WESTERN
FROM RAGS TO RICHES
The Western Cartridge Company was established in 1898 by Franklin W. Olin in East Alton, Illinois. Initially manufacturing shotgun shells, the company eventually turned into an ammunition powerhouse. Prior to the company’s rise, they faced boycotts and supply cutoffs from rival ammunition companies, forcing the Western Cartridge Company to vertically integrate and build their own facilities and machinery. From doing so, and with the demands of World War l, the company experienced immense financial growth and manufacturing expansion, supplying critical munitions and eventually growing into America’s leading ammunition manufacturer.
CONTINUING THE LEGACY
The Western Cartridge Company set standards and reached industry-altering milestones with the development of the “Super-X” shotgun shells in the early 1920’s, and with purchasing the historic Winchester Repeating Arms Company assets in 1931 following their bankruptcy. Years later, after merging with Winchester to form the Winchester-Western division, they started producing artillery, small arms, and millions of rounds of small-caliber ammunition to contribute to their allied efforts with World War ll. Ammunition and all other products continued to use the “Western” logo until the well known “W-W” stamp replaced it in 1966 and has been the same since. Today, the Olin Corporation still manufactures their iconic ammunition at the headquarters in East Alton, Illinois, where the company’s story began over a century ago.
