Copyright 2011, 2013 by James Mock and Lee Emerson - No reproduction is authorized. If you would like a copy of this research, send me an e-mail request. I will gladly reply with a copy of it in .pdf format. [email protected]
1966 Oct Bob Brenner is President of Golden State Arms. The firm goes out of business due to 1) pressure from Winchester and other domestic firearms manufacturers wanting to put surplus importers out of business 2) Ziebert’s hiring of unqualified extended family members into management positions resulted in poor decisions and in-fighting. Bob Brenner works with the creditors to dispose of the company assets. According to Brenner, he was able to keep the M1 Garand and Springfield 1903 surplus parts inventory. Rosen Public Auction Notice: states mortgagee's sale of both locations: 1) Nov 1 & 2: Pasadena Gun Shop & Golden State Arms Corp. at 386 Green St. Pasadena, CA - describes inventory of a retail gun store of the magnitude of Golden State Arms 2) Nov 3: Pasadena Firearms Inc. at 804 Fair Oaks Avenue Pasadena, CA - describes inventory of a machine shop, woodshop, metal finishes, and gun manufacturer. 804 Fair Oaks Avenue Pasadena, CA was the main production facility for Golden State Arms. This location housed a machine shop, finishing facility and stock repair facility.
1966 Nov Bob Brenner incorporates Federal Ordnance. He works out of his home until some point in the early 1970s when he moves into the same building as National Ordnance, Inc. on Alpaca Street. At this time, he is in the business of importing ammunition for sale to distributors around the country. He develops a strong friendship with John Arnold in the 1960s. Seymour Ziebert moves to Spain for the rest of his life.
1967 Bob Penney and Ray Wilkinson start J&R Engineering (South El Monte, CA). J&R was an abbreviation for John and Robert, i.e., John Ray Wilkinson and Robert E. Penney, Jr. The building that housed J&R Engineering still stands in 2009. Unfortunately, no corporate records for the firm have been found to date.
1967 Feb Eastern Firearms incorporates in California on February 09, 1967 in Pasadena, CA. Bob Penney, Martin Retting and others loaned money to Mike Kokin to help pay for the move from New Jersey to California.
1968 A. R. Sales Co. in business at 9624 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA. It is owned by Ilia Karnes with Jack Karnes running the manufacturing operations.
Bob Penney funded Ray Wilkinson to manufacture a 9 mm carbine. Together, they developed the M68 carbine. In 1980, Ray Wilkinson invented the M80 9 mm carbine. The difference between the two models was the location of the bolt handle. The M68 bolt handle was located on the top of the receiver. The handle was moved to the right side on the M80 carbine. The two carbines were produced under the company name of J&R Engineering and are stamped So. El Monte. The carbines proved to be extremely accurate but suffered from a persistent extraction or ejection problem. The M68 project was killed by the ban of mail order gun sales with the passage of the 1968 Gun Control Act. Mr. Wilkinson eventually solved the problem with extraction and/or ejection. He renamed the new design the “Linda 9 mm Carbine” after one of his daughters.
1968 Apr Harry Sanford moved his business, East Pasadena Firearms, two blocks west to 2480 E. Colorado to a new location and renamed it Harry W. Sanford Firearms. The new location was larger to accommodate the expansion of his business. Mr. Sanford advertises his business regularly in the Star News through October 1973.
1969 The 3,200 square foot building at 9649 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA is constructed. Brenner moves Federal Ordnance into this building, located on the east side of National Ordnance at 9643 Alpaca.
1969 Early Mike Kokin encounters legal problems that eliminate his ability to sell firearms. He files for bankruptcy and sells Eastern Firearms.
1969 Apr Sherwood Distributors, Inc. is incorporated on April 28, 1969 by Michael D. Kokin.
1969 Jul Auto-Mag Corporation is formed. The business address is a post office box in Los Angeles, PO Box 2468-D. The firm was run by Sanford Arms Company (Pasadena, CA) which operated out of Harry W. Sanford Firearms (Pasadena, CA).
