Remington Arms

Remington Arms Company, LLC was an American manufacturer of firearms and ammunition, now broken into two companies, each bearing the Remington name. The firearms manufacturer is Remington Arms. The ammunition business is called Remington. The company which was broken up was called Remington Outdoor Company. Sturm, Ruger & Co. purchased the Marlin Firearms division of the Remington Outdoor Company in 2020.^[3]

Remington Arms Company, LLC

Type	Subsidiary (LLC)
Industry	Arms industry
Founded	1816; 207 years ago (1816)
Founder	Eliphalet Remington
Defunct	2020; 3 years ago (2020)^[1]
Fate	All assets sold off^[2]
Headquarters	Madison, North Carolina , United States
Number of locations	6
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Anthony Acitelli, CEO
Products	Firearms, ammunition, and accessories
Revenue	US$950 million (2004)
Parent	Remington Outdoor Company
Website	www.remington.com (ammunition) www.remarms.com (firearms)

Founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington (as E. Remington and Sons) in Ilion, New York, it was one of the oldest gun makers in the US and claimed to be the oldest factory in the US that still made its original product.^[4] The company was the largest rifle manufacturer in North America according to 2015 ATF statistics.^[5][6] The company developed or adopted more cartridges than any other gun maker or ammunition manufacturer in the world.

History

19th century origins

Main article: E. Remington and Sons

 

Remington New Model Army Revolver, made 1863–1875

 

Remington Rolling Block Carbine 1867

The Remington company was founded in 1816. Eliphalet Remington II (1793–1861) believed he could build a better gun than he could buy. Remington began designing and building a flintlock rifle for himself.^[7] At age 23 (in late 1816), he entered a shooting match; though he finished second, his well-made gun impressed other contestants. Before Remington left the field that day, he had received so many orders from other competitors that he had officially entered the gunsmithing business. By 1828, he moved his operation to nearby Ilion. The modern Remington firearms plant still uses this site.

On March 7, 1888, the Remington family sold the ownership of E. Remington & Sons to new owners, Marcellus Hartley and Partners. This consisted of Hartley and Graham of New York, New York, a major sporting goods chain that also owned the Union Metallic Cartridge Company in Bridgeport and the Winchester Repeating Arms Company of New Haven, both in Connecticut. At this time, the company formally changed its name to the Remington Arms Company.^[8]

20th century

 

Remington-Pedersen 51

 

Remington 700 SPS Tactical .223 Rem 20 inch heavy barrel

 

The M24 SWS military sniper rifle, based on the Remington 700.

When the US entered the war, Remington became deeply involved in the war effort.^[9] Remington was left with huge stocks of guns and ammunition and no prospects for payment. The US government purchased the firearms.^[10]

During the Great Depression, Remington was purchased by DuPont, which had made its name with improvements to gunpowder. A year later, Remington purchased the Peters Cartridge Company; today, many of the Remington headstamps still have "R-P" on them for Remington-Peters.^[11]

In 1940, the US Army became worried about its ammunition capacity and asked Remington to collaborate on a plan for national expansion. With the aid of DuPont, Remington built the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (named Lake City Arsenal initially) and Denver Ordnance ammunition plants, and three more plants later on, including the Lowell Ordnance Plant. Though the plants belonged to the US government, Remington was asked to oversee their operation. Among the weapons that Remington manufactured for the government during World War II was the famous M1903A3 Springfield bolt-action rifle.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Remington expanded into other products besides guns, with the purchase of Mall Tool Company in 1956.^[12][13] One of the products was chain saws.^[14]

In 1962, Remington introduced the Model 700 bolt-action rifle. The rifle became one of Remington's most successful firearms and quickly lent itself to developments of many sub-variants, including the Remington 700 BDL, Remington 700PSS for police and law enforcement agencies (the rifle, later renamed 700P, is very popular among law enforcement agencies) and the military M24 SWS, which was the United States Army standard sniper rifle between 1988 and 2010. Other armed forces worldwide still use it, such as the IDF. Other firearms companies designed and manufactured sniper rifles based on the reliable and accurate Remington Model 700 action.

