Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Yes, we do transfers to and from other retailers as well as individuals. BEFORE YOU BUY A NEW FIREARM ONLINE: We suggest contacting us as we may have the same item in stock or can order it for you directly, very often at a LOWER PRICE than many other competitors, pawn shops or big box stores. Doing so will also save you shipping AND the $15 transfer fee; in addition to supporting a small, veteran owned business. Again, contact us first BEFORE YOU BUY and let us get you our price on the item. In 90% of cases, we can source the firearm for you FOR LESS.

All of our custom projects are built one at a time, for each individual customer (or law enforcement department). Many AR builds, certain repairs, refinishing projects and smaller jobs are typically done quicker than full custom AK builds which we maintain in a queue awaiting work. That being said, politics and buying trends often impact supply/demand. Components that are sourced from third parties are dependent on stock available from those manufacturers. Additionally, a commitment with the KY Army National Guard means that Mike, the owner and chief gunsmith; is out of the shop at times. Given the nature of the work and all of these variables, larger custom projects or jobs which require more significant machining are simply finished in the order they are received to the best of our ability. As always: We would rather send quality work out more slowly than poor work, quickly. 

Just ask! We stock a large variety of ammunition, the best selection of quality firearms, accessories, NFA items, collectibles and investment grade firearms, gear and much more. Due to supply and demand, some items may be out of stock at times of peak demand or panic buying. We almost always offer better pricing than our competitors, and we DO NOT price gouge, so certain times historically are prone to selling out quickly. If you are a student of (recent) political history in the U.S. and the impact it has on the firearm industry, one lesson should be clear: The best time to buy was yesterday–Indecision is the worst decision you can make.

Yes, we BUY, SELL & TRADE on new and used firearms, we offer consignment services online auctions too. Be it a single firearm or a large estate sale, WE PAY MORE to our customers than anyone else in the area. We are NOT a pawn shop and we offer educated, informed, rational advice; EVEN IF IT COSTS US A SALE (or offends your sensibilities). We would rather be direct and honest than simply tell customers what they want to hear and sell them a firearm that does not realistically meet their needs. Firearms are deadly, life-saving tools; you owe it to yourself to make a well-informed decision and get the right tool for your job. Do not settle for any less. Get informed, get trained, be responsible. Let us know what you’re looking for or what you’re wanting to sell or trade today.

The US market is FULL of commercial, poorly made firearms of all types, including AK variants with their boom in popularity due to social media & video games. While we DO perform a wide range of gunsmithing operations and custom work on numerous Kalashnikov-type firearms from third parties, certain models are often just not worth it to repair, modify or “upgrade” as customers often put it. So–Rather than put money into repairs or what you might think would be an “upgrade”, you should consider buying QUALITY first and foremost. A rifle that you can depend on, built professionally with proper components and capable of reliable service is better than one of poor quality. Cheap things are cheap for a reason. Do your research and keep in mind a persons opinion is not always the same as fact. Most poor quality firearms from mediocre manufacturers are simply not worth the cost to repair or modify.

All firearms Meridian Ordnance LLC manufactures are generally BUILT TO ORDER. This means one at a time, for individual customers, or in some cases for law enforcement agencies. They are made to particular specs and for specific purposes or missions. Some customers provide their parts, others purchase them from us. The current market & trends impact costs of these parts and components. As such, costs vary on these parts. General LABOR pricing can be found on our website. If you combie labor costs with the costs of the parts you have or wish to use (either sourced from us or from a third party) this will give you a good general idea of overall cost. For more detailed prices, quotes and questions contact us at 859-520-3436 for the fastest response, or utilize our website form.

We no longer hot tank bluing. Many people use the term “bluing” synonamous with “refinishing”, when in fact the firearm was never blued to beging with. Bluing is type of finish that, while popular for it’s appearance; offers nearly zero rust inhibition qualities or corrosion protection. The simple fact is that after several years of frustration it was not profitable and the chemicals were highly caustic. The VAST majority of firearms brought to us needing re-blued were worth far less than the cost of the process. It makes no financial sense to hot tank blue a Jennings J38 or Ruger Mk3. We offer Moly Resin, Cerakote and manganese (sometimes zinc) phosphate parkerizing–All of which are far more durable than bluing and are cheaper to apply.

While technically possible (and we’ve done several in the past), the fact is that MOST open bolt machine guns do NOT lend themselves to reliable conversion to a closed bolt hammer or striker fired semi-auto pattern. With relatively few exceptions, we will only build “tube guns” and certain other machine guns as post-dealer samples. Not semi-automatics. The RPD is an example of a semi auto conversion that can be done reasonably well on an open bolt design. Others such as the Sten, Sterling, PPS43, PPSh41, M31, Swedish K, M3/M3A1, Thompson, MP38/40, etc. are simply not in our wheel house as far as QUALITY semi-auto coversion builds go. We’d suggest a number of other pistol caliber carbines or semi-auto versions of certain firearms that built from the ground up as such. 

Short of time travel, there are no options for us to consistently stock certain calibers. We cannot maintain a selection of every obscure caliber ammo or firearm, hoping and praying that IF a customer comes in after it that we have it in their given brand or specification. During times of peak demand, manufacturers focus on just that: The demand. There is something to be said about having a firearm or firearms in a commonly available caliber; if for no other reason than it can stem the gap in availability. Think about military calibers and those which shooters would run in bulk for training or competition. Get that deer rifle in .308 so you can feed it during a few seasons when you cannot readily find .243. Alternatively, when the ammo is in stock, stack it deep. Just because you’ve been able to buy a box every other season for the past 40 years does not mean it WILL be the case in the future… History has proven otherwise. 

Assault rifles are capable of selective fire, meaning they are machine guns by definition. “Assault weapon” is a term invented in 1984 buy the anti-gun think-tank “Handgun Control, Inc.” and applies to neither assault rifles nor semi-automatics as it describes an action tied to an abstract inanimate object. The AR15 for instance is the most popular rifle in common use in America today. This includes for use in sport, hunting, competition and defense. Conversely, rifles of ALL types make up less than 3% of the weapons used in homicides. Persons with a generational or geographical aversion to semi-automatic rifles of a certain appearance (commonly “black rifles”) indicates a level of ignorance on the topic that we seek to change. Oddly, we have customers in-store weekly who make statements exactly like the one above. We specialize in a range of LEGAL firearms. If their appearance is not what you are accustomed to, we ask that you have a conversation about them, their features and their use in comparison to the “more traditional” rifle you might prefer. Get informed, start being part of the solution, not the problem. Information is always free of charge.