PRECISION FIREARM COMPONENTS
1201 E Lincolnway, La Porte, IN 46350
(219) 326-1976
ABout Us
...an american manufacturing story
You need a TOP Frame
to make a TOP Gun
We have been casting parts for years.
Who We Are and What We Do:
AMI Defense provides precision firearms components made from Aerospace grade quality castings. Our parts are inspected to the Aerospace industry quality standard ASTM 2175 Class 3 Grade C specification. The ASTM standard is a world-wide quality standard accepted through the Aerospace parts community and far exceeds the standard investment cast industry specifications most commercial gun parts follow. How do we do it?
Our roots are in precision, near net shape investment castings since 1961 as AERO METALS, a 175,000 sq. ft. facility dedicated to aerospace quality investment castings with in-house, mold making expertise and an in-house foundry with metallurgical lab to formulate our own mix of metals to keep the entire 1911 frame casting process under our control. Aero Metals Inc. also performs non-destructive testing (NDT) on-site which gives it the capability of assuring the quality of a casting without destroying it.
This means that our control of the process gives you a superior 1911 frame at a lower cost.
Why What We Do Is Different:
From the design and building of the wax mold to the cast frame and machined features, all was produced 100% by U.S. manufacturer’s here in the heart of the Midwest, Indiana. Our frame design was built to be adaptable to the newly desired features the industry is asking for: high cut under the trigger and a smooth grip face. We hope to offer an option for a tactical rail under the dust cover sometime in late 2022. All of the items are cast into the features of the AMI Defense 1911 frame to reduce expensive machine time and provide a seamless look to the finished product.
AMI Defense is a part of a large investment casting foundry with the capacity to keep up with the demands of the market.
The AMI Defense 1911 frame comes to you most of the major machining done for you – all that is left is the hammer hole, sear hole, and top rails. We have machine many of the more difficult features such as the feed ramp. Your 1911 gun frame receives a 100% visual inspection consisting of an inspection of critical areas such as the magazine well, back strap, through hole alignment, and consistent thickness of the dustcover on BOTH sides.
Our Goal:
Our goal at AMI Defense is to provide the firearm enthusiast with at Aerospace quality products they can be proud of carrying or showcasing in their personal collection. Providing consumers with parts needing very little or no gunsmithing required. We at AMI Defense feel we have come close, but need the more feedback from you, the gun and firearm community of DIY enthusiast to professional gunsmiths.
Quite simply, you get more than one of the industry’s most experienced resources. You get a team with a genuine enthusiasm for the science of investment casting, and the discovery of how it can solve your unique production issue."
Bob Stowell, President & CEO
Industry Group Think (?):
Forgings are “more safe” is what some say, but those are the ones who do not fully understand the metallurgy behind their reasoning. So, the default answer is to go back to the way the frame was produced in the early 1920’s which was to machine from plate stock. And, we get that!
A Little History:
Investment cast manufacturers, in the early days particularly, where not capable of producing parts of this size or complexity at that time. The process was mainly confined to jewelry and small parts you could fit within the palm of your hand.
The advancement of investment cast parts was driven by the needs of the Aerospace industry. With each decade, the investment casting industry pushed the process further and further proving it could make larger parts capable of meeting the high quality standards of the Aerospace industry. In turn, these developments helped to bring larger cast metal parts to other industries such as ammunition and firearm components.
