How 3D Printing is Revolutionizing Firearm Design (ft. Angstdat Arms)

Rich Angstadt, president and founder of Angstadt Arms, joins State of the Second hosts John and Kaylee to trace how a personal want became a company built on innovation. Angstadt's grandfather got him into firearms young, and his family history runs back to the 1700s and 1800s, when the Angstadts were master gunsmiths crafting Kentucky long rifles and smooth bore muskets. Around 2011, after exiting a previous company, Rich had free time, was shooting IDPA and IPSC competitions, and wanted a 9mm AR built around a Glock pistol magazine while keeping all the AR15 controls. He took the design to SHOT Show in 2015, picked up big distributors and dealers, and helped shape what became the pistol caliber carbine market. The first gun was the UDP-9, a straight blowback AR9 on Glock magazines. The conversation moves through the company's product arc and what drives Angstadt to keep building. Selection by the US Army for its subcompact weapon trials forced a sub-15-inch length requirement that pushed development of a modified cycle system with Deadfoot Arms. Angstadt didn't win that contract (B&T did), but the work gave birth to the MDP, a roller delayed AR9 that runs on Glock magazines, weighs three and a half pounds, and shoots flat and low-recoil like an MP5. Rich explains why the company chases innovation over the industry's me-too habit, and how metal 3D printing (laser sintering titanium, not polymer) gives speed to market. A new design can be printed, heat treated, and test fired in under a week, which lets the team try ideas that a full manufacturing line would never justify. Testing remains the part that can't be rushed, and contracts often dictate the accuracy and reliability standards. The second half turns to suppressors and the NFA. Suppressor sales have surged on faster approval times, dropping from up to 12 months to as little as a day, and the $200 tax stamp goes to zero on January 1, 2026. Rich predicts deeper integration between firearm and suppressor, more integrally suppressed designs, and suppressors becoming a normalized product gun owners buy in multiples. He's bullish the NFA's days are numbered but less certain short barrel rifles will take off the way suppressors have, given how well pistol braces already serve that role. Kaylee details GOA's lawsuit to gut the NFA, explaining that the zero-dollar tax stamp creates the legal grounds to sue because the Supreme Court previously held the NFA could stand only because it was regulated under a tax. The group discusses normalizing gun culture, getting first-time owners into the fold, range rental programs, and starting new shooters on suppressed .22 so they never develop a flinch. Rich closes by pointing listeners to Angstadt Arms and asking them to support their local gun stores. Questions this episode answers How did Angstadt Arms get started, and what was the first gun the company built? Rich Angstadt founded Angstadt Arms around 2011 after exiting a previous company, wanting a 9mm AR built on a Glock pistol magazine while keeping the AR15 controls. He brought it to SHOT Show in 2015, and the first gun was the UDP-9, a straight blowback AR9 that runs on Glock magazines. What is the difference between Angstadt's straight blowback and roller delayed AR9s? The original UDP-9 is a straight blowback AR9 on Glock magazines. The MDP is a roller delayed AR9 that also runs on Glock magazines, weighs three and a half pounds, and shoots flat and low-recoil like an MP5. How does metal 3D printing change firearm prototyping and speed to market? Angstadt Arms uses metal 3D printing by laser sintering titanium, not polymer, so a new design can be printed, heat treated, and test fired in under a week. That speed lets the team try ideas a full manufacturing line would never justify, though physical testing still can't be rushed. Why was Angstadt selected for the US Army subcompact weapon trials, and what came out of it? The Army's subcompact weapon trials imposed a sub-15-inch length requirement that pushed Angstadt to develop a modified cycle system with Deadfoot Arms. Angstadt did not win the contract, but the work gave birth to the MDP roller delayed AR9. What is driving the surge in suppressor sales, and what changes on January 1, 2026? Suppressor sales have surged as approval times dropped from up to 12 months to as little as a day. On January 1, 2026, the $200 tax stamp goes to zero, which Rich expects to normalize suppressors as a product gun owners buy in multiples. Where does Rich see the next step in firearm innovation heading? Rich predicts deeper integration between firearm and suppressor, with more integrally suppressed designs and suppressors becoming a normalized purchase. He is bullish the NFA's days are numbered, though less sure short barrel rifles will catch on the way suppressors have, since pistol braces already fill that role. Why does the zero-dollar tax stamp give GOA legal grounds to sue over the NFA? Gun Owners of America (GOA) is suing to gut the National Firearms Act (NFA). The argument is that the Supreme Court previously held the NFA could stand only because it was regulated under a tax, so a zero-dollar tax stamp removes that basis and creates the grounds to sue. How can the industry normalize suppressors and bring first-time gun owners into the fold? The episode points to range rental programs and starting new shooters on a suppressed .22 so they never develop a flinch. The broader goal is normalizing gun culture and getting first-time owners comfortable in the sport. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome and guest introduction 00:34 — Rapid fire questions 03:49 — Company backstory and family gunsmithing history 05:18 — Scratching his own itch: the 9mm AR idea 08:33 — From the UDP-9 to the Army trials and the MDP 11:00 — Why keep innovating instead of resting 13:16 — The next step: suppressors and 3D printing 15:00 — Rapid prototyping and metal laser sintering 17:46 — R&D timelines and testing standards 21:23 — The me-too billet AR15 they shelved 23:01 — What breeds the best innovation 25:33 — The NFA, the disappearing tax stamp, and suppressor culture 31:39 — Soapbox: should you wait until January 1 to buy 34:22 — Normalizing suppressors for first-time owners 40:03 — GOA's lawsuit to gut the NFA 46:27 — Closing thoughts and where to find Angstadt About the guest Rich Angstadt is the president and founder of Angstadt Arms, a firearms and suppressor manufacturer the hosts introduce as trusted in over 30 countries. In the episode he says his grandfather got him into firearms at a young age, and that his family, the Angstadts, were master gunsmiths in the 1700s and 1800s who crafted firearms such as Kentucky long rifles and smooth bore muskets. He started the company around 2011 after exiting a previous company, wanting a 9mm AR built around a Glock pistol magazine, and brought it to SHOT Show in 2015. Key quotes "I like to see new guns come out, even if they're a little quirky or weird because I like to see people push the envelope" — Rich Angstadt "It's almost hard not to keep innovating. At least that's, you know, from my standpoint, is we're always trying to elevate the shooting experience." — Rich Angstadt "oftentimes we're talking about under a week where we have a new idea for design and we can actually be on the range testing it" — Rich Angstadt "It didn't feel like an Angstadt product." — Rich Angstadt "I think the NFA days are numbered." — Rich Angstadt "the NFA tried to dictate gun culture and was successful in many ways for a long time" — Kaylee