Christensen Carbon Fiber Barrel: Aerospace to Backcountry

From the beginning, Christensen Arms has never been interested in following tradition—we were built to redefine it.

In a small corner of central Utah, what started as a family’s commitment to community quietly became one of the most disruptive innovations in modern firearms. At the center of it all was Dr. Roland Christensen—an aerospace engineer who didn’t just dream about change. He engineered it.

But, to understand where Christensen Arms is today—and how the Christensen carbon fiber barrel came to redefine rifle performance—you have to go back to where it all started: Fayette, 1984.

A Hometown with Big Ideas

When the Christensen family moved back to rural Fayette, Utah, it wasn’t with a firearms company in mind. They came home with the goal of rebuilding the community they loved. At the time, Fayette, like much of central Utah at the time, was struggling to hold on. Roland opened Advanced Composites Technologies (ACT), aiming to create jobs and breathe new life into the area. However, it was more than just a business—it was a workshop for innovation.

Inside ACT, Roland and his team were surrounded by materials more common in jet engines than gun safes: aerospace-grade carbon fiber, structural resins, and precision composites. As hunters and shooters themselves, the team started asking questions. What if these materials could change the way rifles were built?

The experiments began. Arrows. Softball bats. Knife handles. Crossbow limbs. Even golf club heads. Ultimately, one idea rose to the top: the carbon fiber rifle barrel.

From Concept to Barrel

By 1993, Roland Christensen had his sights set. If a barrel could be wrapped in carbon fiber—reducing weight while increasing rigidity and heat resistance—it might change the entire shooting experience. Cooler barrels. Tighter groups. Less fatigue in the field. For a shop full of outdoorsmen, it wasn’t just a “cool idea.” It made sense.

In 1995, that idea became reality. The first Christensen carbon fiber barrels were fitted to .22 LR rifles. They weren’t sold to the public—they were given as gifts to aerospace clients. At that time, Christensen Arms didn’t even exist as a standalone brand. Still, those first barrels worked—and they sparked something bigger.

By 1998, the team wasn’t satisfied with rimfires. The “Carbon Cannon” was born—the first large-caliber hunting rifle with a carbon fiber barrel. As a result, it didn’t take long to realize they had something that could truly shift the landscape.

Turning the Corner

What started as an experiment in a rural Utah shop was now getting attention. The weight savings were undeniable. In fact, the performance spoke for itself. And by the early 2000s, Christensen Arms was becoming more than a side project. It was a brand with momentum.

In 2000, the company leaned into its barrel-wrapping process, testing new rifle models and dialing in repeatable accuracy. Soon, the experiment had become a philosophy—carbon fiber wasn’t an accessory; it was a foundation.

By 2005, the brand’s visibility extended beyond rifles. Christensen Arms launched Christensen’s Hunting Illustrated and a TV series, Christensen Outdoors. At the same time, the company underwent a rebrand, modernizing its logo and solidifying its identity.

Scaling Innovation

Growth brought change. By 2009, Christensen Arms outgrew its shop in Fayette and relocated to a larger facility in Gunnison. It was a critical move. Now with more space, better equipment, and a larger team, they could bring even more manufacturing in-house—including stocks, receivers, and components.

The CA-15 launched in 2010, marking the company’s first foray into the MSR platform. By then, it was a message to the industry: Christensen Arms wasn’t just a barrel company anymore. In 2011, they began producing their own receivers. By 2012, nearly every part of the rifle was being built under their own roof. Quality and innovation were no longer at the mercy of outside vendors.

Christensen Carbon Fiber Barrel Becomes a Standard

As the brand matured, so did the rifles. Years of aerospace experience and real-world hunting feedback were distilled into platforms that balanced weight, strength, and precision. The Ridgeline, introduced in the mid-2010s, became the flagship lightweight bolt-action rifle. The Christensen carbon fiber barrel was no longer a bold experiment—it was the standard.

The growth didn’t slow. In 2015, orders surged—doubling and quadrupling overnight. The team pushed hard to scale up production without sacrificing quality. And in 2016, Christensen Arms expanded its reach again with the launch of the Mesa line—bringing Christensen technology to a broader market through precision-machined steel barrels and proven manufacturing methods.

By 2017, the brand wasn’t just keeping up with demand—it was driving it. With expanded dealer support and nationwide distribution, Christensen Arms rifles were landing in more gun safes, camps, and backcountry ridgelines than ever before.

Precision Refined

The momentum carried into 2018 and beyond. The company adjusted to the demands of rapid growth while staying true to its engineering roots. In 2019, production scaled again, and Christensen Arms surpassed the capacity of its existing facility.

2020 marked 25 years of innovation. The mission hadn’t changed—use better materials, smarter processes, and precision craftsmanship to build rifles that empower hunters and shooters to go farther and shoot better. As a result, Christensen Arms sold over 33,000 rifles and received the Golden Bullseye Award from Shooting Illustrated.

Built to Push Boundaries