Freedom Forge Armory LLC
&
Ordnance Development Division

The Ordnance Development Division (ODD) was created to fill a gap that should not exist.

Modern indirect fire training has become increasingly inaccessible outside of government organizations. Institutional knowledge is disappearing, experienced crews are retiring, training opportunities are shrinking, and much of the available information has been reduced to fragmented internet content divorced from doctrine, discipline, and real-world application.

ODD exists to reverse that trend.

The Ordnance Development Division is a specialized research, testing, and training organization focused on indirect fire systems, mortar gunnery, fire direction control, and supporting technologies. Founded by combat veterans with real-world artillery and aviation experience, ODD was built around a simple belief: indirect fire systems are not relics of the past. They remain one of the most effective and relevant battlefield tools ever developed when employed correctly.

Our approach is doctrine-driven, technically grounded, and unapologetically practical.
We do not teach fantasy tactics, internet mythology, or Hollywood versions of mortar employment. We teach the fundamentals that actually matter:

• Gunnery
• Fire direction
• Crew coordination
• Safety
• Observation
• Communication
• Precision through process and discipline

At ODD, mortar systems are treated as what they truly are: crew-served precision support weapons that demand competence, coordination, and accountability.
The division conducts:

• Mortar gunnery instruction
• Fire direction control training
• Crew drills and section operations
• Indirect fire planning and procedures
• Ammunition and component testing
• Ballistic data collection
• Technical evaluation of legacy and modern mortar systems
• Research and development of supporting technologies

ODD also serves as the development and testing environment for the I3-FIRES platform — a modern digital fire control system designed from the ground up around real-world mortar operations instead of legacy software assumptions. Built through continuous field testing and practical feedback, I3-FIRES reflects the same philosophy that drives the division itself: technology should support the gunner, not replace him.

Unlike many organizations operating in adjacent spaces, ODD was not created by software developers looking for a military application, nor by marketers searching for a niche. It was built by end users solving operational problems from the ground up.

That distinction matters.

Everything we do is shaped by field experience, after-action reviews, live-fire testing, and the understanding that indirect fire operations are unforgiving of shortcuts, complacency, and poor training.

Safety is central to every aspect of the organization. Mortar systems are powerful tools, and they demand professional standards, disciplined crews, and structured procedures. ODD places heavy emphasis on risk management, range safety, fire commands, communication discipline, and technical competence at every level of training and testing.
The division’s long-term goal is not mass production, rapid expansion, or defense-industry theatrics.

The goal is capability.

Capability built through disciplined instruction.
Capability supported by technical knowledge.
Capability reinforced through testing and repetition.

Capability that continues to exist even as institutional knowledge fades elsewhere.

ODD operates with a straightforward philosophy:

Good crews are built, not bought. Technology is a tool, not a substitute for competence and the fundamentals still matter.

Whether supporting training, research, testing, or software development, the mission remains the same:

Preserve, modernize, and advance the practical art of indirect fires.

Freedom Forge Armory LLC. 

“Tumultuous freedom, over peaceful servitude.”

Freedom Forge Armory was established in Virginia in 2013 as a veteran-owned and operated firearms manufacturing and technical services company.

The company began as a small gunsmithing and firearms operation built around a simple idea: quality matters, details matter, and customers deserve better than assembly-line service and disposable products. Early work focused on custom gunsmithing, repair work, refinishing, and limited firearms manufacturing. As the company grew, manufacturing and technical development became the primary focus.

Over time, Freedom Forge Armory evolved away from the traditional retail gun store model. Today, the company operates primarily as an appointment-based manufacturer and technical services provider specializing in:

• Firearms manufacturing
• Suppressor manufacturing
• Gunsmithing and repair
• Firearm refinishing
• Laser engraving
• NFA transfers
• Specialized technical consultation
• Training and ordnance-related research through the Ordnance Development Division

Rather than chasing high-volume production or mass-market sales, Freedom Forge Armory has remained intentionally small and specialized. This allows us to focus on quality, technical capability, and direct customer support instead of volume-driven manufacturing.
The company continues to operate under the principle that equipment should be built to be used, not simply sold. That philosophy has shaped everything from our rifles and suppressors to our training programs and research projects.

In recent years, the company has expanded into specialized mortar systems research, indirect fire training, testing programs, and development of the I3-FIRES digital fire control system through the Ordnance Development Division (ODD). While distinct from the firearms side of the company, both divisions are built on the same foundation: practical field experience, technical competence, and doctrine-driven thinking.

Freedom Forge Armory continues to adapt to changing laws, markets, and technologies while remaining committed to the same core principles it was founded on:

• Quality over volume
• Technical competence over marketing
• Practical performance over gimmicks
• Direct customer relationships
• Long-term sustainability over rapid expansion

We are not interested in becoming the largest company in the industry. Our goal is simpler than that: build good equipment, provide honest service, continue developing specialized capabilities, and be here for the long haul.

Brandon Pritchard
Owner and Master Gunsmith