Nearly 70 years after the arsenal produced its first products, it gained national prominence when it became the Army's first large caliber cannon manufacturer in the late 1880s. During this period, production changed from the manufacturing of saddles and gun carriages to cannons.
It wasn't until nearly 70 years after its founding that the company achieved widespread recognition as the Army's primary producer of heavy artillery in the late 1880s. At this point, the company's focus had changed from manufacturing saddles and gun carriages to producing cannons.