Ammunition Manufacturers

Ammunition Manufacturers: Two Centuries of Cartridge Makers

A firearm is only as useful as the ammunition available for it, which is why ammunition supply, taxes and purchase restrictions are recurring issues for gun owners. Understanding who makes ammunition, components and powder, where they are located and how the industry has consolidated helps shooters and 2A advocates follow those debates and make sense of shortages and price swings.

Minuteman University.com currently lists 43 ammunition, bullet, powder and reloading companies below, arranged roughly by founding date from 1816 to 2017. The list includes American and international manufacturers as well as government plants. Each profile notes the company’s founding, location and key milestones.

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Remington Arms: Founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in Ilion, New York, and described on its profile as the oldest gun maker in the US.
Federal Premium Ammunition: Founded by Charles L. Horn on April 27, 1922 in Anoka, Minnesota, part of Vista Outdoor from 2015, and owned by CSG (Czechoslovak Group) since November 2024.
LCAAP: The Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Missouri, established in 1941, with a listed capacity of 1.6 billion rounds per year.
Hornady: Started in 1949 as a two-man operation and based in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Gemtech: The suppressor maker founded in 1976, which developed subsonic .22 Long Rifle ammunition in 2011.