Eliphalet Remington founded his company in 1816 after finishing second in an 1816 shooting contest where his flintlock so impressed fellow contestants that he finished the day with enough orders to begin business as a gunsmith. The company changed its name to E. Remington and Sons in 1851 when his three sons joined the business. After negotiating its first U.S. Army Ordnance contract in 1845, Remington continued to supply the Federal Army and Navy throughout the Civil War. Thereafter, it made firearms for hunters, settlers developing the west, and for target shooting. In 1871 it established the Remington Ammunition Works to produce metallic, centerfire ammunition. Remington continues producing ammunition, but RemArms, which bought the firearms business in 2020, now designs, builds, and ships Remington firearms.

Sturm Ruger & Co., better known simply as Ruger was founded in Connecticut in 1949 by William Ruger and Alexander Sturm. Although the company lacks the storied heritage of other famous American gunsmiths, it has a worthy record of design and innovation. Once it decided to enter the gun making business, Sturm and Ruger developed a new .22 LR (Long Rifle) caliber design later known as the Ruger Standard, based on the German Luger 9mm and American Colt Woodsman. The Ruger Standard earned a place in history, becoming the first commercially available .22 LR caliber pistol for consumers.

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