How .22 LR Ammunition is Made
Where did all the .22 LR ammunition go? Why are the prices so high? Why can’t the rimfire ammo-makers step up production? Across the country, firearm owners are asking these questions, and demanding answers.
Part of the explanation comes down to production capacity. America’s rimfire ammo production facilities are already running at full capacity. There is no easy way in increase production. In the video below, the crew from Shooting USA Television visits the ATK production facility in Lewiston, Idaho. This plant can produce 4,000,000 rounds of CCI rimfire ammo in one 24-hour period. This informative video shows the complete process of rimfire ammunition production from start to finish.
YouTube Video Link: http://youtu.be/t5qMsmucXhI.
This is a ‘must-watch’ video that reveals some very interesting things. Did you know that 1200 cases (in one large tray) are filled with powder in a single operation? (See 05:45 mark). Likewise, bullets are also lined up in a matching 1200-count tray (See 6:00 mark). This way 1200 bullets can be seated into 1200 rimfire cases in one efficient procedure.
When you watch the video, and see the complex, expensive machinery involved, you’ll realize that it’s no easy thing to increase rimfre ammo production. The rimfire plants are already running at full capacity. To produce significantly greater quantities of .22 LR ammunition, manufacturers would have to make huge capital investments.
I wonder if they manufacture their “match grade” ammo on the machines?
“”To produce significantly greater quantities of .22 LR ammunition, manufacturers would have to make huge capital investments.”” Very true. Yet the price is up 500%, if that doesnt make it worthwhile I don’t known what does.
Its unfortunate that the shooting sports are being so badly hurt by not only .22 shortages but the shortages right across the reloading component line. I run several matches and attend quit a few as well and shooter`s are really picking and choosing what matchs to shoot and not looking good on components at all for next year.
Agree with Guy. 4Mill rounds is nothing when the demand is so high. Demand is not going down anytime soon.
“Guy”, that may indeed be true, but looking at it from a marketing experts perspective, you and I (Target shooters) are not the average. Sure, we’d like to have 2 cases of CCI 0035 and 2 cases of Eley Tenex on hand at all times.
Making decisions about where to invest capital and time revolve around ROI, and figuring ROI on this sort of thing can only safely be done using statistical AVERAGES of demand. The last few years are not average, and the average shooter doesn’t generally want nor need what a target shooter does; there are a WHOLE lot more of them than there are of us…
I hear a lot of talk like yours–and to be clear, I don’t completely disagree–but I also know that for somebody like CCI to produce a lot more means a larger plant, or another one. To see a return on those millions of dollars probably would mean many years of production, (look at how long many of them have been producing on the same machines) and from and that’s a lot of risk to take on what might be a ‘bubble’ of demand.
It might just be too soon.
I would love to see how the crimp is applied.
It’s always amazed me how much .22 ammo is made a day,
CCI = 4,000,000
Fedral = 8,000,000
Remington > 4,000,000
Winchester > 4,000,000
Aguela > 4,000,000
All others > 6,000,000
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That’s some where around 30 mill a day!!
They have been making that every year for decades and never slowed down!
Wow
I’m not clear on the math. 30 mil/day times 10 days is 300 mil. There are ~ 300 mil people in the country so does that mean enough ammo is produced equating to 1 mil for each person every 10 days. Something doesn’t add up.
Craig;
CCI makes 4,000,000 rounds/day, so makes 300,000,000 rounds each 75 days.
Hence it takes 75 days to make ONE 22 round per person in the US, or somewhat less than 5 rounds/year per person.
The US has 90 guns per 100 people (according to Wikipedia). I couldn’t get an estimate on how many were 22s, but suppose that is 10 guns/100 people. That makes 30,000,000 22s, so under that assumption, CCI is making about 50 rounds (one box) per gun per year.
… and I already bought my box this year!
Goes to show Obama may not gain control of guns but he can impact the production of 22 AMO. the most sought after affordable lethal AMO available.
i wish everyone hoarding 22 cartridges would choke on a brick full of them. It is absurd that the prices are at least double just because of demand and fear. The law of s&d is out of control here. 10+ cents per round is absurd! Poor man will have to wait until chaos is over or resort to my STW to “plink” Zombies. End this zombie culture bs asap! Im fine with the cock roaches surviving. Just let me have some inexpensive fun until then…damn!
Craig, that’s one roupd per person every ten days, not a thousand rounds.