Eliphalet Remington founded the firearms company that’d bear his name in Ilion, New York, in 1816. Though he couldn’t have envisioned the huge leaps in firearm technology, his company would become a household name in hunting firearms. Being a native New Yorker, I’ve long taken pride in the heritage and history of the firearms companies born here; though many have left for greener pastures (and a friendlier political environment), Big Green always had a staunch presence in Central New York.
Equally renowned for its ammunition as much as for its firearms, there was always some form of Remington product in our household. Dad shot a 12-gauge Model 11-48 autoloading shotgun—the precursor of the Model 1100, though without a ventilated rib—and I bought a Remington 870 Express 12-gauge as soon as it appeared in the local gun shop. Remington’s Premier Duplex turkey loads were my go-to for years, and I’ve killed a whole bunch of deer with Core-Lokt bullets, in both factory-loaded ammo and my handloads.
But, in spite of the strength and popularity of the brand, trouble loomed. Remington had been sold and was made a part of the Freedom Group—officially owned by Cerberus Capital Management—but the venture found itself nearly 1 billion dollars in the red. Though seemingly impossible, one of America’s most iconic firearms brands was in danger of