In 1986, Remington closed its ammunition plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut, transferring operations to a new facility in Lonoke, Arkansas. A year later, Remington built a new clay targets plant in Athens, Georgia. According to an article in The New York Times, in 1993, Remington's parent company—DuPont de Nemours & Company (DuPont)—sold Remington to the New York investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) for $300 million.^[15] The Times, citing the National Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association said that "rifle and shotgun sales totaled $900 million" in 1992. Citing the National Shooting Sports Foundation president, the article said that since 1986, "interest in hunting" had "declined". The sale of long guns—which represented 75% of Remington sales had become "slack" by 1993, while the sale of handguns had become the "fastest-growing segment" of the gun industry.^[15]

21st century

In June 2007, a private equity firm, Cerberus Capital Management, acquired Remington Arms for $370 million, including $252 million in assumed debt. Remington was millions of dollars in debt and did not report a profit during 2003–2005.^[16]

In December 2007, Remington Arms acquired rifle-maker Marlin Firearms.^[17] As of 2009, ammunition sales continued to remain high during the ongoing United States Ammunition Shortage. Chief Executive Officer Ted Torbeck said that consumer concerns over future restrictions, and taxes on ammunition and firearms by the Obama administration, were creating a rise in demand.^[18]

In October 2009, Remington Military products acquired suppressor manufacturer Advanced Armament Corporation.^[19] In 2010, Remington introduced the fastest commercially available shotgun shell, Hypersonic Steel, with a patented wad technology that allows the shot to travel at 1,700 ft/s (520 m/s).

After a 12-year absence from the handgun market, in 2010, Remington announced the Remington 1911 R1. It ceased production in 1998 of its last handgun, the Model XP-100R. Later that year, Remington introduced the Versa Max auto-loading shotgun. Its patented "Versa Port" system self-regulates gas pressure based on the length of the cartridge used, enabling the shotgun to shoot light 2+3⁄4 in (70 mm) target loads, 3 in (76 mm) hunting loads, and 3+1⁄2 in (89 mm) magnum hunting loads.

In 2012, Remington won a US Army contract to manufacture 24,000 M4A1 carbines at $673 per unit worth $16,163,252 total.^[20]

In 2013, for the first time since 1928, Remington began to offer an air rifle, called the "Remington Express."^[21]

In 2014, the company decided to move some manufacturing from Ilion, New York to Huntsville, Alabama. The president of United Mine Workers Local 717, which represented workers at Ilion, expressed fears about the future of the New York facility and blamed the NY SAFE Act for the company's decision to favor Alabama over New York. ^[22] Subsequently, about 100 Remington jobs were shifted from New York to Alabama.^[23]

Beginning in late 2017, Remington began bankruptcy planning, having suffered declining sales and reputation; damage from an August 2017 exposé on the CBS news program “60 Minutes” about X-Mark Pro trigger defects linked to several deaths,^[24] and amassed some $950 million worth of debt.^[25][26] The low sales and debt were blamed on either a reduction in "panic-buying", or diminishing quality and reputation.^[27] Remington filed for bankruptcy in March 2018.^[28] Remington exited bankruptcy on May 17, 2018, less than two months later. The company's quick exit was due to a pre-approved restructuring plan supported by 97% of its creditors, which canceled all shares of common stock issued before the bankruptcy proceedings, and the issuance of new shares to convert over $775 million of company debt into equity.^[29]

The families of nine victims and a teacher who were shot and survived the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting with a Remington Bushmaster rifle filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Connecticut state court seeking a jury trial to recover unspecified damages. The case was briefly moved to federal court before being referred back to the state court level. In 2016, the suit was initially dismissed by a Connecticut Superior Court citing the immunity provided to firearms manufacturers by the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) of 2005. Remington's bankruptcy delayed the suit. On March 14, 2019, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled 4–3 that the suit's wrongful marketing claim could proceed to trial under Connecticut's Unfair Trade Practices Act (CUTPA) which addressed marketing including "truly unethical and irresponsible marketing practices promoting criminal conduct" and was not preempted by the PLCAA. The US Supreme Court declined to hear the case.^{[30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]} On February 15, 2022, it was announced that a $73,000,000 settlement had been reached between the Sandy Hook families and Remington's insurers.^[39][40]

On July 28, 2020, it filed again for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.^[41] During the bankruptcy auction in September 2020, Remington Outdoor Company was sold in parts. The Remington Arms business and the non-Marlin firearms business was sold to Roundhill Group LLC.^[42] Remington's ammunition business, brand name and trademarks were sold to Vista Outdoor.^[43]

