Firearm Contract Manufacturing
1934 Armory is an FFL Type 07 / SOT firearm contract manufacturer in Hanover, Pennsylvania, machining on ISO 9001–certified Elsner Engineering Works equipment. We build precision firearm components to your specification, including bolt action receivers, bolts, muzzle brakes, and custom sub-assemblies, with tolerances held down to tenths using 9-axis CNC, multi-axis turning, in-house wire EDM, and Renishaw in-process probing. Every project is NDA-protected and fully ATF-compliant.
Key Takeaways
- Contract manufacturing means we build to your print. You own the design, the IP, and the brand; we deliver the precision and the schedule.
- Machined on ISO 9001–certified Elsner Engineering Works equipment; FFL Type 07 Manufacturer; SOT-licensed; fully ATF-compliant.
- Our 9-axis CNC, multi-axis turning, in-house wire EDM, and lights-out production hold tolerances down to tenths across recurring runs.
- We machine steel and steel alloys, stainless, aluminum, titanium, and machined polymers. We don't make barrels or work in exotics.
- Our sweet spot is 1,000+ unit recurring programs; we'll quote smaller specialty work case by case.
- Every engagement is NDA-protected, from the first conversation through scaled production.
What is firearm contract manufacturing?
Firearm contract manufacturing is the production of components built to a specification you supply, by a manufacturer who already owns the machines, the inspection systems, and the licensing to make them. Instead of buying CNC equipment, hiring machinists, and standing up a quality system in-house, you hand a finished print to a facility that has all of that in place and gets your parts made to it.
For a firearm brand, that turns a large capital and staffing decision into a production relationship. You keep your design, your brand, and your customer; we hold the tolerances and the schedule. At 1934 Armory we build to your specification with the same systems we run for our own product line, which means the precision behind a customer's part is not a separate, lesser tier of work. It is how we machine everything.
Need design collaboration too? See our OEM Manufacturing page →
Contract vs OEM: which model fits your project?
The short version: contract manufacturing builds to a finished print you already have, while OEM manufacturing brings us in earlier to help develop and refine the design before it is locked. Both end in production parts. They differ in where the relationship starts and how much of the engineering you want to keep in-house.
Choose contract manufacturing when your design is release-ready and what you need is a capable, compliant builder to produce it consistently. Choose OEM manufacturing when the part is still taking shape and you want a manufacturing partner reviewing it for manufacturability as you go. Plenty of customers move between the two over time, starting with OEM collaboration on a new component and shifting to straight contract production once the print is proven. We are set up for both, so the model can follow the project rather than the project bending to fit the model.
IP protection and customer separation
Every engagement is NDA-backed from the first conversation onward. Your prints and specifications stay with our engineering team, we build only to your approved revision, and we never share one customer’s work with another. We hold customer designs to the same standard we hold our own.
Tight tolerances and repeatable quality
We hold tolerances down to tenths using 9-axis CNC, multi-axis turning, and in-house wire EDM. Renishaw in-process part and tool probing measures the work while the machine is cutting, and First Article Inspection verifies the part before the program commits to the batch.
USA-based production in Hanover, Pennsylvania
Domestic production gives you direct communication, scheduling flexibility, and supply-chain stability without tariff exposure. 1934 Armory was founded in 2023 by Bert Elsner II and is a division of Elsner Engineering Works, which has been manufacturing since 1934, the year our name honors.
Right-fit programs (and what’s not)
Are you looking for quality, precision, and volume? Our sweet spot is recurring programs of 1,000+ units. We do not enforce a hard minimum and will quote smaller specialty runs; the pricing reflects the machine setup, so they make sense when the value of the precision outweighs the per-unit cost. Not a fit: barrels, exotic materials, and one-off prototype work as the whole relationship.
Components we build to spec
We build bolt action receivers, bolts and bolt assemblies, muzzle brakes, and custom precision sub-assemblies to your print. Our receivers are based on the Remington 700 footprint, which gives the broadest aftermarket compatibility in the bolt-action market, and we machine them with the alignment, lug geometry, and surface finish that consistent lock-up and cycling depend on.
Our own BE-series bolt actions (BE1, BE2, BE3, BE4) and our PRO Chassis are produced in-house on the same equipment, so they double as a working sample of what we can build for you. We machine steel and steel alloys, stainless, aluminum, titanium, and machined polymers. We do not make barrels, since that needs threading and rifling equipment outside our scope, and we do not chase exotics like Inconel where the cost rarely serves the part. When a job calls for finishing, we coordinate Cerakote, PVD, and heat treatment through vetted NDA-bound partner shops rather than claiming it as in-house work.
