The roots of Kemen begin with Francisco Sarriugarte. In 1959, Francisco settled in a factory of his own under the name of Sarriugarte. Shortly later his two children, Arcadio and Juan Cruz, became part of the family-owned business. In line with the Spanish gunmaking tradition, Sarriugarte manufactured side by side shotguns as well as spare parts for other manufacturers. After more than 20 years, a recession came and Francisco discovered a fall in demand for fine guns. In order to survive, Francisco switched gears and formed a gun making coalition with 20 other manufacturers including AYA, which was known as DIARM. Francisco Sarriugarte received a favorable treatment during this adventure. He lead the company and was the only one of all its members that incorporated 100% of his previous staff, among them his children. DIARM existed for about four years when economic conditions improved and it ultimately dissolved, pushing its members to cease their activity or to re-found their companies. The Sarriugarte brothers did the later and officially opened Kemen Arms (Armas Kemen SRL) in 1990.

Kemen is located in Elgoibar, Spain. Eibar / Elgoibar is known for its great gun makers. For the most part, these gun makers have much in common. Most of them manufacture the same product, with differences mainly in terms of finishes and esthetic. They follow a pattern that has not varied, or at least has not changed fundamentally, throughout its history. Traditional factories, traditional methods, traditional materials and traditional products. Kemen is different. Kemen manufactures shotguns using mechanisms and materials hitherto never seen in Basque workshops. We have opted for the renovation, to take a step forward, to innovate looking for alternatives to improve upon the traditions of the past.

Kemen entered the competition sporting market by introducing the original KM-4, an over under shotgun which was used by many industry legends to win countless trophies in the world of clay shooting. The gun was inspired by the Boss design and continues to be built using only the best in quality and hardness treatments.

Our sporting gun has seen great success in the European market. However, Kemen’s objective was deviated by the ravishing success of our gun in the hunting world due to our development of the world’s first premium, Titanium over/under receiver and its resistance and hardness when used for driven partridge shoots and other variants. In the high-end hunting sector, the guarantee, resistance and durability that Kemen offers comparing to its adversaries is unparalleled. Kemen has some of the best reviews from some of Spain’s top marksmen, including his Majesty King Emeritus Juan Carlos I of Spain.

All Kemen products, both sporting and game, are hand-configured and finished by our dedicated team of craftsmen. We manufacture in accordance with the strictest traditions. We use only the most advanced materials, the most exquisite walnut woods and the most cutting-edge machinery.

To this day, Kemen remains dedicated to manufacturing the best handling and most reliable shotguns on the market. Currently, the reins of Kemen of Spain are in the hands of Juan Cruz Sarriugarte and his two daughters, Ioana and Enara. The Sarriugartes joined forces with Pat and Drew Lieske of Michigan to formulate Kemen USA in 2022. Kemen USA is the exclusive U.S. distributor of Kemen sporting shotguns in the Americas. With influence from the Lieske’s and other industry legends, the Kemen sporting shotgun has been reconfigured specifically for the American target shooter.