1970 The mailing address for Federal Ordnance is P.O. Box 36032 Los Angeles, CA 90036. By this time, both Federal Ordnance and National Ordnance have large quantities of M1903, M1 Carbine and M1 Garand surplus parts. In the early 1970s, John Arnold and Bob Brenner are collaborating to produce commercial receivers and assemble complete rifles from surplus parts for sale to the public through distributors.
1971 Before October 1971, A. R. Sales Co. is located at 9624 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA.
1972 Sporting Arms, Inc. shows up with Cadmus Industries in Hollywood, CA in Gun Digest.
1973 Cadmus Industries and Sporting Arms, Inc. (“M1 Carbines” in Gun Digest distributor index) shows up with same address as National Ordnance, all at 9643 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA. Sporting Arms, Inc. and Sumdac, Inc. are subsidiaries of National Ordnance. Cadmus Industries is owned by John Arnold.
1973 Dec John Arnold of National Ordnance dies from cancer. Production of the M14 rifle is halted before it starts, at National Ordnance. In support of the M14 project, Bob Brenner had acquired twenty to thirty surplus parts kits for John Arnold. John Arnold had thought that M14 surplus parts would become much more available whereas Bob Brenner didn’t think so. Ecrimesa (Santander, Spain) had made and shipped at least one M14 receiver to National Ordnance, Inc. as a sample. Fuller writes that two M14 National Ordnance receivers were completed. John Arnold’s estate leaves National Ordnance to Walter Rayno, head foreman, and Jessica LaMont, wife of Wyant John Lamont, in a 50/50 split. Shortly thereafter, Rayno and LaMont sell National Ordnance to Bob Brenner.
1974 Early M1 carbine production at National Ordnance stops, according to Bob Penney, Wyant LaMont, and Bob Brenner. United States Martial and Collectors Arms by Stephen Fuller indicates 1975.
1974 Federal Ordnance is located at 9649 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA, adjacent to National Ordnance. The 10,080 square foot building at 1443 Potrero Avenue South El Monte, CA is constructed. Ranger Machine & Tool Corporation is located at 1443 Potrero Avenue South El Monte, CA, around this time.
1975 May Harry W. Sanford incorporates T.D.E. Marketing. T.D.E. stands for Trust Deeds Estates. The company address was listed as 11658 McBean Drive El Monte, CA 91732. He also filed a fictitious business (dba) name as Arcadia Machine & Tool at 333 E. St. Joseph Arcadia, CA. Arcadia Machine & Tool becomes known as AMT. Most Backup model pistols were marked AMT with some marked TDE and others OMC (Ontario Machine Company). OMC was one and the same as Arcadia Machine & Tool. Other firearms manufactured during 1975 were marked AMT.
1975 Jun Bob Brenner approaches Walter Rayno to manufacture new M1 Garand receivers so that he can assemble complete rifles from the parts inventory left over from Golden State Arms. Unfortunately, that weekend, Mr. Rayno suddenly dies while enjoying the horse races at Santa Anita.
1976 National Ordnance has vacated 9643 Alpaca and moved in with Federal Ordnance at 9649 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA.
1977 About this time, National Ordnance in South El Monte, CA closes up shop.
1977 Jan Tom Reese incorporates Springfield Guns, Inc. in Geneseo, IL. The firm does business as Springfield Armory, Inc.
1977 Mar David Reese incorporates Rock Island Armory in Colona, IL.
1977 May Harry Sanford (2171 Highland Oaks Drive Arcadia, CA) files a fictitious business (dba) name of Old Reliable Sharps Rifle Manufacturing located at 45 E. St Joseph Arcadia, CA.
1977 Mid Rock Island Armory (Geneseo, IL) begins selling its M1 Carbine. The tooling and molds were obtained from National Ordnance, Inc., via SARCO.
1979 Nov A. R. Sales Co. sells its manufacturing equipment and inventory to Ranger Machine & Tool Corporation. A. R. Sales had sold its Ranger M1911A1 frames and slides to the U. S. Navy, Tom Forrest, Inc. (San Diego, Ca), L&H Gun Co. (aka Elmer Ballance in San Antonio, TX), and Day Arms Co. (San Antonio, TX). A. R. Sales Co. is strictly a retail sales operation from now until its demise in 1984.
