History of Federal Ammunition
On April 27, 1922, Charles L. Horn took control of a small plant in Anoka,Minnesota and refounded Federal Cartridge Corporation. Horn launched a distribution plan that involved merchandising Federal products in grocery stores, barbers shops, and filling stations. In 1941, Federal earned an $87-million contract from the U.S. government (approx. $1.3 billion in 2010) to build and operate the $30-million Twin City Ordnance Plant (TCOP). Federal ranked 59th among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts.
In 1977, William B. Horn introduced Federal’s Premium line of centerfire rifle and shotshell ammunition. Federal also owned Hoffman Engineering, a company that made electronic enclosures. In 1985, Federal was sold to a group of private investors including Kelso & Company, BancBoston Capital, and members of management. The two companies were united under the name Federal-Hoffman and taken private during the sale. However, in 1988, Pentair, a diversified manufacturer based in Minnesota, agreed to acquire FC Holdings Inc., the holding company for Federal-Hoffman Inc., for US$175 million in cash and the assumption of debt. Federal-Hoffman has since split, and Federal is currently owned by Vista Outdoor. Vista Outdoor, formerly the outdoor and sporting goods division of Alliant Techsystems; was spun off in February 2015. Federal Cartridge does business today as Federal Premium Ammunition.
Today, Federal Ammunition carry on Horn’s vision for quality products and service with the next generation of shooters. With our CEO Chris Metz at the helm, Federal Ammunition maintains our position as experts in the science of ammunition production.