Hornady Celebrates 75 Years In Style

by
posted on June 29, 2024

Hornady celebrated its 75th birthday in style on June 22, holding an anniversary party at the company's Grand Island, Neb., facility with its employees, vendors, industry friends and customers. National Rifle Association CEO and EVP Doug Hamlin was in attendance, representing the NRA's millions of members at the company's bash. The highlight came when country music stars Big & Rich headlined the night's concert, and a firework and drone show topped off a perfect evening celebrating three-quarters of a century in business.

Three men standing in a crowd at Hornady's Grand Island, Nebraska facility.

NRA CEO and EVP Doug Hamlin (r.) meets with Hornady Director of Marketing Neil Davies (center) and Bryan Tucker, CEO of Davidson's (l.) at the Hornady 75th anniversary celebration in Grand Island, Neb., on June 22, 2024.

Founded in 1949 by sporting goods store owner Joyce Hornady, the company began with an advertisement in the May 1949 issue of The American Rifleman, selling its initial product, the .30-cal., 150-grain spire point bullet. Eventually, the business couldn't keep up with its sales and began to expand. Hornady expanded into ever-bigger manufacturing facilities, began selling loaded ammunition under the Frontier Cartridge brand and even expanded into reloading equipment with the purchase of Pacific Tool in 1971.

Five men standing in a row at the Hornady 75th anniversary celebration in Grand Island, Nebraska.

NRA CEO and EVP Doug Hamlin (center) stands with notable firearm industry leaders, including Jason Vanderbrink, president and CEO of The Kinetic Group (l.); Steve Hornady, president of Hornady (center l.); Steve Kehrwald, president and CEO of Hodgdon Powder (center r.); and Bryan Tucker, CEO of Davidson's (r.).

Today, the company is one of the largest ammunition makers in the United States and, from those early days, it has become a powerhouse in bullet and cartridge innovation, developing industry hits like the .17 HMR, 6.5 mm Creedmoor and 6.5 PRC. It continues to expand and has an extensive line of company-branded accessories and also provides security products under the SnapSafe brand. To see the company's latest products, visit hornady.com.

Latest

Rossi Rio Bravo Tactical lever-action rifle left-side view shown with bipod in brown grass outdoors with Leupold riflescope attached.
Rossi Rio Bravo Tactical lever-action rifle left-side view shown with bipod in brown grass outdoors with Leupold riflescope attached.

Rossi Rio Bravo Tactical: A Tactically Practical Rimfire

Announced during "The Year Of The Lever-Action," Rossi's latest tactically themed lever-action rimfire rifle does not disappoint, offering up practical features front to back.

Online Safety Resources On Water & Fire Damage Released By SAAMI

“These important documents add to SAAMI’s technical library of firearm safety resources that provide guidance to both industry professionals and the firearm-owning community.”

Rifleman Review: Taurus TX22 Compact

A downsized version of Taurus USA's TX22 is available, giving folks a smaller, handier version of the full-size TX22 rimfire pistol that's become one of the company's most popular offerings.

New For 2025: Springfield Armory Saint Victor 9 mm Pistol

Recently, Springfield Armory added a large-format pistol variant of its Saint Victor 9 mm carbine, giving enthusiasts a compact PCC that feeds from Colt-pattern magazines.

The Rifleman Report: New Developments

Our official coverage of new products for the current year is set for next month, but we included two substantial new developments in this issue that have the potential to make significant ripples in the firearm business even before then.

Arkansas To Begin Mandatory Gun Safety Lessons In Schools

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law requiring public and open enrollment public charter schools to provide age-appropriate firearm safety instruction beginning during the 2025-2026 school year.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.