1980 Jul Harry Sanford incorporates Arcadia Machine and Tool Incorporated (P. O. Box 668 Azusa, CA 91702). The agent for service of process was Leo L. Grizzaffi (Torrance, CA 90505). Mr. Grizzaffi had become an attorney after the closure of Golden State Arms in 1966.
1981 May Ranger Machine & Tool Corporation incorporated by Burton Brenner. The firm is physically located at 9624 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA.
1981 Business at Federal Ordnance continues to grow necessitating the move to 1443 Potrero Avenue South El Monte, CA. A.R. Sales Co. is now at 1900 Tyler Street South El Monte, CA. Bob Brenner is the owner. His wife, Barbara, runs the office for at least a portion of the time Federal Ordnance occupies this building.
1982 Federal Ordnance was ending its production of M1 Garand rifles and M1 Carbines. The receivers had been cast with the equipment used by Iver Johnson when it was located in Middlesex, NJ. These receivers have serial numbers in the 40000 range and are marked .30 CAL M1. Machining is done at 9649 Alpaca Street. Sales and service is handled at 1443 Portrero Avenue. Jack Karnes and Robert Thomasser are employed at Federal Ordnance as machinists. Jack Karnes was the head machinist. He had overseen production of M1 Garand rifles and M1 Carbines. He is involved with machining the very first few Federal Ordnance M14 receivers. When Bob Thomasser is hired, Karnes moves to Ranger M1911 production. Mr. Thomasser is later promoted to Vice President and oversees repairs, machining and the wood shop. Eventually, he manages the machine shop employees producing the Ranger .45 ACP pistol and Federal Ordnance M14 rifle.
1984 A. R. Sales Co. closes its shop operations. About this time, Federal Ordnance starts up the M14 rifle production. One Japanese brand CNC machining center is leased for producing M14 receivers. Factory representatives set up the CNC machining center and program it to machine semi-automatic M14 receivers from Ecrimesa made castings. It is set up inside a leased building one block from 1443 Potrero Avenue. M14 rifles are assembled at a warehouse up the alley and behind 1443 Potrero Avenue. Finished M14 rifles were stored on the lower level of 1443 Potrero Avenue. Sales and management offices were located in the front office and upstairs floor at 1443 Potrero Avenue. Ranger M1911 pistols are machined at 9649 Alpaca Street.
1984 Jun Martin Retting passes away.
1985 Arcadia Machine & Tool, Inc. (AMT) is located at 536 N. Vincent Avenue Covina, CA 91722. Larry Grossman is a Design Engineer at AMT.
1985/1986 Federal Ordnance peaks at 120 to 125 employees. Federal Ordnance M1 Carbine receivers in this time frame are numbered in the 50000 range or 001 and up. The recievers are marked .30 CAL ML, not M1.
1986 Rock Island Armory turns over its M1 Carbine surplus parts and equipment to Springfield Armory, Inc. U. S. Supreme Court case involving Blue Sky Imports (Arlington, VA) allows the importation of U. S. military surplus firearms to include M1 Garand rifles and M1 Carbines from the Republic of Korea.
1988 Linda Thomasser is hired at Federal Ordnance, Inc.
1988 Oct Harry Sanford incorporates Irwindale Arms (6226 Santos Diaz Street Irwindale, CA 91702). The agent for process of service is Leo L. Grizzaffi (Torrance, CA 90505). Larry Grossman is the General Manager.
1992 Apr Briklee Trading Co. is formed by Bob Brenner. The firm imports Norinco firearms including the SKS. It is headed by Robert Siegal, son-in-law of Bob Brenner and formerly associated with Federal Ordnance.
1992 Jul Dennis Reese incorporates Springfield, Inc. in Geneseo, IL.
1993 Jul Federal Ordnance, Inc. ceases to exist as a California corporation.
1994 Jul Mike Kokin sells Sherwood Distributors, Inc. to Bernard Hartog. The last address for Sherwood Distributors was 18714 Parthenia Street Northridge, CA 91324. Mr. Hartog incorporates the business as Northridge International, Inc. on July 14, 1994 in San Fernando, CA.
