Remington Arms

Remington Arms is a major American manufacturer of rifles and shotguns, as well as other firearms, ammunition, and all-terrain vehicles. It was founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in Ilion, New York, as E. Remington and Sons. It is the oldest company in America which still makes its original product, and is the oldest continuously operating manufacturer in all of North America. It is the only company who produces both firearms and ammunition domestically, and is the largest domestic producer of shotguns and rifles. Its product base, which is wider than its competitors, are distributed in over 60 foreign countries.

History

Remington began its long history in 1816, when young Eliphalet Remington II believed he could build a better gun than he could buy. At his father's forge, in Ilion Gorge, New York, he began designing and building a flintlock rifle. In the fall of that year, he entered a shooting match; though he only finished second, his home-made gun impressed other shooters. Before Eliphalet left the field that day, he had received so many orders from other competitors that he was now officially in the gunsmithing business. By 1828, the operation would move to nearby Ilion, New York, at the same site which is used by the modern Remington firearms plant.

Related Topics:
1816 - Eliphalet Remington - Forge - Flintlock rifle - 1828

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In 1865, Remington incorporated into a stock company, and began a new venture in 1873, producing Remington brand typewriters. Remington would sell the typewriter business in 1886; the typewriter company called itself Remington Rand, and the firearms business became Remington Arms Company. In 1888, Remington was purchased by Marcus Hartley and Partners, a major sporting goods chain who also owned the Union Metallic Cartridge Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The Bridgeport site would become the home of Remington's ammunition plant.

Related Topics:
1865 - 1873 - 1886 - Remington Rand - Remington Arms Company - 1888

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A few years later, in 1912, Remington and Union Metallic Cartridge were combined into a single entity, called Remington UMC. Even today, Remington produces a U.M.C. brand of ammunition. In 1915, the plant at Ilion was expanded, and this expansion is basically the same plant which currently exists at the site.

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1912 - 1915

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During the Great Depression, Remington was purchased by the Dupont Corporation, which had made its fortune with improvements to gunpowder. A year later, Remington purchased the Peters Cartridge Company; today, you may notice that many of the Remington headstamps still have R-P on them, for Remington-Peters.

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Several years before World War II, the military (in 1940) became worried about its ammunition capacity, and asked Remington to collaborate in a plan for national expansion. With the aid of DuPont, Remington built the Lake City Arsenal and Denver Ordinance ammunition plants, as well as three more to follow. Though the plants belonged to the U.S. government, Remington was asked to oversee their production.

Related Topics:
World War II - 1940 - DuPont

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In 1970, Remington closed its ammunition plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut, creating a brand-new facility in Lonoke, Arkansas. This site was chosen as the geographic center of the sporting ammunition market. A year later, Remington built a new clay targets plant in Athens, Georgia.

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In 1993, Remington was sold by DuPont to an investment firm called Clayton, Dubilier, and Rice, or CD&R.

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