RSA 2nd Historical Seminar

 

 

Remington's Ammunition Manufacturing facility in Lonoke, Arkansas.

 

RSA held its 2nd Annual Seminar in Lonoke, Arkansas at the site of the Remington ammunition factory. The three- day
festivities began on Wednesday evening, July 26th, with a get-together buffet. Old friends met new ones, and half there had attended the 1st Annual RSA Seminar in Ilion the year before!

RSA members gather for a group photograph.

Lonoke is where Remington makes billions (yes, billions) of rounds of rimfire, centerfire and shotshell ammunition each year. The plant is located on 1,400 acres of lush Arkansas land, which doubles as a game preserve to protect native wildlife. Nearby is Remington’s Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays range, which is open to the public.

RSA members enjoy the day's shoot on the Trap, Skeey & Sporting Clays Range.

In 1994, the Remington Ammunition Plant made 1,300,000,000 rounds of .22 rimfire 500,000,000 rounds of centerfire ammo, 300,000,000 shotshells and 600,000,000 primer. Over 300,000,000 rounds were made for the U.S. Government during this period.

More than 6, 100,000 rounds of .22 rimfire are made each day! That’s a lot of lead, brass, gunpowder, fulminate and cardboard (containers). The plant is working three shifts a day, six days a week to keep up with demand. Remington makes ammunition for domestic U.S. sporting use and for international customers. Sportsmen love Remington ammo!

There are 1,175 workers are here – Remington is the area’s primary employer. The plant consists of more than 750,000 square feet of production facilities under roof. Remington Arms Company, Inc. moved here more than twenty-five years ago – from Bridgeport, where U.M.C. was founded in 1866. The move was made on July 23, 1969, and ammunition production commenced one year later in July 1970.

RSA attendees are shown all aspects of ammo manufacturing.

On Thursday, RSA members in attendance were treated to walking tours of the factory. Host John Croucher, Shotshell Superintendent, and his crew of supervisors were our guides on separate tours of the three production lines. We were surprised to learn that most of the equipment seen in this moden plant was moved from Bridgeport – including the lead forming mechanism in the shot tower! Forty to eighty-year machinery still pumps out the ammo – and it never seems to wear out. The tours covered virtually every step in the manufacture of shot-shells, centerfire and rimfire ammunition. This was a unique experience.

Members heard many lectures about ammunition production.

Following the plant tours, the RSA membership were treated to a number of outstanding historical lectures on Remington and U.M.C. ammunition, including:

Denver Ammo Plant Production During WWII; E. Remington & Sons Ammunition; Remington’s Brimsdown, England
Loading Plant; U.M.C. and Rem-UMC Ammo; Modern-Day Ammo Manufacturing; and Remington’s Ammunition Plants During WWII.

Many attendees brought collectible ammunition for display and for sale.

Attendees at the seminar brought many historic and collectable Remington firearms, cartridges and memorabilia for others to enjoy. Table after table of Remington history was enjoyed by attendee and plant worker, alike. RSA hosted Remington dignitaries on Friday evening at a “pig roast” dinner at the Remington Gun Club. RSA thanks the Lonoke Vice President of Manufacturing Paul Cahan, and Superintendent John Croucher for their Southern hospitality that was shown RSA during our visit. Special thanks also go to Vince Scarlata, Joe Reisz, and others for their concern for our welfare. We could not have had a better time.