Hebron, KY, is where the company began in 1983, although its official name at the time was WM. C. Anderson Inc. In 2007 the family-owned business became Anderson Manufacturing. It continues to operate out of the same city, where it continues to flourish.
It ranked No. 1 in the U.S. Miscellaneous Firearms Production listing of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (BATFE) 2017 Annual Firearms Manufacturing & Export Report, for example. The company produced 211,382 that year, more than any other. That category, according to BATFE, includes, “…pistol grips, starter guns, and firearm frames and receivers.”
The company held that top slot for the next three years and by 2019 that production grew to 322,546. To meet the demand Anderson expanded, nearly doubling its factory footprint in 2018.
In February 2020, the firm added a 32,000-square-foot barrel-making facility. Its nine all-new CNC machines in four robotic cells were the only fully automated barrel production line in the entire United States at the time. The computerized production ensures each barrel is cut to precise standard and minimizes the risk of human-introduced error.
An early, commercially available complete firearm offered by the company, was simply called the “Anderson Rifle”—produced at least until 2019. Using proprietary RF85 nano-technology, the website explained, “RF85 means 85% Less Friction and 23% Faster Action! Your barrel will never need oiling and cleans up with just soap & water!” It’s no longer available at this date.
In 2023 the company launched a Custom Shop with initial offerings made with OEM parts and Model 700 rifle remnants from the original Remington Custom Shop. The company purchased the legacy inventory and assigned Master Gunsmith David Wheeler to oversee Custom Shop production.
“The master gunsmiths of the Anderson Custom Shop are personally committed to excellence, and attention to meticulous detail,” Wheeler said, adding the customized Remington 700s are blueprinted and hand headspaced. “These are qualities you will not find on your average high-volume production rifle. All rifles are meticulously assembled, tested, and tuned to exceed your expectations. Adding exceptional value, enhancements and improved performance transform these limited quantities of historical firearm parts into further exceptional custom rifles.”
The Custom Shop has its own assembly line and operates independently from Anderson Manufacturing’s commercial rifle production. The firm remains family-owned business, with Carl and Charles—sons of firm founder William C. Anderson—serving as president and vice president, respectively. All its products are 100-percent American made.