Area 419 Moves to New, Larger Facility

Like many American startups, Area 419 was originally a one-man hobby project more than a decade ago by owner Jon Addis. The focus was always anything and everything surrounding precision shooting; from core rifle elements, to muzzle devices, to all manner of exacting reloading components.

In the intervening time, Area 419 expanded from a garage, to a 5k square foot steel building in a backyard, to this new and modern 18,000sqft facility–with plans and room to expand a further 20,000sqft. At the beginning of June (an April event to correspond with the company name was scuttled due to COVID restrictions) Area 419 opened their doors to friends, family, and industry and manufacturing partners to celebrate this landmark.

The new location was originally a decrepit sand mine, old wounds scarring the surrounding earth. When we first broke news of the Maverick silencer more than a year ago we got a first look at the undeveloped property, and the transformation process has been nothing short of staggering. The former open-mining pit is now a deep artificial lake, the rocky and muddy ground has been leveled and seeded, and there's new life brewing everywhere.

Over the quiter-than-expected din of manufacturing, inside people socialized and swapped stories over hors d'oeuvres and drinks while surrounded by new machines. Examples of Area 419 products and manufacturing were evident everywhere.

We're always interested to see how different companies are handling supply chain issues during the pandemic. Scaling is famously difficult for smaller companies and the experience often makes or break them. With firearms ownership bursting at the seams due to COVID pressures and a myriad of other factors, many manufacturers have been running into new logistical issues. Area 419 is simultaneously no exception and an exception.

“We've always used high-quality American raw components” Addis details, “a new issue is that some other manufacturers, the ones who exclusively used the cheapest products possible before, are now spending more on American simply because it's available.”

The addition of a small army of new machines, this space, and accepting less of a profit margin has allowed Area 419 to expand while maintaining a sustainable level of sales and manufacturing. In fact, due to some careful planning, moving to this new facility has caused zero delays in manufacturing; from the first minute they popped on a new machine their output only began to increase.

As Addis poses in front of one of his many brand-new and undoubtedly expensive machines he laments, “a company our size isn't supposed to have machines like these. We're not supposed to be able to afford them. We can and we do because of the work people in this building put in”

In a sea of futuristic, robotic machines that you'd expect to see at a modern automotive manufacturer, there's still an old manual Bridgeport in the back. Nearly every firearms manufacturer, no matter how large they become in the future, has a vintage manual mill in the back. While it's a practical fixture for tinkering or quick fixes, they also serve as a stalwart symbol of the past promises of American manufacturing and the future it can still bring.

From a garage to a fully-modern, pristine facility, while keeping current pricing during a pandemic, Jon Addis and Area 419 is a living embodiment of the American dream. Where a good idea and a conscientious design can both bring you out of the backyard and put product in the public's hands.

We always look forward to new Area 419 designs, and we look forward to what the future will bring.

[You can visit Area 419 online here]