1996 Ray Wilkinson establishes Wilkinson Arms (Covina, CA). No corporate records for the firm have been found to date. Mr. Wilkinson sells the Linda 9 mm Carbine under the name of Wilkinson Arms of Covina, CA (stamped on the guns). Ray Wilkinson later moved to Idaho. He used the name Northwest Arms. The last several thousand Linda design carbines went through a number of modifications. These modified Linda Carbines were renamed the “Terry 9 mm Carbine” after another daughter. Mr. Wilkinson also manufactured a .22 LR semi-automatic pistol named “The Sherry” after another daughter and a .25 ACP semi-automatic pistol named “The Diane” then soon-to-be his second wife.
1996 Mar Harry Sanford incorporates AMT Rifle (P. O. Box 668 Azusa, CA 91702). The agent for process of service is Nadine S. Sanford at 6226 Santos Diaz Street Irwindale, CA 91702.
1996 Nov Israel Arms International (5709 Hartsdale Drive Houston, TX 77036) incorporated for business. Richard Nahman was the company president. Its M1 Carbines were built at first with left over Federal Ordnance receivers. The IAI carbines were assembled by Larry Douglas Horner of Liberty Armory (Liberty, TX).
1998 Briklee Trading Co. ceases importing firearms due to restrictions imposed by the Clinton Administration.
1998 Jun Ray Wilkinson had moved to Washington by the first half of 1998. He started Northwest Arms, L.L.C. (9006 Whipple Road Pasco, WA 99301) as a Washington corporation.
1998 Sep Galena Industries, Inc. buys out Irwindale Arms (successor to Arcadia Machine & Tool, Inc.). The firm is located at 5463 Diaz Street Irwindale, CA 91706. The following year, Galena Industries consolidated its California operations at home in Sturgis, SD. It phased out use of the AMT name but kept individual AMT model names until 2001.
1998 Oct Ray Wilkinson files Northwest Arms, LLC (9006 Whipple Road Pasco, WA 99301) in October 1998 as an Idaho corporation. The agents for service of process were CT Corporation (Boise, ID) and John R. Wilkinson at 26884 Pearl Road Parma, ID 83660. The last several thousand Linda design carbines went through a number of modifications. These modified Linda Carbines were renamed the “Terry 9 mm Carbine” after another daughter. Mr. Wilkinson also manufactured a .22 LR semi-automatic pistol named “The Sherry” after another daughter and a .25 ACP semi-automatic pistol named “The Diane” then soon-to-be his second wife.
1998 Nov Bob Brenner establishes Pacific Ordnance in Pico Rivera, CA. Robert and Linda Thomasser work for Mr. Brenner. The firm imports reproduction holsters and accessories for these time periods: American Civil War and World Wars I and II.
1999 to 2002 Springfield Armory, Inc. runs ads for its forged M1 Carbine receivers. The firm had intended to sell complete M1 Carbines but this was never realized.
2002 Early Bob Brenner suffers a stroke and retires from business.
2002 Feb Pacific Canvas & Leather was established by Robert Thomasser (President) and his wife, Linda. The company is located in Phelan, CA.
2005 The Saeilo Group (NY) owned a number of CNC machine shops that had manufactured M1 Carbine receivers for Israel Arms International (IAI Legend) in Houston, TX around 2002 to 2003. When IAI Legend filed for bankruptcy in August 2003, the Saeilo Group acquired the carbine casting dies. Kahr Arms, a subdivision of the Saeilo Group, announced it would make investment cast M1 Carbines and sell them under the Auto Ordnance brand name. Prior to contracting the Saeilo Group for carbine receivers, IAI had used surplus Federal Ordnance carbine receivers obtained from Sarco (Stirling, NJ).
