Firearm Factory of the Month: Professional Ordnance

The story of Professional Ordnance starts with the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.

The law was passed by the Democrat controlled House and Senate and signed by Democrat President Bill Clinton.

The ban targeted civilian sales of rifles and handguns with specific features.

Two years after its passage a man by the name of Larry Carpenter started a company to make an AR based pistol that would skirt the provisions of the AWB.

This led them to create a rifle version as well, even though it would be restricted to law enforcement and military sales only during the ban.

What was unique about these guns was the use of "carbon reinforced polymer", resulting in a rifle that weighs just 4 lbs (unloaded).

In 1997 the company was moved 4 hours east to Lake Havasu City in Arizona, a much more gun friendly state than California.

Unfortunately, warranty and design problems plagued the guns to the point the company had to close its doors, in 2003, within a year of the ending of the Assault Weapons Ban.

What Remains:

The designs and Carbon-15 name were purchased by Bushmaster and continue to be produced (although much of it was redesigned).

The end of Professional Ordnance was not the end; a new company was created from the ashes: Extar Firearms USA, continues to advance their polymer design. See their website here.

The building in Ontario at 1457 E. Philadelphia Street is still there

Professional Ordnance's former home and Extar's current home in Lake Havasu City is at 1070 Metric Drive