Liam K. Ortego
Liam has spent 15 years engineering and testing polymer pistol frames for both OEM manufacturers and custom builds. He started his career as a CNC programmer at Nova Arms, where he refined tolerance‑critical machining processes for 80% lower receivers. After earning his BS in Mechanical Engineering, he founded a boutique consulting firm that advises boutique gun shops on polymer material selection and heat‑treatment methods. His articles have appeared in the *American Firearms Quarterly* and he regularly leads hands‑on workshops for firearms builders.
Areas of focus
- Polymer material selection for firearm frames
- Heat‑set molding tolerances for 80% lowers
- Ergonomic grip geometry optimization
- Finite‑element stress analysis of polymer frames
- Surface finishing and coating adhesion
- Compatibility testing with standard mil-spec components