I believe I've shared this before...When I had both of my Elcees re-worked by Ithaca Gun in the 80's, it was clear that there was more than a casual connection between the companies and the men who worked there.
When my guns came apart I was informed of the two Hunter men who finished my guns and shown the subtle differences between the two. This 35 years after the Fulton operation had closed and it was like the Hunter men were merely out to lunch.
I was also shown production equipment at the Ithaca facility that came from Hunter. Probably equipment that had helped fashion my guns.
It wasn't incest between the companies. Rather, it was cooperation we find hard to believe today. They were in competition, but they shared so much it's hard to really imagine.