22Plinkster Tours CCI/Speer Idaho Factory
Trickshot artist and YouTube host 22Plinkster recently got a chance to tour the CCI/Speer production facility in Lewiston, Idaho. This large plant produces both rimfire and centerfire ammunition. While touring the plant, 22Plinkster was allowed to capture video showing the creation of .22 LR rounds from start to finish. This is a fascinating video, well worth watching.
This revealing video shows all phases of .22 LR ammo production including cupping, drawing, annealing, washing, drying, head-stamping, priming, powder charging, bullet seating, crimping, waxing, inspection, and final packaging. If you’ve got ten minutes to spare, we really recommend you watch the video from start to finish. You’ll definitely learn some new things about rimfire ammo.
.22 Plinkster was literally up to his neck in ammo while touring the CCI/Speer Idaho ammo plant. He says: “This was truly a dream come true for me. I can’t thank the people at CCI and Speer enough for allowing me to do this. I couldn’t possibly show everything that went on at the factory. However, hopefully I showed you enough for you to grasp the concept of how rimfire [ammo] is made.”
Speer Brothers Brought Ammo Production to Lewiston
Here is an interesting historical footnote. Today’s large CCI/Speer operation in Idaho can be traced back to the companies founded by the Speer brothers. After settling in Lewiston in 1944, Vernon Speer started Speer Bullets. A few years later, in 1951, Vernon’s brother Dick (with partner Arvid Nelson) started Cascade Cartridges Inc., a producer of small-arms ammunition and primers. Yes, as you may suspect, Cascade Cartridges Inc. is now CCI, a Vista Outdoor company, and one of the largest manufacturers of primers and loaded ammunition. Today, the CCI/Speer Lewiston plant produces both Speer bullets and CCI-branded ammunition and primers. Vista Outdoor’s predecessor, ATK, acquired the plant in 2001. Vernon Speer died in 1979, and Dick Speer died in 1994.
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Need name-brand bullets? Here’s a way to save 10% on Nosler, Sierra, Hornady, and Speer Bullets. Here’s how it works — this weekend only (August 28-31, 2015) Wideners.com is offering 10% off ALL Nosler, Sierra, Hornady, and Speer bullets in stock (some other bulk-brand bullets are on sale as well).
NOTE: Widener’s says “The discount will not appear on the website or on your order at checkout but will be applied when we process the order”. We suggest you print out your order and compare that with the actual charge(s) on your credit card to ensure that Widener’s did, in fact, apply the 10% discount. As they say: “Trust, but verify“. The Sale ends at 5:59 am Eastern Standard Time 8/31/15. That’s very early in the morning on Monday so we advise you to place your orders before midnight, before you go to bed on Sunday, 8/30/2015.
Sale Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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Following on the success of its 2011 Rebate Program (which expires at the end of December, 2011), RCBS is launching a new GET GREEN Promotion for 2012. This offers cash rebates to buyers of RCBS reloading products. Additional “bonus bucks” are offered if you buy components from RCBS’s sister companies: Federal, Alliant, CCI, Speer. Here’s how it works. If you buy $50.00 worth of RCBS reloading gear, you get $10.00 cash back. Then you can get an extra $5.00 rebate if you buy one of the following: a pound of Alliant Powder, a box of Speer Bullets, a box of Federal Premium Brass, OR five 100-ct sleeves of Federal or CCI primers. Likewise, if you buy $300.00 worth of RCBS products you can get a $50.00 rebate with an additional $25.00 in bonus bucks if you buy FIVE qualifying items from Alliant, CCI, and/or Federal.
The new GET GREEN Promotion starts January 1, 2012. Purchases must be made before December 31, 2012 and rebate coupon (with proof of purchase) must be received by January 31, 2013. To qualify, you must submit a rebate coupon PLUS box UPCs and original cash register receipts. Offer good in U.S. and Canada only. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Redemption limited to one of each offer per household. For more information, call RCBS at 866-269-5194, or write to: RCBS PROMOTION, Dept. 7634, PO Box 5011, Stacy, MN 55078-5011.