2008 May Regrettably, Jack Karnes passes away.
2009 Aug Sadly, Bob Brenner passes away.
2010 Dec Reese Surplus, Inc. announces on its web site that it is no longer in business.
Timeline of California Businesses Related to the Commercial M1 Carbine - Part 2
by
James Mock
and
Lee Emerson
by
James Mock
and
Lee Emerson
1966 Oct Bob Brenner is President of Golden State Arms. The firm goes out of business due to 1) pressure from Winchester and other domestic firearms manufacturers wanting to put surplus importers out of business 2) Ziebert’s hiring of unqualified extended family members into management positions resulted in poor decisions and in-fighting. Bob Brenner works with the creditors to dispose of the company assets. According to Brenner, he was able to keep the M1 Garand and Springfield 1903 surplus parts inventory. Rosen Public Auction Notice: states mortgagee's sale of both locations: 1) Nov 1 & 2: Pasadena Gun Shop & Golden State Arms Corp. at 386 Green St. Pasadena, CA - describes inventory of a retail gun store of the magnitude of Golden State Arms 2) Nov 3: Pasadena Firearms Inc. at 804 Fair Oaks Avenue Pasadena, CA - describes inventory of a machine shop, woodshop, metal finishes, and gun manufacturer. 804 Fair Oaks Avenue Pasadena, CA was the main production facility for Golden State Arms. This location housed a machine shop, finishing facility and stock repair facility.
1966 Nov Bob Brenner incorporates Federal Ordnance. He works out of his home until some point in the early 1970s when he moves into the same building as National Ordnance, Inc. on Alpaca Street. At this time, he is in the business of importing ammunition for sale to distributors around the country. He develops a strong friendship with John Arnold in the 1960s. Seymour Ziebert moves to Spain for the rest of his life.
1967 Bob Penney and Ray Wilkinson start J&R Engineering (South El Monte, CA). J&R was an abbreviation for John and Robert, i.e., John Ray Wilkinson and Robert E. Penney, Jr. The building that housed J&R Engineering still stands in 2009. Unfortunately, no corporate records for the firm have been found to date.
1967 Feb Eastern Firearms incorporates in California on February 09, 1967 in Pasadena, CA. Bob Penney, Martin Retting and others loaned money to Mike Kokin to help pay for the move from New Jersey to California.
1968 A. R. Sales Co. in business at 9624 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA. It is owned by Ilia Karnes with Jack Karnes running the manufacturing operations.
Bob Penney funded Ray Wilkinson to manufacture a 9 mm carbine. Together, they developed the M68 carbine. In 1980, Ray Wilkinson invented the M80 9 mm carbine. The difference between the two models was the location of the bolt handle. The M68 bolt handle was located on the top of the receiver. The handle was moved to the right side on the M80 carbine. The two carbines were produced under the company name of J&R Engineering and are stamped So. El Monte. The carbines proved to be extremely accurate but suffered from a persistent extraction or ejection problem. The M68 project was killed by the ban of mail order gun sales with the passage of the 1968 Gun Control Act. Mr. Wilkinson eventually solved the problem with extraction and/or ejection. He renamed the new design the “Linda 9 mm Carbine” after one of his daughters.
1968 Apr Harry Sanford moved his business, East Pasadena Firearms, two blocks west to 2480 E. Colorado to a new location and renamed it Harry W. Sanford Firearms. The new location was larger to accommodate the expansion of his business. Mr. Sanford advertises his business regularly in the Star News through October 1973.
1969 The 3,200 square foot building at 9649 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA is constructed. Brenner moves Federal Ordnance into this building, located on the east side of National Ordnance at 9643 Alpaca.
1969 Early Mike Kokin encounters legal problems that eliminate his ability to sell firearms. He files for bankruptcy and sells Eastern Firearms.
1969 Apr Sherwood Distributors, Inc. is incorporated on April 28, 1969 by Michael D. Kokin.
1969 Jul Auto-Mag Corporation is formed. The business address is a post office box in Los Angeles, PO Box 2468-D. The firm was run by Sanford Arms Company (Pasadena, CA) which operated out of Harry W. Sanford Firearms (Pasadena, CA).
