find an abandoned airport, and cautiously looked for their previous attackers. They would look throughout the airport and outskirts of the town, but not finding them, returned to their workshop.
They would remain there for another week before they saw a caravan passing, and prepared to attack it. They would find it more well-armed than they had planned for, but Kleet saw an opportunity. Slowly approaching the group, he explained that he had weapons to trade if the merchants were interested. They were, and word of "Devil's Hands Weapons" began to spread soon after. Kleet and his raiders would return to their camp with food and the possibility of future sells. Recognizing the changing feelings of his gang, he asked them what they should do.
After a quick vote, they agreed to turn to manufacturing rather than raiding and formed Devil's Hands Weapons on April 9th, 2256. In the thirty years since, they have gained a small following throughout the region, both for the effectiveness of their wares as well as their aesthetics. Since 2270 the shop would see a drop-off of demand, with the aging Kleet thinking he was done in the business. A new customer would soon appear to the ex-raider however, with the appearance of the Canadian Liberation Army, a large raider band set on conquest.
Surprisingly civilized and looking for guns, they have proved something of a god-send to Kleet, who is constantly kept busy by their demand. He has begun to resent their lack of appreciation for his art however, with most raiders wanting a 'regular' shooter. Despite this, Devil's Hands has continued to produce as it has for over three decades.
Products
Despite coming from one of two basic designs, each rifle is a work of art, unlikely any other in the wasteland. Each individual flourish and part a statement about the weapon itself. The elaborateness has increased over the years, with some being bought as purely decorative pieces. Since the CLA came into the area however, they have started demanding plain rifles, something that chaffs Kleet.