Lyman Products Founder 'Mace' Thompson Passes Away

by
posted on April 10, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
lyman-products-mace-thompson-passing-f.jpg
James F. "Mace" Thompson, founder of Lyman Products and chairman of the company's board of directors until his death, passed away on April 3, 2021, following a long battle with cancer. He was 79 years old.

"During his career, Mace was a tremendous leader," a company statement read. "He was a maverick, a creative thinker and an innovator. He loved education and always took the opportunity to teach and mentor employees. He will be sorely missed, but his memory and legacy will live on with all that knew him."

Born on Dec. 22, 1941 in Philadelphia, Penn., Thompson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from St. Joseph's University. After graduation, he attended Harvard to complete his Master's in Business Administration. His first job was with Monsanto Corp. in Missouri, but after several years, he moved to Leisure Group and remained in the firearm industry for the rest of his career.

Leisure Group in the 1970s acted as the parent company for several prominent manufacturers at the time, including Sierra Bullets, High Standard Firearms and Lyman. Thompson was appointed president of the reloading products division in 1972, overseeing both Lyman and Sierra.

Under Thompson's leadership, in 1977, Lyman Products was purchased by a group of private investors and became a privately owned company. In the following decades, as president of the company, Thompson acquired a number of other brands and built Lyman Products into an industry giant. Acquisitions included Raytech in 1987; Pachmayr, TacStar, Trius Traps, A-Zoom Training Rounds and Butch's Gun Care in 1996 and Mark 7 Reloading in 2019.

Thompson was a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. He is survived by his wife, Pam, his sisters Helen, Dolores and Marie and 27 nieces and nephews.

Latest

Kimber 2K11
Kimber 2K11

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 6, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

FEMA Notes Decline In Disaster Preparedness

A recent report from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) noted a decline in local government preparedness for natural disasters, putting increased pressure on individuals to prepare themselves for emergencies.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.