Super Collector David Fredrickson Named Federal’s Honorary Historian

by
posted on April 28, 2015
** 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. **

Gun collectors are fixtures at the NRA Annual Meetings, and they enrich the Exhibit Hall experience with jaw-dropping exhibits featuring fine guns, gear and rare memorabilia.

This year’s event in Nashville brought one very special collector into the spotlight. David “Doc” Fredrickson of St. Cloud, Minn., has for many years been a “super collector” of everything imaginable connected to Federal Cartridge. Since boyhood in the 1960s, starting with empty boxes he picked up while hunting with his dad, Fredrickson has amassed a collection spanning Federal’s entire production of shotshells and rifle and pistol cartridges dating back to the 1920s. Along the way his collection expanded to include signage, shipping boxes, promotional materials, literature and more. He has even written books on the company and its history. And so after nearly a half-century as unofficial, unpaid historian, Federal formally named Doc its Honorary Historian. They marked the occasion by screening a fascinating short video that established exactly how much the company has meant to his life, and in turn, how much he has meant to the life of the company.

It turns out that Doc Fredrickson is not just a supreme collector. He’s a lifelong hunter who favors waterfowling and upland birds, he is a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam war, a former deputy sheriff, and served professionally as an emergency room physician. It was an impressive portrait of a man who exemplifies what hunters and collectors are all about.

After the video, Fredrickson took questions from the crowd, and we learned even more about his passion for collecting. He said his ultimate goal is to keep the collection intact so that people can reminisce about Federal. He’s very proud of it, but admitted that it has gotten “pretty damn big” and that he’s “sorta running out of space.” He rates his visits to the Federal plant in Anoka, Minn., and enjoyed meeting long-time CEO Bill Horn and other employees. While he particularly appreciates the colorful packaging used in the 1920-30s, Fredrickson said that today’s shell and cartridge boxes are good looking and that buyers are attracted to colors and pictures of game animals.

Although Fredrickson’s lifelong devotion is exceptional, collecting things that reflect our passions is a common bond among shooters. Keep that in mind, as you pursue your shooting interests. Future generations could very well be inspired by what you have experienced.    
     

Latest

Teaching Liberty Hillsdale College 1
Teaching Liberty Hillsdale College 1

Teaching Liberty: Hillsdale College & The Second Amendment

At Hillsdale College, students don't just learn about the fundamental truths behind the Second Amendment. They also learn the practical side of the right to keep and bear arms.

Smith & Wesson Partners With Lipsey's On Line Of "Mountain Guns"

First applied to its Model 629 in 1989, the Smith & Wesson "Mountain Gun" is a lightweight and compact variant designed to be carried afield, and thanks to a partnership with Lipsey's, Smith & Wesson is bringing them back.

Pro-NRA & Second Amendment Supporter Dr. Michael Fuljenz Wins National Writing Award

Longtime NRA benefactor Dr. Mike Fuljenz, president of Universal Coin & Bullion, was honored by the Numismatic Literary Guild for his recent and timely article about the need to eliminate copper pennies.

Reloading The Stalwart .308 Winchester

For more than 70 years, the .308 Win. has been one of the world’s most tested and versatile cartridges—and it’s still far from obsolete.

The Rifleman Report: Tried-And-True Attributes

In this August 2025 issue, we explored how several entirely different kinds of firearms, and a classic cartridge, possess the tried-and-true attributes that make them effective for self-protection or hunting—even though none is as popular as the modern sporting rifles, semi-automatic pistols and specialty chamberings that account for much of today’s gun coverage.

C&H Precision And Grounds & Rounds HQ Grand Opening

Cavalier Attitude Global Holdings, parent company of eight industry brands, will officially host their grand opening celebration in September with raffles, concerts and the unveiling of Grounds & Rounds, a combination coffee bar and gun range.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.