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If you are looking for inexpensive, 6mm bullets for fire-forming chores (say if you have a Dasher, BRX, or .243 AI), Widener’s offers 100gr Speer Flatbase bullets at very low cost. Sold in 500-ct bulk packs, the Speer 100-grainers cost just $59.00 for five hundred bullets. That works out to just $11.80 per hundred, less than half the cost of most match bullets.
Varminters who load large quantities of ammo for prairie dog trips might also appreciate this value offering — although the bullets are a bit on the heavy side for prairie-dog size prey.
These soft-point bullets have a fairly long shank and a cannelure. CLICK HERE to order these bullets (item #SE75557) online via Wideners.com
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Two ammunition manufacturers in Lewiston, Idaho, plan to add “significant numbers of workers” this year and next. Alliant Techsystems (ATK), parent of CCI, Alliant Powder, RCBS and other companies, expects to add about 100 jobs by the end of 2010, and Extreme Bullet plans to expand its facility and add about 100 jobs over the next few years. ATK’s employee ranks will grow to approximately 1,200 workers by the end of this year.
ATK will be re-hiring many workers laid off in a 2009 force reduction. According to the Spokane Journal of Business, “The new hires should give ATK a total of about 1,200 workers by the end of 2010 at its plant on the east side of the Snake River.” The Journal also interviewed ATK Spokesman Jason Nash who explained: “We’ve definitely had a few good years at the plant there. There’s been an increased demand for sporting ammunition, which has allowed us to add to our employment base.”
Speer Brothers Brought Ammo Production to Lewiston
Here is an interesting historical footnote. Today’s large ATK operation in Idaho can be traced back to the companies founded by the Speer brothers. After settling in Lewiston in 1944, Vernon Speer started Speer Bullets. A few years later, in 1951, Vernon’s brother Dick (with partner Arvid Nelson) started Cascade Cartridges Inc., a producer of small-arms ammunition and primers. Yes, as you may suspect, Cascade Cartridges Inc. is now CCI, part of ATK’s family of companies, and one of the largest manufacturers of primers and loaded ammunition. Today, ATK’s Lewiston plant produces both Speer bullets and CCI-branded ammunition and primers. ATK acquired the plant in 2001. Vernon Speer died in 1979, and Dick Speer died in 1994.
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ATK (Alliant Techsystems) (NYSE: ATK), the world’s largest ammo producer, manufactures CCI, Federal, and Speer ammo, plus CCI and Federal primers. ATK is also the parent company of Alliant Powder and ATK runs the Lake City Army ammunition plant. That’s why changes at ATK can affect shooters nationwide.
ATK announced that after more than six years as ATK chairman and CEO, Daniel J. Murphy will retire in March, 2010. The company’s board of directors has appointed General Ronald R. Fogleman to serve as Chairman of the board of directors. The board also elected John L. Shroyer, ATK’s current chief financial officer (CFO), to serve as interim CEO. The appointments are effective immediately.
In related news, ATK announced that second-quarter profit rose 18 percent, helped by stronger sales of ammunition for security forces in Afghanistan. The company said that demand remained strong for ATK’s commercial ammunition brands and products. “I am particularly pleased with the growth of our commercial businesses both in ammunition, aircraft structures and elsewhere across the company,” said John Shroyer, interim CEO, senior vice president and CFO.
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If you are looking for inexpensive, 6mm bullets for fire-forming chores (say if you have a Dasher, BRX, or .243 AI), Widener’s offers 100gr Speer Flatbase bullets at very low cost. Sold in 500-ct bulk packs, the Speer 100-grainers cost just $59.00 for five hundred bullets. That works out to just $11.80 per hundred, less than half the cost of most match bullets.
Two ammunition manufacturers in Lewiston, Idaho, plan to add “significant numbers of workers” this year and next. 
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