Relocation of production plants

On February 17, 2014, Remington announced a plan to build a new state-of-the-art plant in Huntsville, Alabama. Remington decided to move two production lines from the Ilion, New York plant as a result of the fallout from the NY SAFE Act, which restricted gun ownership in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.^[4][44] AR-15 style semi-automatic rifles from Bushmaster, DPMS, and Remington Remington R-15 and 1911 style R-1 pistols were produced in the plant. The plant was touted by Alabama's Department of Commerce Secretary and by Remington as a boon to Alabama's economy.^[45] The new plant consolidated Remington's production to promote efficiency and lower production costs.^[46] Experts in the gun industry believed that Remington would eventually leave its New York roots to have its plants in more gun-friendly states.^[44]

On November 8, 2021, it was announced that Remington Firearms would relocate its global headquarters to LaGrange, Georgia. This location is planned to contain a new advanced manufacturing operation and a research and development center. ^[47]

Breakup

Until 2015, Remington Arms was part of the Freedom Group,^[48] which was owned by Cerberus Capital Management. In 2014, a new plant was built in Huntsville, Alabama, to produce AR-15 style semi-automatic rifles and Remington 1911 R1 pistols.^[46][44] In 2015, the Freedom Group was renamed as Remington Outdoor Company.

Remington filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2018, having accumulated over $950 million in debt. Remington exited bankruptcy in May 2018, less than two months after filing for protection under Chapter 11 laws. Its quick exit from bankruptcy was due to a pre-approved restructuring plan supported by 97% of its creditors.

On July 28, 2020, Remington filed again for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection,^[41] and its assets were divided up and sold to various buyers.^[2] The Remington brand name was bought by Vista Outdoor, which uses it to market several types of ammunition.^[49][43]

After the breakup, two companies now use the Remington name, Remington Ammunition and Remington Arms, LLC.^[50][51]

Production sites

The Bushmaster AR-15 style rifle and 1911 pattern R-1 lines from Ilion, New York, were produced at a plant constructed in 2014 in Huntsville, Alabama.^[46][44] DPMS Panther Arms moved from St. Cloud, MN to the new Alabama facility.^[52][53]

Remington's former ammunition factory in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was investigated by the Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures in 2009. The site was eventually purchased by Peter DiNardo Enterprises Inc. and is scheduled for demolition.^[54]

As of 2021, Vista Outdoor doubled the number of workers at its Lonoke factory purchased out of the Remington bankruptcy auction. The facility employs 900 people.^[55]

In national symbolism

Remington rifles are incorporated into the flag and the national emblem of Guatemala.^[56]

Products

Based on a list from the Remington web site.^[57]

Rifles

Bolt-action

• JuniorTarget 521TL
• Remington–Keene rifle
• M1903 Springfield rifle
• M1917 Enfield rifle
• Model 5
• Model 6
• Model 7
• Model 30
• Model 31
• Model 33
• Model 34
• Model 241
• Model 504
• Model 511 Scoremaster
• Model 512 Sportmaster
• Model 513
• Model 541S
• Model 541T
• Model 580
• Model 591
• Model 592
• Model 600
• Model 660
• Model 673
• Model 700
• Model 710
• Model 720
• Model 721
• Model 722
• Model 725
• Model 770
• Model 783
• Model 788
• Model 798
• Model 799
• Modular Sniper Rifle
• M24 Sniper Rifle
• XM2010 ESR

Pump-action

• Model 14
• Model 121 Fieldmaster
• Model 141
• Model 572 Fieldmaster
• Model 760
• Remington Model Six
• Remington Sportsman 76
• Model 7600

• Remington Model 12
• Remington Model 25

Semi-automatic

• Model Four
• Model 8
• Nylon 66
• Apache 77
• Model 522
• Remington Model 550-1
• Model 552
• Model 597
• Model 740
• Model 742
• Model 750
• Model 7400
• Model R-15
• Model R-25
• Remington RSASS^[58]

Single-shot

• Remington Rolling Block rifle family
• Remington Naval Model 1865 Pistol
• Remington-Hepburn No. 3 Falling Block Rifle
• Remington Rolling Block Model 4
• Remington Rolling Block Model 6

