US Ordnance, a company that manufactures machine guns under contract with the federal government, has started construction of a 65,000-square-foot facility at Tahoe Reno Industrial Center.
The building is expected to be completed by August.
US Ordnance, currently housed on Valley Road in Reno, manufactures the M-60 7.623 caliber machine gun, which some aficionados know as "Rambo's favorite gun." It will employ 45 to 65 people in its new production plant.
US Ordnance was launched in 2000 when owners Curtis and Mary Debord received a license agreement from General Dynamics to produce the machine guns.
United Construction is the general contractor on the project designed by Tectonics.
The Savage Corporation, an expert in the installation of indoor firing ranges, will install a facility in the US Ordnance building to handle testing of newly manufactured machine guns. The range will be highly insulated to eliminate most of the noise.
When Storey County issued a special use permit to US Ordnance, it stipulated that the company will be required to have 24-hour security as well as an 8-foot fence topped with serpentine wire.