How our contract manufacturing process works
The process starts with a project consultation to review your specification, tolerances, quantities, and goals. After an engineering and manufacturability review, we produce a first article for your inspection and approval. Once that first article is signed off, the program moves into scheduled production with quality-control checkpoints through the run, so you are approving the part before we commit to the batch rather than discovering a problem after it ships.
Throughout the run, Renishaw in-process part and tool probing measures the work while the machine is cutting, revision control keeps the floor on the version you approved, and lot traceability ties each batch back to its material and records. Lead time depends on part complexity, material, and volume; specific windows are available on request, and most programs settle into a confirmed cadence once the first article is approved.
Certifications and compliance for contract programs
All 1934 Armory parts and components are machined using ISO 9001–certified machinery from Elsner Engineering Works, our parent company. 1934 Armory is an FFL Type 07 Manufacturer, SOT-licensed for NFA-regulated components, and fully ATF-compliant. This is the part of a contract manufacturer's profile that a serious buyer checks first, so here it is up front and unambiguous. What each credential covers during vendor qualification, from the independently audited quality system behind Elsner's ISO certificate to the scope of the FFL and SOT, is documented on our Certifications & Quality page.
Where a program carries a defense dimension, we can operate as a qualified third-party manufacturer under ITAR-certified prime contractors when a project calls for it. That states how we fit into a regulated supply chain; it is not a claim of active defense contracts. Behind all of it stands our parent company, Elsner Engineering Works, which has been manufacturing since 1934, the year our name honors. 1934 Armory itself was founded in 2023 by Bert Elsner II.
Request our capability one-pager (cert documents + ITAR-under-primes framework) → info@1934armory.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What is firearm contract manufacturing?
It's the production of firearm components built to a specification you supply, by a manufacturer that already owns the machines, inspection systems, and licensing. You keep your design, brand, and customer relationship; the manufacturer delivers parts to your print with the precision and schedule you need.
What certifications do you hold?
1934 Armory is an FFL Type 07 Manufacturer, SOT-licensed for NFA-regulated components, and fully ATF-compliant. All parts and components are machined using ISO 9001–certified machinery from our parent company, Elsner Engineering Works, whose quality system has been independently audited to the ISO 9001 standard. Full detail is on our Certifications & Quality page.
Can you work on defense or government-adjacent programs?
Yes, as a qualified third-party manufacturer under ITAR-certified prime contractors when a project calls for it. We hold FFL Type 07 and SOT licensing, machine on ISO 9001–certified parent-company equipment, and maintain the lot traceability and documentation that prime-contract subcontracting requires.
What's your minimum order quantity for contract work?
We don't enforce a hard minimum. Our sweet spot is recurring programs of 1,000+ units. We'll quote smaller specialty runs too, with pricing that reflects the machine setup involved, so they fit best when precision matters more than unit cost.
How do you protect customer IP and prints?
Every engagement is NDA-backed from the first conversation. Your prints stay with our engineering team, we use revision control so the floor builds only your approved version, and we never share one customer's work with another.
What components do you build under contract?
Bolt action receivers (on the Remington 700 footprint), bolts and bolt assemblies, muzzle brakes, and custom precision sub-assemblies to your specification. We don't make barrels. When finishing is required, we coordinate Cerakote, PVD, and heat treatment through NDA-bound partner shops.
Related services
- Engineered Solutions: the full OEM and contract manufacturing hub
- OEM Firearm Manufacturing: for brands that need design collaboration
- Large Batch Manufacturing: high-volume recurring production
- Certifications & Quality: licensing, certifications, and the quality system behind every program
- How to Choose a Firearm Contract Manufacturer: buyer's guide
- BE-series bolt actions: our in-house engineered proof point
- About 1934 Armory: facility, parent company, founder
Request a Production Quote
If you have a print and need a domestic builder with an ISO 9001–certified quality system behind it to produce it consistently, send us your spec and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit. We support firearm brands, OEMs, and contract programs that need precision components built to tight tolerances with full documentation. Request a quote →, or email info@1934armory.com directly.
Don’t hesitate to reach out with the contact information below or send us a message using the form.