Automatic

• R4
• Adaptive Combat Rifle^[a]
• R5 RGP

Shotguns

Pump-action

• Model 10
• Model 17
• Model 29
• Model 31
• Model 870
• Model 887

Semi-automatic

• Model 11 (Browning Auto-5)
• Model 11-48
• Model 11-87
• Model 11-96 – "Euro Lightweight"
• Model 58 – "Sportsman 58"
• Model 878 – "878 Automaster"
• Model 1100
• Model SP-10
• SPR 453 – "Spartan 453"
• Versa Max
• V3

Break-action

• SPR 100
• SPR 310
• Model 32
• Model 3200
• Remington Model 3
• Remington Model 9
• Remington Model 1894 SXS

Handguns

Semi-automatic

• 1911 R1
• Remington Model 51
• Remington R51
• Remington RM380
• Remington RP9
• Remington RP45

Derringer

• Remington Rider Single Shot Pistol
• Remington Zig-Zag Derringer
• Model 95

Revolvers

• Model 1858
• Model 1875
• Model 1890

Other

• XP-100
• Express Air Rifle^[21]

References

Footnotes

1. military versions only, civilian versions are built by Bushmaster Firearms International)^[59]

Notes

1. "Remington Arms in Ilion gets federal firearms license". timestelegram.com. from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
2. Peg Brickley (September 27, 2020). "Bankrupt Gun Maker Remington Outdoor to Be Broken Up and Sold". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Wikidata Q114386181. from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
3. "Ruger News".
4. Miniter, Frank. "Americas Oldest Gun Maker Thumbs its Nose at a Two Faced Senator Charles Schumer". Forbes. from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
5. BATFE Annual Firearms Manufacturing And Export Report September 11, 2017, at the Wayback Machine 2015
6. Duprey, Rich (March 4, 2017). "Can You Guess the Biggest Gunmaker in the U.S.?". Fool.com. from the original on July 19, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
7. Tuttle, Frank (1957). The Business History Review.
8. Henning, Robert A.; Terrence H. Witkowski (November 2013). "The Advertising of E. Remington & Sons: The Creation of a National Brand, 1854–1888". Journal of Historical Research in Marketing: 418–438. doi:10.1108/JHRM-11-2012-0028.
9. Strother, French (January 1916). "America, A New World Arsenal". The World's Work: A History of Our Time. XXXI: 321–333. from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
10. . Mosinnagant.net. Archived from the original on May 24, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
11. Nonte, George C. (1973). Firearms encyclopedia. Harper & Row. p. 324. ISBN 9780060132132.
12. . Remington. Archived from the original on August 29, 2010.
13. "The Timberman". Books.google.com. October 7, 2009. from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
14. Advertisement June 10, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Popular Science, October 1967, p. 201 (retrieved October 16, 2010 from Google Books)
15. Adelson, Andrea (October 22, 1993). "Company News; Du Pont Sells Remington Gun Maker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 9, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
16. "Remington Arms Is Sold". The New York Times. April 6, 2007. from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
17. "Gunmaker Remington to buy Marlin Firearms". Usatoday.Com. December 27, 2007. from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
18. Hook, Jim. "Pa.'s 2009 deer season looks promising; ammo shortage is a concern". from the original on May 24, 2009. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
19. . Advanced Armament Corporation blog. October 5, 2009. Archived from the original on October 12, 2009.
20. "U.S. Army places order for 24,000 M4A1 carbines with Remington". Military Times. April 21, 2012. from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
21. "Remington Offers Express Air Rifle Holiday Gift Package". Outdoor Hub. from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
22. Rick Moriarty, Union official blames Remington Arms expansion in Alabama on NY SAFE Act, Syracuse.com (February 15, 2015).
23. Ken Lovett, Remington CEO: SAFE Act impacted decision to expand—in Alabama, New York Daily News (November 17, 2014).
24. Stahl, Lesley (August 13, 2017). "Popular Remington 700 Rifle Linked To Potentially Deadly Defect". 60 Minutes. from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
25. McCoy, Kevin (February 13, 2018). "Remington bankruptcy plan is new wound for 'America's Oldest Gunmaker'". USA Today. from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
26. Andrew Berlin, Jessica DiNapoli (February 8, 2018). "Exclusive: U.S. gunmaker Remington seeks financing to file for bankruptcy". Reuters. from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
27. Allhands, Joanna (February 13, 2018). "Don't blame Donald Trump for Remington's bankruptcy". AZ Central. Archived from the original on March 26, 2018.
28. Hart, Benjamin (March 26, 2018). "Gun Giant Remington Declares Bankruptcy". Daily Intelligencer (New York Media). from the original on March 26, 2018.
29. "BREAKING: Remington Emerges From Chapter 11 Bankruptcy – The Firearm Blog". The Firearm Blog. May 17, 2018. from the original on May 22, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
