| The Remington Firearms company is truly an American icon. It is the oldest company in the United States that still makes its own firearms, the same product line that the company started out with 193 years ago. Remington is also unique in |
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that it is the only company in the country that still produces both firearms and ammo domestically.
It all started way back in 1816. The United States at the time was still in its infancy. It was only 40 years prior that we’d won our independence from Britain. Americans shared a certain Esprit De Corps of innovation and self-sufficiency, especially in rural areas. One particular American from Ilion, New York, Eliphalet Remington Jr., wasn’t satisfied with the guns that were available to buy at the time. There had been certain notoriety among farmers in the area for building their own firearms, but they would often purchase the barrel, because it required a forge and specialized tools, and was the hardest part of the gun to make. |
Eliphalet Remington’s father, a local blacksmith, sent his son to visit an established barrel maker in the city to buy a barrel, and in the process learn the barrel maker’s art. The process was much simpler back then. Rifling hadn’t yet been invented. Eli Remington watched as the barrel maker took long, thin bars of iron, heated them up and then wrapped them around a metal rod that matched the diameter of a particular caliber bullet or ball. The barrel maker then kept heating and hammering the wrapped bars until they eventually fused into one long, tubular piece of metal. Then the internal rod was removed, and voila: a new |
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barrel was born. Upon his return home to Ilion, Eli expanded his father’s blacksmith shop into the barrel making business, and subsequently sold the barrels to farmers in the surrounding areas. Never one to be content and rest on his laurels, Eli decided to functionally enhance one of his barrels by making a flint-lock rifle for himself. When it was completed, he took it around to various shooting matches. At one particular match, Eli and his homemade rifle came in second, but others were slack-jawed in amazement, and took considerable interest in Remington’s homemade rifle. Needless to say, orders to purchase it flooded in. From that time forward, Remington was officially in the firearms business. The modern Remington company is one of the oldest continuously operating manufacturing companies in the United States, and has been responsible for numerous patents and firearms innovations over the years.
In 1873, curiously enough, Remington began producing typewriters; a practice that continued for the next 13 years, until Remington sold off that portion of the company in 1886. This represented a fork in the road for the firearms manufacturer, with the typewriter company being known from then on as Remington Rand, and the firearms company being known as the Remington Arms.
As often happens in business, one company buys another. In 1888, the Remington company was purchased by Marcus Hatley and his partners. In what became a boon to both companies, it just so happened that Marcus Hatley also owned an ammo maker, United Metallic Cartridge. Like ebony and ivory compliment each other on a piano, Remington Arms and United Metallic Cartridge combined in 1912 to become Remington U.M.C., which makes ammo even today. The company expanded its facility, which is still used now, almost 100 years after the expansion. |
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When WW I came along, Remington produced arms and ammo for the United States and her allies; France, Britain and Russia. The involvement with Russia almost brought Remington down. Russia had purchased huge orders of Remington rifles and ammo, which the company went ahead and manufactured to fill Russia’s order. Then the Bolshevik Revolution took place, and Russia could not pay for their order, and eventually they canceled it. Sitting on a huge stockpile of arms and ammo with no one to sell it to, and facing almost certain bankruptcy, the company turned to the US Government, |
| which agreed to keep the company solvent. After that, Remington, having gotten into trouble in the military arms market, made the conscious decision to focus on the sporting aspect of their firearms, like for hunting and sport shooting. The executives at Remington thought this would be a much more stable market, and less prone to the wild fluctuation of supplying military arms. |
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The Great Depression of the 1930’s brought more changes for Remington Arms. The company was bought by American chemical giant DuPont, who merged Remington with Peters Cartridge Company. To this day, some Remington brass shell casings are labeled R-P, for Remington – Peters.
Drawing closer to WW II, the US military became concerned about their ammo supplies, so they worked with Remington to ramp up production. DuPont and Remington came together to build Denver Arsenal and Lake City Arsenal, which were used exclusively as ammo plants. These plants officially belonged to the US government, but Remington was contracted to oversee production of ammo.
Over the years, Remington has expanded production to include pocket knives, clay pidgeons, and most recently apparel as well.
Remington is currently owned by Cerberus Capital Management. The company headquarters is currently located in Madison, North Carolina, United States.
If you want a rifle or shotgun from a company with a long, proud heritage of American innovation, consider Remington Arms.
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