WHO WE ARE
Formally incorporated in 2013 and located in Macon, Georgia, Macon Armory’s mission is to provide high-quality, accurate and reliable pistol-caliber conversions for AR-15 rifle platforms to law enforcement, home defense and sport shooting communities.
OUR FLAGSHIP PRODUCT: THE AR-45 CONVERSION KIT
The AR-45 conversion kit is an integrated system allowing the conversion of the AR-15 platforms to fire the .45 ACP cartridge while allowing full use of all controls and features of the standard AR-15. The kit consists of a complete upper receiver group, a magazine specifically designed for the .45 ACP cartridge and a magazine well adapter.
The Macon Armory conversion shares 90% parts commonality with the parent AR-15 platform as well as being the only gas operated pistol caliber conversion available. Our unique design runs cleaner than previous blowback conversions, eliminates the possibility of out of battery discharge – possible among blowback weapons – and provides an unparalleled controllability and recoil reduction for recreational, military, and law enforcement shooters.
Its low noise signature and heavy pistol caliber make the AR45 an exceptional defensive weapon, perfect for law enforcement personnel in high-risk entry situations. Powerful but containable, the .45 ACP cartridge prevents over-penetration when used in an urban environment, greatly reducing the possibility of injury to innocent bystanders.
THE ORIGINS OF THE MACON ARMORY AR-45
Army veteran and Georgia native Rudy Koester has been involved in firearms and metal working most of his life, receiving his first rifle at the age of 8, pistol at the age of 10 and lathe at the age of 12. He built his first 1911 .45 ACP pistol at the age of 16 and welded a de-milled M1 carbine into a functional rifle at 18.
A champion marksman and marksmanship instructor in the Army, Rudy developed a keen familiarity with the M16 rifle and began to build his own AR-15’s from parts as a hobby after leaving the Army.
Firing a blowback action pistol caliber (9mm) AR-15 in 2005, Rudy was appalled at the burnt powder residue ejected into the face and unacceptable level of recoil from what was then considered a top of the line, commercially-manufactured carbine.
A fan of the .45 ACP cartridge, Rudy developed a gas-operated, locked breech conversion prototype AR-45 in 2006. Six years of custom builds, design tweaks, and modifications allowed Rudy to perfect his design that is now available for the serious sport shooter as well as the law enforcement/security professional providing a quantum leap forward in functionality and reliability.
