Federal's Rimfire Roots: How Anoka, Minnesota Built an Ammo Empire

Drive north out of Minneapolis along the Mississippi and you reach Anoka, a small river town that's home to one of the largest sporting-ammunition makers on earth. If you've ever bought a big value box of .22 LR at a farm store, there's a decent chance it came from here.

Federal's story has false starts, a wartime boom, a family that ran it for decades and a long chain of corporate owners. This feature traces it from published histories and Federal's own account, then looks at where the company's rimfire line stands today.

1916: a shotshell plant on the edge of town

The company didn't begin with Charles Horn, though his name is the one Federal celebrates. Around 1916, with demand for ammunition rising during the First World War, brothers Harry and Louis Sherman founded the Federal Cartridge and Machine Company and set up a small plant on the eastern edge of Anoka to make shotgun shells.

It didn't last. By early 1917 the Shermans had fallen out with their investors and left to join the American Cartridge Company, a firm Federal would acquire about seven years later. After the war ended, the Anoka factory closed in 1920.

1922: Charles L. Horn starts again

On April 27, 1922, Charles L. Horn took control of the idle plant and refounded it as the Federal Cartridge Corporation. Federal's own history treats that year as its true beginning and calls Horn its founding president. Federal describes its start as humble: a small Anoka operation that grew into what it now calls one of the world's largest producers of sporting ammunition.

Under the Horn family, Federal stayed in the same hands for more than six decades. That continuity is part of the brand's identity. Federal still talks about the "culture of innovation" it traces to Horn.

The war years

The Second World War transformed Federal, as it did every American ammunition maker. In 1940, before the U.S. entered the war, the British Purchasing Commission contracted with Federal for 1.4 million mortar ignition cartridges, a blank 12-gauge round used to launch mortar bombs. In 1941 Federal won a U.S. government contract to build and operate the Twin City Ordnance Plant, a large military ammunition works.

The war gave Federal production expertise at a scale few sporting companies ever reached. When peace came, that experience went into civilian ammunition, including the rimfire rounds that would become household names.

1977 and the shift upmarket

For much of its history Federal was known for dependable, affordable hunting and target ammunition. In 1977 William B. Horn introduced the Premium line of centerfire rifle and shotshell loads. Today the whole brand goes by Federal Premium.

The family era ended in 1985, when Federal was sold to private investors including Kelso & Company and BancBoston Capital. In 1988 the industrial company Pentair agreed to acquire it, and that same year Federal introduced the Hydra-Shok bullet. Federal later passed to Vista Outdoor, which was spun off from Alliant Techsystems in February 2015.

Federal's rimfire lineup

Rimfire is one of Federal's three main product lines, alongside centerfire and shotshell. The sources we could check don't pin down the year Federal first loaded a .22, so we won't guess. What is clear is where Federal rimfire sits now: big boxes of dependable practice ammunition, plus target and hunting loads built on the same plant's components.

Product names and packaging change often, so check the box or the listing for exact specs. Ammunition Depot's Federal brand page shows what's currently listed, and its own company note matches the Anoka and 1922 history above.

Federal today: Anoka under new ownership

In 2024 Vista Outdoor sold its ammunition business, including Federal, to the Czechoslovak Group (CSG). The former Vista Outdoor sporting-products segment was renamed The Kinetic Group, and Federal now sits in CSG's Ammo+ division alongside Remington, CCI, Speer and HEVI-Shot. That puts Federal and CCI, two of the biggest rimfire names in America, under the same corporate roof. Our CCI brand story covers the other half of that pairing.

Federal also began selling directly to consumers online in 2019. Most shooters still buy it through retailers, though, and the company's headquarters remains in Anoka.

Federal timeline at a glance

How to read a Federal .22 box

Federal's rimfire boxes carry more useful information than most shooters notice. Here's what to look for before you buy a case.

• The part number. Federal identifies every load with a short code, such as AM22 for AutoMatch. If you find a load your rifle loves, write the code down. Names and box art change; part numbers are how you find the same load again.
• Bullet weight and type. "36 gr CPHP" means a 36-grain copper-plated hollow point. "40 gr LRN" means a 40-grain lead round nose. Our Mini-Mag vs Stinger comparison explains why weight and velocity matter in a semi-auto.
• Rated velocity. The number on the box comes from a test barrel. Your rifle or pistol will differ, sometimes noticeably, especially with a short pistol barrel.
• Lot number. Rimfire varies from lot to lot. If one lot runs well, buying more of the same lot is the closest thing to a sure bet in rimfire. Lot numbers also matter if you ever need to report a problem. See our rimfire misfire records guide.

Which Federal .22 should you buy?

As always with rimfire, buy by what your gun runs, not by the logo. Our guide to cheap bulk .22 explains what you get at each tier, and rimfire rebates and case pricing covers how to buy smart.

The bottom line

Federal began as a wartime shotshell plant that failed, was saved by a businessman who gave it his family's name for sixty years, grew huge on wartime contracts, and has since passed through a series of corporate owners. Through all of it, the production stayed in Anoka. The .22 in your range bag is a small piece of a century-old Minnesota story.

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial feature built from published histories, Federal's own company information and retailer listings. We have not performed hands-on testing. Rimfire Ammo has no affiliation with Federal, The Kinetic Group or CSG.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links to Ammunition Depot. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial choices aren't influenced by commissions. Check current price, stock and specifications directly with the retailer.