1970 The mailing address for Federal Ordnance is P.O. Box 36032 Los Angeles, CA 90036. By this time, both Federal Ordnance and National Ordnance have large quantities of M1903, M1 Carbine and M1 Garand surplus parts. In the early 1970s, John Arnold and Bob Brenner are collaborating to produce commercial receivers and assemble complete rifles from surplus parts for sale to the public through distributors.
1971 Before October 1971, A. R. Sales Co. is located at 9624 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA.
1972 Sporting Arms, Inc. shows up with Cadmus Industries in Hollywood, CA in Gun Digest.
1973 Cadmus Industries and Sporting Arms, Inc. (“M1 Carbines” in Gun Digest distributor index) shows up with same address as National Ordnance, all at 9643 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA. Sporting Arms, Inc. and Sumdac, Inc. are subsidiaries of National Ordnance. Cadmus Industries is owned by John Arnold.
1973 Dec John Arnold of National Ordnance dies from cancer. Production of the M14 rifle is halted before it starts, at National Ordnance. In support of the M14 project, Bob Brenner had acquired twenty to thirty surplus parts kits for John Arnold. John Arnold had thought that M14 surplus parts would become much more available whereas Bob Brenner didn’t think so. Ecrimesa (Santander, Spain) had made and shipped at least one M14 receiver to National Ordnance, Inc. as a sample. Fuller writes that two M14 National Ordnance receivers were completed. John Arnold’s estate leaves National Ordnance to Walter Rayno, head foreman, and Jessica LaMont, wife of Wyant John Lamont, in a 50/50 split. Shortly thereafter, Rayno and LaMont sell National Ordnance to Bob Brenner.
1974 Early M1 carbine production at National Ordnance stops, according to Bob Penney, Wyant LaMont, and Bob Brenner. United States Martial and Collectors Arms by Stephen Fuller indicates 1975.
1974 Federal Ordnance is located at 9649 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA, adjacent to National Ordnance. The 10,080 square foot building at 1443 Potrero Avenue South El Monte, CA is constructed. Ranger Machine & Tool Corporation is located at 1443 Potrero Avenue South El Monte, CA, around this time.
1975 May Harry W. Sanford incorporates T.D.E. Marketing. T.D.E. stands for Trust Deeds Estates. The company address was listed as 11658 McBean Drive El Monte, CA 91732. He also filed a fictitious business (dba) name as Arcadia Machine & Tool at 333 E. St. Joseph Arcadia, CA. Arcadia Machine & Tool becomes known as AMT. Most Backup model pistols were marked AMT with some marked TDE and others OMC (Ontario Machine Company). OMC was one and the same as Arcadia Machine & Tool. Other firearms manufactured during 1975 were marked AMT.
1975 Jun Bob Brenner approaches Walter Rayno to manufacture new M1 Garand receivers so that he can assemble complete rifles from the parts inventory left over from Golden State Arms. Unfortunately, that weekend, Mr. Rayno suddenly dies while enjoying the horse races at Santa Anita.
1976 National Ordnance has vacated 9643 Alpaca and moved in with Federal Ordnance at 9649 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA.
1977 About this time, National Ordnance in South El Monte, CA closes up shop.
1977 Jan Tom Reese incorporates Springfield Guns, Inc. in Geneseo, IL. The firm does business as Springfield Armory, Inc.
1977 Mar David Reese incorporates Rock Island Armory in Colona, IL.
1977 May Harry Sanford (2171 Highland Oaks Drive Arcadia, CA) files a fictitious business (dba) name of Old Reliable Sharps Rifle Manufacturing located at 45 E. St Joseph Arcadia, CA.
1977 Mid Rock Island Armory (Geneseo, IL) begins selling its M1 Carbine. The tooling and molds were obtained from National Ordnance, Inc., via SARCO.
1979 Nov A. R. Sales Co. sells its manufacturing equipment and inventory to Ranger Machine & Tool Corporation. A. R. Sales had sold its Ranger M1911A1 frames and slides to the U. S. Navy, Tom Forrest, Inc. (San Diego, Ca), L&H Gun Co. (aka Elmer Ballance in San Antonio, TX), and Day Arms Co. (San Antonio, TX). A. R. Sales Co. is strictly a retail sales operation from now until its demise in 1984.
