Posted in Barberton History

The Creedmoor Cartridge Company

The Creedmoor Cartridge Company plant in Barberton, Ohio c.1891

Ammunition Manufacturer

The Creedmoor Cartridge Company of Barberton, Ohio manufactured fixed ammunition, sporting and military metallic cartridges, brass and paper shot-shells and primers.  The Creedmoor  company enjoyed popularity worldwide with products being sold in the West Indies, Japan, Australia, Africa and Central America in addition to trade within the United States.

The Creedmoor Cartridge Company was located in Barberton, Ohio, under the general management of Mr. N. P. Leach, an expert and authority on firearms or anything pertaining thereto.

The works were incorporated in September, 1890, with a capital stock of $500,000. The officers were

  • O.C. Barber, President
  • C.E. Sheldon, Vice President
  • N.P. Leach, General Manager
  • E.A. Worthen, Superintendent
  • M.R. Hayne, Secretary and Treasurer

Metallic Cartridges

Use, Advantages and Manufacture

The improvements in the making of firearms is one of the most noticeable features the modern era of industry. Gen. Norton, of United States Army, in his work on “small arms and heavy ordnance, “says “the success of breech-loading arms is due in a great measure to the cartridge in the improvement of which there has been the same advance as in the arms themselves. A cartridge containing its own ignition is, by no means, a recent discovery, for such a one was patented as early as 1827, in 1836, a Parisian gunmaker introduced a metallic cartridge which, with modifications, is in general use at present for smoothbore sporting guns. The metallic cartridge for weapon was first largely adopted in our own armies during the rebellion, and was the parent of the many beautiful and useful inventions in breech-loading small arms, both in our own and other countries.” Prior to its introduction much loss was sustained from breakage or what and the prevention of the escape of flying through the joint the breach was almost impossible. The advantage of the metallic cartridges are many, it’s simplicity and completeness, being either self-primed or capped with great faculty and used as a whole and loading.

The company manufacture fixed ammunition, sporting and military metallic cartridges, brass and paper shot-shells and primers. So extensive has their foreign trade alone, become, largely in the West Indies, Japan, Australia, Africa and Central America in addition to trade in this country, that greatly enlarged facilities will be added at once.

Illustrated Summit County, Ohio, 1891