About us Optimum Mfg is a precision CNC shop in Mooresville, NC. We design and build high-end 2011 pistols and parts under the Cardinal Arms brand. We make most of our parts in-house on 5-axis and horizontal machining centers, and every pistol is fitted and finished by hand. We're a small team, we're growing, and we're moving into a much larger building. The person in this role will help set how our gunsmithing department runs as it grows. The role You'll report to our Head Gunsmith and work on the path from machined part to finished pistol. You'll start with prepping parts and doing assembly. As your skills are proven, you'll take on more fitting and gunsmithing work. What you'll do Deburr, stone, polish and blast parts after machining (frames, slides, barrels and small parts) so they're ready for finishing Inspect parts against drawings using calipers, micrometers, pin gauges and go/no-go gauges, and report problems to engineering Assemble 2011 pistols and subassemblies: grip modules, frames, fire control groups and slides Help with hand fitting: slide to frame, barrels, extractors, triggers and safeties Function-test and test-fire pistols, then troubleshoot problems Keep track of parts, work-in-progress and finished guns so the count is always accurate Keep your bench organized, clean and safe Suggest fixture, tooling and process improvements as we scale up What we're looking for 1+ year of hands-on experience in gunsmithing, armorer work, firearms assembly or precision deburring and finishing Comfortable with precision measuring tools and reading basic engineering drawings Careful and patient with detail work. A few thousandths matters here. Reliable and organized, and able to work on your own once trained Must be 21 or older and legally allowed to possess firearms. You must pass a background check, since we work under FFL/SOT requirements. Nice to have Invested in your craft, and looking for a place to build a career rather than just a job. A gunsmithing school certificate (e.g., Colorado School of Trades, Trinidad, Montgomery CC, Pine Technical) or a factory armorer certification Solid working knowledge of 1911/2011 pistols Competition shooting experience (USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge) Experience with bead or abrasive blasting, Cerakote or other finishing prep Familiarity with CNC-machined parts and GD&T Experience keeping an A&D book or doing other ATF compliance work

Pay:

$22.00 - $32.00 per hour Expected hours: 40.0 per week

Benefits:

Employee discount Flexible schedule Health insurance Paid time off Relocation assistance Tuition reimbursement

Work Location:

In person