FORGED IN AMERICA
If you’re a reloader, odds are, you’ve got some green RCBS gear on your bench. If you’re wondering where RCBS is located and where our iconic equipment is made, read on to learn a little about America’s Precisioneered Reloading company – and the two families behind decades of the best reloading equipment on the market.
RCBS HISTORY
Like many companies around the country, RCBS was founded in the dark days of WWII. In the back of a family-owned laundromat, RCBS got its start in 1943 via entrepreneur Fred T. Huntington in Oroville, California. Huntington was a dedicated shooter and hunter but found it difficult to obtain quality varmint bullets during the war. After reading about making a die to swage .22 LR rimfire cartridge cases to form jackets for bullets, Fred began to craft his own dies, and RCBS was in business. Because the resulting bullets were used to shoot northern California’s plentiful rock chucks –– a groundhog-like varmint – Fred named his new dies the “Rock Chuck Bullet Swage” dies, later shortened to RCBS. Eventually, the popularity of Fred’s dies led to the company itself bearing their name.
Where is RCBS Made?
RCBS soon outgrew this modest beginning. By 1948, Huntington relocated his business from the family laundromat to a small shop, also in Oroville, California. The business continued to grow rapidly, spilling into Fred’s garage and then a new building in 1954. By 1958, RCBS was expanding again, first to a 7,500-square-foot factory that quickly grew to 50,000 square feet. As the years passed, more expansions have occurred, but RCBS stayed near its roots. Today, Oroville is still RCBS’ home for state-of-the-art production and resides in the very same factory that Fred grew his company in.
Who Owns RCBS?
RCBS was acquired by Omark Industries in July 1976 when the business was sold by the Huntington family. In 1985, Omark Industries was purchased by Blount, Inc. In 2001, Alliant Techsystems (ATK) purchased Blount’s brands – including RCBS. In 2015, RCBS became part of Vista Outdoor Inc. when Vista was spun-off from ATK. And finally, in May 2024, RCBS returned to family ownership when it was acquired by Hodgdon Powder Company, based in Shawnee, Kansas.
Hodgdon and RCBS share a long history in the handloading industry. RCBS founder Fred Huntington knew and shared a friendship with Hodgdon Powder Co. founder Bruce Hodgdon. Along with other industry pioneers, the two men traveled the United States together in the 1960’s hosting reloading workshops to teach handloaders about their shared pursuit.
RCBS’s ownership has come full circle – originally owned and operated by the Huntington family, today it’s the Hodgdon
RCBS – Made in America Since 1943
RCBS has been manufacturing premium reloading tools in Oroville, California since the early 1940’s. While the neighborhood around the business and manufacturing technology have changed, the American pride we take in making your reloading gear has not.
All our products are designed and engineered here in the U.S., and over 97% of them are made in the United States. The vast majority of our reloading equipment is still proudly made in Oroville. This includes all our dies, presses – like the iconic Rock Chucker – mechanical powder throwers, shell holders, trimmers, bushings, aluminum funnels, and much more.
Have a question about RCBS products? Our customer service team in Oroville, California will be happy to assist you.
Conclusion
RCBS’s American roots run deep from our home base in California, to our commitment to American manufacturing and American jobs. As part of a small, family-owned company committed to all things reloading, we take pride in producing high quality handloading equipment in America. RCBS’s unmatched craftsmanship, PrecisioneeredTM engineering, and legacy of being the best reloading equipment on the market is here to stay.
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