Manufacturer catalog

Federal Premium Ammunition

Federal Premium Ammunition is a U.S. ammunition manufacturer based in Anoka, Minnesota. The company traces its modern operation to Federal Ammunition's April 27, 1922 opening and now produces sporting, hunting, defensive, law-enforcement, rimfire, centerfire, and shotshell ammunition within The Kinetic Group, the ammunition portfolio acquired by Czechoslovak Group in November 2024.

4 weapons

Federal's public history describes the company as beginning in a small fireproof building on the outskirts of Anoka, Minnesota, then growing into a large ammunition producer with a long-running factory presence in the city. Its current official pages present a broad catalog of rifle, handgun, rimfire, shotshell, muzzleloader, reloading, and custom-shop ammunition rather than a single weapon-system program.

The manufacturer is relevant to the catalog mainly through munition records: Federal is directly tied to .30 Super Carry, 12-gauge buckshot loads, and current commercial loadings in legacy handgun cartridges such as .38 Special and .44 Smith & Wesson Special. Those records should be read as ammunition-product and cartridge-family context, not as claims about use in any particular conflict.

Corporate ownership changed in 2024. Federal's about page says The Kinetic Group was created when the former Vista Outdoor Sporting Products segment was rebranded and sold to CSG, and Vista Outdoor told stockholders that the transaction to sell The Kinetic Group to Czechoslovak Group was expected to close on November 27, 2024.

sporting and hunting ammunitionhandgun cartridgesshotshell and buckshot loadsrimfire and centerfire ammunitionlaw-enforcement and personal-defense ammunition

Notable Systems

.30 Super Carry cartridge, Semi-automatic pistol cartridge, Munitions

.30 Super Carry cartridge

Semi-automatic pistol cartridge

Federal introduced 30 Super Carry in 2022 and lists current Federal loadings including American Eagle, Champion Training, Personal Defense Punch, and HST products.

Sources: 30 Super Carry | Federal Premium
12 Gauge Buckshot, 12-gauge shotgun shell loaded with buckshot pellets, Munitions

12 Gauge Buckshot

12-gauge shotgun shell loaded with buckshot pellets

Federal's current buckshot product page lists 12-gauge 00, 000, 1, and 4 buck examples with shell lengths, velocities, lead shot type, package quantities, and hunting-use categories.

Sources: Federal Buckshot
38 Special, Rimmed centerfire revolver cartridge, Munitions

38 Special

Rimmed centerfire revolver cartridge

Federal's handgun catalog includes current .38 Special ammunition rows, making the manufacturer a current commercial source for this legacy revolver cartridge family.

Sources: Federal 38 Special ammunition
.44 Smith & Wesson Special cartridge, Revolver cartridge, Munitions

.44 Smith & Wesson Special cartridge

Revolver cartridge

Federal lists current .44 Special ammunition, including a 200-grain lead semi-wadcutter hollow-point load in its handgun catalog.

Sources: Federal 44 Special ammunition

Manufacturer History

  1. Anoka plant construction begins

    The Anoka County Historical Society timeline says Louis and Harry Sherman began construction on the Federal ammunition plant in 1916.

    Sources: Federal Cartridge Company 100th Anniversary

  2. Federal opens in Anoka

    Federal's official history says Federal Ammunition opened its doors on April 27, 1922, establishing the Anoka manufacturing identity used by the company today.

    Sources: The Federal Story

  3. Rimfire ammunition production begins

    The Anoka County Historical Society records 1924 as the year Federal began production of .22 rimfire ammunition.

    Sources: Federal Cartridge Company 100th Anniversary

  4. Federal Premium concept emerges

    Federal's official history describes 1976 as the year the company brought premium outside components into factory ammunition, the product idea behind the Federal Premium identity.

    Sources: The Federal Story

  5. 30 Super Carry introduced

    Federal introduced 30 Super Carry as a defensive handgun cartridge and continues to list multiple Federal loadings for the cartridge.

    Sources: 30 Super Carry | Federal Premium

  6. CSG ownership of The Kinetic Group

    The Kinetic Group announced Czechoslovak Group as its new owner on November 27, 2024, and Federal's about page identifies Federal as one of The Kinetic Group's ammunition brands.

