Ammo plants aquired 70% of US production.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/czech-it-company-gobbles-up-us-ammo-manufacturers-remington-federal-cci-and-others-being-sold-off/ar-AA1izXil?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=8c92a2d63bc24fe4ad5c9af17d25dc8a&ei=48

This same company owns Fiocchi and two other small Shotshell plants in Europe.  They said on their website that 80% of their production is sold to civilians.  So while concerning, I’m not sure there’s gonna be an issue.

Wobbley wrote:This same company owns Fiocchi and two other small Shotshell plants in Europe.  They said on their website that 80% of their production is sold to civilians.  So while concerning, I’m not sure there’s gonna be an issue.

I did not claim it to be an issue ?
 I do hate to see American manufacturing get sold out for the almighty dollar and lose total control in the process. This feels like it will never return to US ownership...never !

Multiracer wrote:

Wobbley wrote:This same company owns Fiocchi and two other small Shotshell plants in Europe.  They said on their website that 80% of their production is sold to civilians.  So while concerning, I’m not sure there’s gonna be an issue.

I did not claim it to be an issue ?
 I do hate to see American manufacturing get sold out for the almighty dollar and lose total control in the process. This feels like it will never return to US ownership...never !

What could be more American than that?

I think the more interesting question is: will FC/RP ever be able to again be the contractor for Lake City, with foreign ownership, or will it now be run by Olin until... ?

I guess stay tuned- be interesting to see how that angle develops.

BAE and a few other European companies have US DOD contracts.  They have an ITAR issue internally, but there are policies that satisfy DOD.

Wobbley wrote:BAE and a few other European companies have US DOD contracts.  They have an ITAR issue internally, but there are policies that satisfy DOD.

while I do agree with your statement above about the Fiocchi and their ownership, And Fiocchi did build a shiny new plant somewhere in the USA,  I'm afraid our DOD is preoccupied with how to get warfighters to take orders from an obvious man in a dress and lip stick.             

[size=36]FIOCCHI USA SELECTS LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, FOR NEW PRIMER MANUFACTURING FACILITY[/size]

I guess everyone has forgotten the surge Ammunition Plants that the Greatest Generation built, and then were sold in the Clinton Administration to well connected realtors for the land value.

I walked through one in the early 1980's. It was the Lone Star Ammunition plant, built exactly for the issues we are having today. The WW2 generation remembered the shortages they had in ramping up production of munitions and did the prudent thing and built standby capacity. However, given enough campaign contributions, it was all given away to  well connected plutocrats. And now, the US cannot produce enough ammunition for a small bush war such as Iraq or Afghanistan. Currently we are buying 20mm munitions and artilleryfrom S Korea. The US Army was buying small arms ammunition from S. Korea during our forever wars in Afghanistan because we no longer have the production capacity to keep up with war time ammunition consumption.

In my opinion, this more than anything else is why civilian ammunition costs so much. Cheap ammunition from China, Russia, etc is blocked off, and all domestic ammunition manufacturers are being paid unlimited amounts of taxpayer dollars to support over seas wars.

Regardless of a new primer manufacturing facility in Arkansas, and probably some other half measures, we don't have the industrial capacity to satisfy civilian and military needs.

For some time forien production of military wartime supplies has been an issue raised by a few radicals/heretics but has not been a concern of the "progressive" element which more and more controls the way the country is run.

Ron Habegger

My guess is that Vista wanted to get out of any business that is politically incorrect.  In addition, this industry is on the backside of the extreme buying frenzy that we have seen for the last few years, so some hard times may be on the horizon as far as profits go.  This is purely a guess.

Maybe government can and might later limit foreign business in this country.  Could be a bad thing

Slamfire wrote:

Regardless of a new primer manufacturing facility in Arkansas, and probably some other half measures, we don't have the industrial capacity to satisfy civilian and military needs.

The proposed Fiocchi primer plant in AR will be dedicated to lead free primers which I will never buy. The US DOD has a directive to reduce lead emissions in ammunition which includes primers and projectiles.

Two ongoing wars with a third on the horizon plus uncontrolled inflation is a strong signal to keep stockpiling while components are still available.

Carbide wrote:

Slamfire wrote:

Regardless of a new primer manufacturing facility in Arkansas, and probably some other half measures, we don't have the industrial capacity to satisfy civilian and military needs.

The proposed Fiocchi primer plant in AR will be dedicated to lead free primers which I will never buy. The US DOD has a directive to reduce lead emissions in ammunition which includes primers and projectiles.

Two ongoing wars with a third on the horizon plus uncontrolled inflation is a strong signal to keep stockpiling while components are still available.

I do not understand the push back on lead free primers.  Chlorate primers were lead free, the downside was they were corrosive. But read the literature prior to the 1950's. chlorate primers performed well. The shooter just had to swab out their barrels with a water based solvent.


Lead from primers is a real health issue. The OSHA standard in the work force used to be 70 micrograms of lead per cubic meter. Might have gone down the last I looked. But look at how much elemental lead is blown out, each shot, in front of your face, out of a 38 Special.




Each round of a 158 L bullet pumps out 5600 micrograms of elemental lead per shot, and the primer output is 403 micrograms per shot.  When that stuff enters your lungs, it goes right into your blood stream.

The Greatest Generation just ignored ventilation and lead in the air.  The ranges they built are positively toxic. This is an indoor pistol range  built in the early 1970's'  The only air flow comes from opening the two doors on the right, the only door visible is the one at the far right corner. There is a corresponding door at the other end of that wall.




Needless to say, lead levels were roundly ignored until shooters and range officers started dying from lead exposure.

I don't know the performance of the latest version of lead free primers, nor the shelf life.  The current lead styphnate compounds are stable, predictable, and non corrosive. If they can make a lead free primer as good as those, I will buy. I don't like having elevated lead levels in my blood, and I get tested every year. The lead goes up during the shooting season, and there is absolutely no health benefit for having any lead in my body. It is, in fact, all bad. 

Blast from the past:

OSHA standards only apply to employees. They have a much higher risk to lead exposure than occasional shooters. Certainly, ranges without any ventilation system should be modified or closed down, but the risk of lead poisoning for the recreational shooter is low, as long as, they take reasonable precautions, like not eating or smoking while participating and washing hands thoroughly after shooting. I have participated in weekly sessions at a private indoor range for years and got tested. The range had ventilation, but not up to current commercial standards. I got tested for lead occasionally and there was always a low (unconcerning to my doctor) lead level in my blood. Any time the subject of lead poisoning and shooting comes up, there is always someone who says that the sky is falling. Anti-gun folks always jump upon any excuse to eliminate shooting and hunting. As to lead free primers, if they perform well and are priced comparable to the current offerings, I would buy and use them. It certainly never hurts to reduce lead production in indoor ranges by any reasonable means.