In 2008, I started my North Carolina-based business to focus on refining the performance of Modern Sporting Rifles, with a special focus on AR-style firearms. In 2009, Citizen Arms began doing business as a licensed manufacturer of firearms. As the owner/operator, I’ve been manufacturing custom ARs and accurizing / tuning / repairing existing firearms ever since.
Prior to opening my shop, I spent 22 years in the US. Army–first as a Paratrooper and mountaineering Ranger Instructor and then, for the bulk of my career, as a Special Operations Assaulter and Sniper. After many years of plying and refining my trade in far-off places, I finished my Army time serving as my SOF unit’s Subject Matter Expert on sniper weapon systems and head of all small arms development and testing. These positions blended my skills and experience as an operational user of precision arms with the knowledge of what it takes to make them perform well in demanding environments.
I’ve been a freelance writer since 2007, with several hundred print articles published in American Gunsmith, American Hunter, AR Guns & Hunting, Guns & Ammo Tactical Guns & Gear, Precision Shooting, Shooting Illustrated, Shotgun News, Special Operations Report, SWAT Digest and a number of technical publications. From 2010 to 2025, I had the honor of serving as the Rifle Editor for the NRA’s Shooting Illustrated magazine. Starting in 2026, I’ll have the privilege of serving as a Field Editor for the NRA’s newly-revamped American Rifleman publication.
I hold a Bachelor’s Degree from Liberty University, am ordained as an Officiating Chaplain by the Christian Leaders Alliance and am a UCCS-certified GRIT Coach. I’m also a multi-disciplined firearms instructor with certifications from the NRA and have been a concealed handgun instructor for the state of North Carolina since 1998.
I’m blessed by a wonderfully-large family and the help of many gracious friends and mentors. Above all else, I’m guided by my faith in God and acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Savior. –Steve Adelmann
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