30. Rojas, Rick; Hussey, Kristin (November 12, 2017). "Appeal Offers Hope for Newtown Families in Suit Against Gun Companies". The New York Times. p. A1. from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
31. Hussey, Kristin; Rojas, Rick (April 1, 2018). "Remington's Bankruptcy Stalls Ruling in Sandy Hook Families' Suit". The New York Times. p. A20. from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
32. Rojas, Rick; Hussey, Kristin (March 14, 2017). "Sandy Hook Massacre: Gun Makers Lose Major Ruling Over Liability". The New York Times. p. A1. from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
33. Barbash, Fred (March 14, 2019). "Families of Sandy Hook shooting victims can sue gunmaker Remington over 2012 attack, court says". The Washington Post. from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
34. Collin, Dave (March 14, 2019). "Gunmaker Remington can be sued over marketing of rifle used in Sandy Hook shooting, court rules". USA Today. Associated Press. from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
35. Gershman, Jacob (March 14, 2019). "Manufacturer of AR-15 Can Be Sued Over Sandy Hook Massacre, Court Rules". The Wall Street Journal. from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
36. "US court: Sandy Hook victims' families can sue Remington". BBC. March 14, 2019. from the original on March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
37. Lindsay, Ryan (March 14, 2019). "Lawsuit By Sandy Hook Victims Against Gun Manufacturer Allowed To Move Forward". NPR. from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
38. Chappell, Bill (November 12, 2019). "Supreme Court Allows Sandy Hook Families' Case Against Remington Arms To Proceed". NPR.org. from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
39. Jorgensen, Sarah; Hill, Erica (February 15, 2022). "Sandy Hook families reach $73 million settlement with gun manufacturer Remington". CNN. from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
40. Doherty, Erin (February 15, 2022). "Gunmaker Remington to pay $73M to settle lawsuit with Sandy Hook families". Axios. from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
41. "One of America's Oldest Gun Makers Files for Bankruptcy for 2nd Time". The New York Times. July 28, 2020. from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
42. "Remington Auctioned Off to Seven Bidders in Bankruptcy Court". September 28, 2020. from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
43. Williams, Elaine (October 4, 2020). "Vista Outdoor acquires Remington plant". The Lewiston Tribune. from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
44. Weaver, Teri. "Remington Arms moving two assembly lines from Ilion to Alabama because of NY Safe Act". The Post-Standard. from the original on December 26, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
45. Lucy Berry (February 17, 2014). "Remington plant, 2,000 jobs in Huntsville will grow advanced manufacturing base in north Alabama". AL.com. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
46. Precious, Tom. "Remington to move production of two gun lines from New York to Alabama". The Buffalo News. from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
47. "StackPath". Remarms.com. from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
48. "How Freedom Group Became the Big Shot". The New York Times. from the original on March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
49. "Vista Outdoor to buy bankrupt gunmaker Remington's ammunition business". Reuters. September 28, 2020. from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
50. "Remington 2022 New Products". Remington. from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022. © Remington Ammunition
51. "Remington A New Era". Remington Arms. from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022. A new era has begun. Remington Firearms and Ammunition are now separate new companies...© RemArms LLC.
52. "St. Cloud gunmaker moving to Alabama". Sctimes.com. May 16, 2014. Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
53. "St. Cloud-based gun maker DPMS Panther Arms moved to Alabama – Twin Cities". Twincities.com. Associated Press. May 15, 2014. from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
54. Keila Torres Ocasio (April 1, 2012). "RemGrit buildings set to fall – Connecticut Post". Ctpost.com. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
55. Magsam, John (May 27, 2021). "Ammo booming, Vista Outdoor says; workers doubled at Lonoke factory". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
56. "Guatemala". Flagspot.net. from the original on June 13, 2006. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
57. . Remington. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011.
58. . Remington Defense. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
59. . Remington Defense. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.

External links

• Official website