1980 Jul Harry Sanford incorporates Arcadia Machine and Tool Incorporated (P. O. Box 668 Azusa, CA 91702). The agent for service of process was Leo L. Grizzaffi (Torrance, CA 90505). Mr. Grizzaffi had become an attorney after the closure of Golden State Arms in 1966.
1981 May Ranger Machine & Tool Corporation incorporated by Burton Brenner. The firm is physically located at 9624 Alpaca Street South El Monte, CA.
1981 Business at Federal Ordnance continues to grow necessitating the move to 1443 Potrero Avenue South El Monte, CA. A.R. Sales Co. is now at 1900 Tyler Street South El Monte, CA. Bob Brenner is the owner. His wife, Barbara, runs the office for at least a portion of the time Federal Ordnance occupies this building.
1982 Federal Ordnance was ending its production of M1 Garand rifles and M1 Carbines. The receivers had been cast with the equipment used by Iver Johnson when it was located in Middlesex, NJ. These receivers have serial numbers in the 40000 range and are marked .30 CAL M1. Machining is done at 9649 Alpaca Street. Sales and service is handled at 1443 Portrero Avenue. Jack Karnes and Robert Thomasser are employed at Federal Ordnance as machinists. Jack Karnes was the head machinist. He had overseen production of M1 Garand rifles and M1 Carbines. He is involved with machining the very first few Federal Ordnance M14 receivers. When Bob Thomasser is hired, Karnes moves to Ranger M1911 production. Mr. Thomasser is later promoted to Vice President and oversees repairs, machining and the wood shop. Eventually, he manages the machine shop employees producing the Ranger .45 ACP pistol and Federal Ordnance M14 rifle.
1984 A. R. Sales Co. closes its shop operations. About this time, Federal Ordnance starts up the M14 rifle production. One Japanese brand CNC machining center is leased for producing M14 receivers. Factory representatives set up the CNC machining center and program it to machine semi-automatic M14 receivers from Ecrimesa made castings. It is set up inside a leased building one block from 1443 Potrero Avenue. M14 rifles are assembled at a warehouse up the alley and behind 1443 Potrero Avenue. Finished M14 rifles were stored on the lower level of 1443 Potrero Avenue. Sales and management offices were located in the front office and upstairs floor at 1443 Potrero Avenue. Ranger M1911 pistols are machined at 9649 Alpaca Street.
1984 Jun Martin Retting passes away.
1985 Arcadia Machine & Tool, Inc. (AMT) is located at 536 N. Vincent Avenue Covina, CA 91722. Larry Grossman is a Design Engineer at AMT.
1985/1986 Federal Ordnance peaks at 120 to 125 employees. Federal Ordnance M1 Carbine receivers in this time frame are numbered in the 50000 range or 001 and up. The recievers are marked .30 CAL ML, not M1.
1986 Rock Island Armory turns over its M1 Carbine surplus parts and equipment to Springfield Armory, Inc. U. S. Supreme Court case involving Blue Sky Imports (Arlington, VA) allows the importation of U. S. military surplus firearms to include M1 Garand rifles and M1 Carbines from the Republic of Korea.
1988 Linda Thomasser is hired at Federal Ordnance, Inc.
1988 Oct Harry Sanford incorporates Irwindale Arms (6226 Santos Diaz Street Irwindale, CA 91702). The agent for process of service is Leo L. Grizzaffi (Torrance, CA 90505). Larry Grossman is the General Manager.
1992 Apr Briklee Trading Co. is formed by Bob Brenner. The firm imports Norinco firearms including the SKS. It is headed by Robert Siegal, son-in-law of Bob Brenner and formerly associated with Federal Ordnance.
1992 Jul Dennis Reese incorporates Springfield, Inc. in Geneseo, IL.
1993 Jul Federal Ordnance, Inc. ceases to exist as a California corporation.
1994 Jul Mike Kokin sells Sherwood Distributors, Inc. to Bernard Hartog. The last address for Sherwood Distributors was 18714 Parthenia Street Northridge, CA 91324. Mr. Hartog incorporates the business as Northridge International, Inc. on July 14, 1994 in San Fernando, CA.