    Sources: New Era for The Kinetic Group, About Federal, Vista Outdoor stockholder approval

Predecessors
Federal Cartridge Corporation
Website links
Official Federal Premium websiteFederal company storyFederal about pageThe Kinetic Group

Federal's public material is strongest for company history, corporate ownership, and current commercial ammunition products. This profile does not assign conflict use to Federal products; any such claims must come from individual weapon records with conflict-specific sourcing.

Manufacturer Sources

  • The Federal StoryPublisher: Federal Premium | Note: Supports Federal's April 27, 1922 opening, Anoka factory context, 1976 premium-ammunition milestone, and broad factory-history framing. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • About FederalPublisher: Federal Premium | Note: Supports Federal's current ammunition-company identity, product breadth, The Kinetic Group relationship, CSG ownership context, and Federal's position among The Kinetic Group brands. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • New Era for The Kinetic GroupPublisher: The Kinetic Group | Note: Supports the November 27, 2024 announcement that Czechoslovak Group became the new owner of The Kinetic Group and gives the Anoka, Minnesota corporate address. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Vista Outdoor stockholder approvalPublisher: Vista Outdoor Inc. | Note: Supports Vista Outdoor stockholder approval of the sale of The Kinetic Group to Czechoslovak Group and the expected November 27, 2024 closing date. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Federal Cartridge Company 100th AnniversaryPublisher: Anoka County Historical Society | Note: Supports Federal Cartridge Company historical timeline details, including 1916 plant construction, 1922 incorporation, 1924 rimfire production, and later Twin Cities Ordnance Plant milestones. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • 30 Super Carry | Federal PremiumPublisher: Federal Premium | Note: Supports Federal's introduction and current product positioning for 30 Super Carry and Federal's current load offerings for the cartridge. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Federal BuckshotPublisher: Federal Premium | Note: Supports Federal's current buckshot product-family rows, including 12-gauge examples, shot sizes, shell lengths, listed velocities, lead shot type, package quantities, and hunting-use category. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Federal 38 Special ammunitionPublisher: Federal Premium | Note: Supports Federal's current commercial .38 Special ammunition offerings in its handgun catalog. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Federal 44 Special ammunitionPublisher: Federal Premium | Note: Supports Federal's current commercial .44 Special ammunition offering, including the listed 200-grain lead semi-wadcutter hollow-point load. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Munitions

Standalone missiles, bombs, rockets, torpedoes, and guided or unguided explosive payloads.

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12 Gauge Buckshot, 12-gauge shotgun shell loaded with buckshot pellets, Munitions12 Gauge Buckshot12-gauge shotgun shell loaded with buckshot pelletsBuilt in: United States and other countries12 Gauge Buckshot is a 12-gauge shotshell family loaded with larger lead pellets for close-range patterning from compatible shotguns. Current Federal, Remington, and Winchester pages list commercial buckshot loads across 00, 000, 1, 0, and 4 buck designations, while Marine Corps training material identifies A011 Cartridge, 12 Gauge #00 Buckshot M162 as service-shotgun ammunition rather than a standalone weapon system.
.44 Smith & Wesson Special cartridge, Revolver cartridge, Munitions.44 Smith & Wesson Special cartridgeRevolver cartridgeBuilt in: United StatesThe .44 Smith & Wesson Special is a U.S. rimmed centerfire revolver cartridge developed from the .44 Russian lineage for Smith & Wesson's New Century / Triple Lock revolver context. C.I.P. lists the cartridge at 29.46 mm case length, 41.02 mm overall length, and 1000 bar Pmax, while SAAMI lists 15,500 psi MAP and recognizes 44 S&W Spl as the abbreviated name. Later .44 Remington Magnum development used the .44 Special case family as its starting point.
.30 Super Carry cartridge, Semi-automatic pistol cartridge, Munitions.30 Super Carry cartridgeSemi-automatic pistol cartridgeBuilt in: United StatesThe .30 Super Carry cartridge is a U.S.-origin semi-automatic pistol round introduced by Federal Premium in 2022 for defensive handguns. Federal presents the .312-inch projectile and narrower case as a way to add magazine capacity compared with similar-size 9mm Luger pistols, while SAAMI's public drawing standardizes the cartridge at a 52,000 psi maximum average pressure. Current official load pages document Federal American Eagle, Champion Training, Personal Defense Punch, and HST offerings alongside Speer Gold Dot, CCI Blazer Brass, Remington UMC and HTP, and Hornady Critical Defense loads.