Florida-based B&T USA has filed a federal lawsuit against Surefire to unravel a long-brewing controversy over who owns a popular quick-detach suppressor mount system. 

The 25-page lawsuit, filed last week in a U.S. District Court in Tampa, outlines the question over which came first: B&T's Rotex or SureFire's Hub.

In court filings, B&T argues its Swiss-based parent had developed its Rotex system in 2001, then soon after publicly displayed it at industry shows in Europe, and sold examples to the Navy SEALs in 2002, all before SureFire’s circa 2005 patent on its QD system.

So why the sudden lawyering-up on a patent set to expire in June 2026? 

Attorneys for B&T stress in the company's court filing that SureFire earlier this year threatened legal action against Sons of Liberty Gun Works over the latter's NOX SF QD system, which is a variant of the Rotex made for the company by B&T. This led to SOLGW halting the use of the QD mount and in SureFire subsequently demanding that B&T cease making and marketing muzzle devices that "incorporate SureFire’s patented suppressor mounting system."

With that, it seems B&T went ahead and smashed the lawsuit button first. 
 
"B&T has a long and well-documented history of innovation that predates SureFire’s patent by several years," said Jon Scott, CEO of B&T USA, in a statement emailed to Guns.com. "Despite having full knowledge of B&T’s prior invention, SureFire withheld critical evidence from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office while using that same patent as a cudgel against not only us, but our partners. Our lawsuit seeks to hold SureFire accountable for this misconduct, to clear the record regarding B&T’s rights, and to ensure B&T can continue serving the defense and commercial markets without interference."