You’re not just getting CAD guys. DeWys Engineering is a mechanical engineering firm with a Federal Firearms License (FFL 07) and Special Occupational Tax status (SOT 02). We provide firearm design and engineering for manufacturers, accessory companies, suppressor makers and inventors, from a napkin sketch to a range-tested prototype and a path to production.
Our firearm design engineers understand the business of firearms, not just the geometry. You can ship firearms and NFA items directly to us, and when your design breaks new ground, we’ll guide you through submitting it to the ATF for review.
Firearm Engineers Who Understand the Firearms Business
Plenty of engineering firms can model a part. Very few can legally take in your firearm, work on your suppressor, or guide you through getting a new design in front of the ATF. That’s where we’re different:
- Ship directly to us. As an FFL 07 / SOT 02, we can receive firearms, receivers and NFA items such as suppressors and select-fire weapons, and ship them back. No local gun shop transfers.
- Help with ATF submissions. We’ve been through the process of submitting new designs to ATF’s Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division and receiving determination letters, and we’ll walk you through it step by step, from preparing the submission to understanding ATF’s feedback.
- Manufacturing compliance. We work through serialization, markings and marking variances with our customers, so a design is ready for the realities of production.
- ITAR registered and ISO 9001:2015 certified for defense and export-controlled work.
What We Design
- Suppressors and muzzle devices, including suppressor designs built for 3D printed metal production
- Pistol grip modules and chassis for fire control unit platforms like the SIG P365 and P320, Ruger RXM, and Springfield Echelon
- Handgun design, including custom slides for Glock and Glock-pattern pistols and new 1911 and 2011-style designs
- AR-15 and AR-10 components: upper and lower receivers, handguards, barrel nuts and quick-change barrel systems
- Rifle, shotgun and rimfire chassis, stocks and folding stocks
- Magazines and feeding systems, including compatibility studies and caliber conversions
- Optic mounts and accessories: red dot adapters, night vision bridges, grip panels, hand stops and foregrips
- Out-of-production firearms, reverse engineered into manufacturing-ready CAD (firearm reverse engineering)
From Napkin Sketch to Range-Tested Prototype
Some customers arrive with a finished concept. Others arrive with a sketch and an idea. Either way, we can take a firearm design project as far as you need:
- Kickoff. We meet in person or by video, go over your goals, and often tear down reference firearms together to talk through what you like and what you don’t.
- Research and concept design. We dig into the mechanics, materials and prior art, then turn your idea into workable concepts.
- Detailed engineering. Production-intent 3D CAD, 2D drawings and STEP files, designed to be machined, printed or molded.
- Prototyping. We source the machining, 3D print polymer parts through our sister company, and have suppressors printed in metal through a trusted production partner.
- Range testing. We test-fire prototypes at our company range and send you video and a written test report.
- Production handoff. You get the full CAD package, and we can produce parts or introduce you to manufacturers who can quote production.
Firearm Design Project Examples
A Suppressor Startup, From Napkin Sketch to Range Test
A first-time suppressor developer came to us with a napkin sketch and a clear idea of how he wanted his suppressor to perform. Over a series of video meetings, he walked our engineers through his thinking, then relied on us for the fundamental research as well as the CAD. We’re taking the design through 3D printed metal prototypes and testing on our range. He’ll receive a physical suppressor, a test report and the complete CAD data.
A Straight-Pull AR-15 Upper With Quick-Change Barrels
An out-of-state inventor had built a rough working model of a straight-pull, bolt-action AR-15 upper. We did a clean-sheet redesign with a quick-change barrel system for fast caliber swaps and a custom barrel nut that accepts existing handguards. We sourced the prototype machining, test-fired it extensively on our range, and sent him video along the way. He received a functional upper, our test reports, and an introduction to a manufacturer who could quote production.
A New 2011-Style Handgun From Concept Renders
A Texas entrepreneur brought striking AI-generated renders of the handgun he wanted to build. They looked great but couldn’t be manufactured. He flew in with several reference pistols, and we took them apart piece by piece in our conference room while he explained what he liked and didn’t. From there we turned his renders into real, manufacturable CAD data he could take to machine shops for quotes.
Prototypes, Production and Cerakote Under One Roof
Design is only the start. Our sister company, Forerunner 3D Printing, works in the same building and 3D prints firearm parts for both prototypes and production, including FCU chassis and grip modules. With Cerakote applied in-house, your parts can go from CAD to finished, coated components without leaving our facility.
We’ve even designed 3D printed AR-15 lower receivers using an ATF-approved serialization method.
Here’s how that serialization method works:
Who We Work With
- Firearm manufacturers adding engineering capacity or developing new products
- Suppressor manufacturers and startups
- Accessory companies designing stocks, chassis, mounts and grips
- Defense contractors with ITAR or export-controlled requirements
- Inventors and first-time founders with a product they plan to manufacture and sell. Several of our best projects started as a sketch.
Related Services
- Firearm reverse engineering: 3D scanning and CAD for firearms, suppressors and accessories
- Commercial product development: taking a product from prototype to manufacturable design
- Design for additive manufacturing: parts, tooling and fixtures engineered for 3D printing
- Forerunner 3D Printing: our sister company for 3D printed prototypes and production parts
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ship my firearm or suppressor directly to you?
In most cases, yes. As an FFL 07 / SOT 02, we can receive firearms directly, with no local gun shop transfer. NFA items like suppressors require the right ATF paperwork, and we’ll walk you through it before anything ships.
Do you work with individual inventors, or only established companies?
Both, as long as the goal is a product. If your idea is headed for production and sale to the shooting public, we should talk, whether you’re an established manufacturer or an individual just getting started, and we can help you understand the licensing side too. If it’s a one-off build for personal use, we’re not the right fit.
Can you help with an ATF classification or marking variance?
Yes. ATF makes its own determinations, but we can guide you through the process: preparing the submission, getting your design to ATF for review, and working through the feedback. We’ve been through it ourselves and received determination letters. We also help manufacturers work through marking variances.
Can you test-fire prototypes?
Yes. We test prototypes at our company range and provide video and a written test report, which is especially valuable when you’re out of state.
Is my design kept confidential?
Yes. We sign NDAs as a matter of course, and as an ITAR-registered company we’re set up to handle export-controlled technical data.
Start Your Firearm Design Project
Tell us what you’re building, what stage it’s at, and what you need from us. Sketches, renders and reference firearms all help. Call 616-604-1977, email [email protected], or use our contact form. Need a general engineering partner? See our CAD design services.