Cardinal Arms

Cardinal Arms is a small American pistol manufacturer based in Mooresville, North Carolina. The company describes the brand as established in 2024 and says it began selling pistols under the Cardinal Arms name in 2025. Its manufacturing operation grew out of Optimum MFG, a precision-manufacturing company that Cardinal says was founded in 2019. Federal firearms-production reports independently identify Optimum MFG as a firearms manufacturer operating in Mooresville by at least 2021.

According to the company, Optimum MFG initially served several industries while concentrating primarily on precision firearms manufacturing. Cardinal states that the business began producing complete double-stack 1911 pistols and moved to its present Mooresville facility in 2021. It says new leadership narrowed the company’s focus to the double-stack 1911 platform in 2023, followed by the design, development and testing of the original G2 prototype in 2024. These historical details are the manufacturer’s own account and have not all been independently documented.

Cardinal Arms currently lists two pistols: the G2 and G2 Ported. Both are full-size, 9mm, double-stack 1911-style pistols manufactured in Mooresville. Published specifications identify a 5-inch barrel, 4140 chromoly steel frame and slide, aluminum grip, 20-plus-round capacity, and an unloaded weight of 42 ounces. Cardinal says its pistols are CNC-machined and individually hand-fitted in its North Carolina shop.

The standard G2 uses a stainless-steel, match-grade barrel and a flat-face trigger with a published pull weight of 2–2.5 pounds. It has an overall length of 8.5 inches, an overall height of 5.85 inches, and a DLC-black finish. The pistol is configured for an RMR/SRO-pattern optic mount.

The G2 Ported retains the same stated overall dimensions, steel construction, capacity, and unloaded weight. Its distinguishing feature is a V-ported 5-inch barrel. Cardinal Arms states that the G2 Ported, or G2P, was launched in September 2025.

Cardinal characterizes itself as a small-batch manufacturer and says its pistols are designed, machined, assembled, and tested in Mooresville. The company also states that it does not use imported components and sells its pistols through an authorized-dealer network. These manufacturing and sourcing statements are company representations rather than independently audited findings.