State
New Hampshire: Sig Sauer's American home, plus aerospace, defense, and one of the most favorable manufacturing regulatory environments in New England.
Sig Sauer in Newington. Sturm Ruger's Newport rifle plant. BAE Systems in Nashua and Merrimack. The Northeast's most firearms-friendly state.
New Hampshire took the firearms manufacturers that left other states and gave them a working environment that produces. Sig Sauer's Newington headquarters and Sturm Ruger's Newport rifle plant are the visible end of a regulatory and labor posture that consistently outperforms the rest of New England. The shops are smaller, the supervisors are owner-adjacent, and the operating culture is unusually decisive. Brass & Bench engagements in New Hampshire are usually about scaling up without losing the small-company decision speed that is half the reason the operation works.
Quick answer
New Hampshire is the most favorable firearms manufacturing regulatory environment in New England and one of the most favorable in the country, anchored by Sig Sauer's U.S. headquarters and pistol production in Newington and Sturm Ruger's Newport rifle plant. The state also hosts BAE Systems Electronic Systems in Nashua and Merrimack (one of the largest defense electronics employers in New England), Hitchiner Manufacturing (precision investment casting for aerospace, defense, and firearms), and a growing medical device and biopharmaceutical cluster. New Hampshire has no state-level sales tax or income tax on wages. Brass & Bench engagements in New Hampshire typically center on firearms manufacturer operational rigor and capacity expansion, defense electronics Tier 1 program reviews, and Acquisition Readiness for owners of specialty manufacturers considering a transaction.
By Mike Fox · Founding Partner. Business Development & Operations · Updated May 14, 2026State regulations
State regulations that affect manufacturers in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire has one of the most favorable regulatory environments in the country for firearms and ammunition manufacturers. State preemption applies to firearms regulation. New Hampshire has not enacted manufacturing or component restrictions of the kind seen in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, or Maryland. The state does not require a permit to carry concealed and does not impose magazine capacity limits or assault weapons restrictions on civilian or manufacturer-level operations.
Federal ATF, ITAR, and EAR requirements apply in full regardless of state environment. New Hampshire does not impose state-level firearms manufacturing licensure beyond federal FFL requirements. New Hampshire's firearms-favorable status, combined with its proximity to the Massachusetts and Connecticut firearms cluster, has made it the natural destination for firearms manufacturers seeking to retain Northeast-based operations while escaping the more restrictive regulatory environments to the south.
Incentives
State incentive programs for manufacturers.
- Economic Revitalization Zone Tax Credits (ERZ). State business profits tax credits for facility expansion in designated zones
- Job Training Fund. Customized training grants for new and incumbent workers
- Coos County Job Creation Tax Credit. Targeted at northern New Hampshire job creation
- Research and Development Tax Credit. State business profits tax credit for qualifying R&D spend
- Industrial Revenue Bond financing. Through the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority
- Foreign Trade Zones. FTZ #81 (Portsmouth) provides duty deferral
- Site Development Grants. State funding for industrial park infrastructure
The absence of a state income tax on wages and no state sales tax functions as a substantial implicit incentive against most other New England states.
Major manufacturers operating in New Hampshire.
- Sig Sauer (Newington, U.S. headquarters and pistol production)
- Sturm, Ruger & Co. (Newport, rifle production)
- BAE Systems Electronic Systems (Nashua, Merrimack)
- Hitchiner Manufacturing (Milford, investment casting)
- DEKA Research (Manchester, medical and prosthetic devices)
- GE Aviation Hooksett (composite components legacy)
- Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engines (small presence)
- Lonza Biologics (Portsmouth biopharmaceutical)
Workforce
The labor reality.
BLS data places New Hampshire manufacturing employment near seventy thousand workers. Manufacturing is roughly 10 percent of nonfarm employment, above the national average. New Hampshire's community college network (Community College System of New Hampshire) runs solid programs in machining, welding, and electronics, with strong partnerships between the school system and Sig Sauer, BAE Systems, and Hitchiner. The labor pool is older than the national manufacturing average, with retirement-replacement pressure being a sustained operational concern. New Hampshire's labor market is tight given the state's small population and low unemployment.
OSHA + environmental
OSHA and environmental posture.
New Hampshire operates under federal OSHA jurisdiction (no state-plan OSHA program). State environmental quality administered by NHDES (Department of Environmental Services). Air quality permits required for sources above federal thresholds. New Hampshire has additional state-specific requirements for hazardous waste handling and surface water protection. Lead exposure rules per 29 CFR 1910.1025 apply directly to firearms and ammunition manufacturers, with substantial compliance burden in casting and finishing operations.
International + FMS
Foreign Military Sales + export logistics.
New Hampshire-based firearms manufacturers carry substantial FMS and DCS opportunity. Sig Sauer's MHS contract (Modular Handgun System) and subsequent military pistol production contracts are anchored at the Newington facility, with significant international military and law enforcement sales activity. BAE Systems Electronic Systems carries FMS activity through prime contractor programs. ITAR-registered freight forwarders and export compliance specialists are concentrated in Portsmouth, Manchester, and Nashua.
How we work in New Hampshire
Brass & Bench engagements in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire engagements typically route through Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) for central and southern New Hampshire work, Portland International Jetport (PWM) for seacoast New Hampshire work, and Boston Logan (BOS) when domestic carrier access drives the route. Hotel base in the Newington and Portsmouth area is typically the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside or the Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth Downtown. The team has direct experience with firearms manufacturing operations, defense electronics, and aerospace investment casting.
The kind of work we do in New Hampshire falls into three patterns: operational rebuilds and capacity expansion for firearms manufacturers running into civilian or military program demand pressure; defense electronics Tier 1 or Tier 2 program reviews; and Acquisition Readiness for owners of specialty firearms or component manufacturers considering a transaction.