O.F. Mossberg & Sons: The Amazing Origins of the Last Great Family-Owned American Gun Maker

This year, one of America's great firearms manufacturers turns 100 years old. Founded in 1919, O.F. Mossberg & Sons grew a reputation for producing quality, innovative guns for the civilian market at reasonable prices. Their engineering creativity is in evidence in more than 100 design and utility patents they originated.

Since 1961 the product most readily associated with the company was their excellent Model 500 pump shotgun. In 1970, twin action-bars replaced the single one and this shotgun remains a flagship product to this day with over 12 million sold. The popularity of the Model 500 tends to obscure the fact that Mossberg made just about everything at one time or another: self-defense pistols, bolt-action, lever-action and semi-auto rifles from .22 to .450 Bushmaster, and bolt-action, pump and auto-loading shotguns from .410-gauge to 12-gauge 3½ inch. In fact, Mossberg pioneered the latter powerful chambering to the delight of turkey and goose hunters.

The Mossberg philosophy from the start was to deliver more gun for the money. With efficient design and manufacturing processes, they kept costs low and put shooting sports within the reach of people of modest means without sacrificing their products' performance. No American, whether they drove a Cadillac or rode the bus to work, was embarrassed to say, "I shoot a Mossberg."