1996 Ray Wilkinson establishes Wilkinson Arms (Covina, CA). No corporate records for the firm have been found to date. Mr. Wilkinson sells the Linda 9 mm Carbine under the name of Wilkinson Arms of Covina, CA (stamped on the guns). Ray Wilkinson later moved to Idaho. He used the name Northwest Arms. The last several thousand Linda design carbines went through a number of modifications. These modified Linda Carbines were renamed the “Terry 9 mm Carbine” after another daughter. Mr. Wilkinson also manufactured a .22 LR semi-automatic pistol named “The Sherry” after another daughter and a .25 ACP semi-automatic pistol named “The Diane” then soon-to-be his second wife.
1996 Mar Harry Sanford incorporates AMT Rifle (P. O. Box 668 Azusa, CA 91702). The agent for process of service is Nadine S. Sanford at 6226 Santos Diaz Street Irwindale, CA 91702.
1996 Nov Israel Arms International (5709 Hartsdale Drive Houston, TX 77036) incorporated for business. Richard Nahman was the company president. Its M1 Carbines were built at first with left over Federal Ordnance receivers. The IAI carbines were assembled by Larry Douglas Horner of Liberty Armory (Liberty, TX).
1998 Briklee Trading Co. ceases importing firearms due to restrictions imposed by the Clinton Administration.
1998 Jun Ray Wilkinson had moved to Washington by the first half of 1998. He started Northwest Arms, L.L.C. (9006 Whipple Road Pasco, WA 99301) as a Washington corporation.
1998 Sep Galena Industries, Inc. buys out Irwindale Arms (successor to Arcadia Machine & Tool, Inc.). The firm is located at 5463 Diaz Street Irwindale, CA 91706. The following year, Galena Industries consolidated its California operations at home in Sturgis, SD. It phased out use of the AMT name but kept individual AMT model names until 2001.
1998 Oct Ray Wilkinson files Northwest Arms, LLC (9006 Whipple Road Pasco, WA 99301) in October 1998 as an Idaho corporation. The agents for service of process were CT Corporation (Boise, ID) and John R. Wilkinson at 26884 Pearl Road Parma, ID 83660. The last several thousand Linda design carbines went through a number of modifications. These modified Linda Carbines were renamed the “Terry 9 mm Carbine” after another daughter. Mr. Wilkinson also manufactured a .22 LR semi-automatic pistol named “The Sherry” after another daughter and a .25 ACP semi-automatic pistol named “The Diane” then soon-to-be his second wife.
1998 Nov Bob Brenner establishes Pacific Ordnance in Pico Rivera, CA. Robert and Linda Thomasser work for Mr. Brenner. The firm imports reproduction holsters and accessories for these time periods: American Civil War and World Wars I and II.
1999 to 2002 Springfield Armory, Inc. runs ads for its forged M1 Carbine receivers. The firm had intended to sell complete M1 Carbines but this was never realized.
2002 Early Bob Brenner suffers a stroke and retires from business.
2002 Feb Pacific Canvas & Leather was established by Robert Thomasser (President) and his wife, Linda. The company is located in Phelan, CA.
2005 The Saeilo Group (NY) owned a number of CNC machine shops that had manufactured M1 Carbine receivers for Israel Arms International (IAI Legend) in Houston, TX around 2002 to 2003. When IAI Legend filed for bankruptcy in August 2003, the Saeilo Group acquired the carbine casting dies. Kahr Arms, a subdivision of the Saeilo Group, announced it would make investment cast M1 Carbines and sell them under the Auto Ordnance brand name. Prior to contracting the Saeilo Group for carbine receivers, IAI had used surplus Federal Ordnance carbine receivers obtained from Sarco (Stirling, NJ).
2008 May Regrettably, Jack Karnes passes away.
2009 Aug Sadly, Bob Brenner passes away.
2010 Dec Reese Surplus, Inc. announces on its web site that it is no longer in business.
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