I recently acquired a Hunter Arms 'The Fulton' model 16 Gauge shotgun that according to the research letter I received was manufactured in 1942. The 1942 date kind of surprised me as I thought most if not all civilian manufacturing was geared toward the war effort at that point. According to the research letter only 558 of the Fulton grade shotguns in all gauges was manufactured in 1942 which seems like very small number. Did Hunter Arms do any military manufacturing during WWII? And if not why was there so few of the Fulton grade shotguns manufactured in 1942?

The military purchased shotguns from Hunter Arms in 1942 and 1943, in several orders, which were shipped to the Rochester Ordnance District, Rochester, New York, and they have become known as the "Rochester Ordnance" Smiths. The serial numbers are between 197321 and 202813.

They were used primarily for training at Gunnery Schools



Army National Guard units also received both Smith and Hunter Arms Fulton shotguns.



Sales were down during WWII. Almost 2000 Fulton guns were sold in 1940, but only 344 in 1944.