Page 43 of 46

# EXHIBIT 31.1

# CERTIFICATION PURSUANT
TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Maryjo Cohen, certify
that:

| | 1. | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of National Presto Industries,
               Inc.;
| | -- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | 2. | Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue statement
               of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
               statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were
               made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this annual report;
| | -- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
               included in this annual report, fairly present in all material respects the
               financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as
               of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;
| | -- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | 4. | The registrants other certifying officer and I are responsible for
               establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
               Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial
               reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the
               registrant and have:
| | -- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | a) | designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure
                    controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that
                    material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
                    subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly
                    during the period in which this annual report is being prepared;
| | -- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | b) | designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal
                    control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to
                    provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
                    and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance
                    with generally accepted accounting principles;
| | -- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | c) | evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls and
                    procedures and presented in this annual report our conclusions about
                    effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the
                    period covered by this annual report based upon such evaluation.; and
| | -- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | d) | disclosed in this annual report any change in the registrants internal
                    control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrants most
                    recent fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case
                    of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to
                    materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial
                    reporting; and
| | -- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | 5. | The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
               our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
               registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants
               board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
| | -- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | a) | all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation
                    of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to
                    adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process, summarize and
                    report financial information; and
| | -- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | b) | any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees
                    who have a significant role in the registrants internal control over
                    financial reporting.
| | -- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|Date: March 10, 2006 | /S/ M.J. Cohen                     
|-------------------- | -----------------------------------
|                     | M. J. Cohen
Chief Executive Officer

---