The Firearm Blog

Federal have produced two new loads, under the American Eagle brand, for the M1A (M14) and M1 Garand rifles. The cartridges have staked primers and the powders used were chosen with the rifle’s specific gas system design in mind.

The M1 (.30-06) load pushes a 150 grain FMJ bullet at 2740 fps fps and the M1A (7.62×51mm NATO) load a 168 grain Open Tip Match (OTM) bullet at 2650 fps.

Also from Federal is a Power-Shok hunting load optimized for AR-10 style rifles chambered in .338 Federal. The loads pushes a 200 grain soft point at 2700 fps.

Because of demand from customers have Federal have brought back the .22 Long Rifle UltraMatch Rimfire Target

load.
Two Gold Medal loads are now available: UltraMatch and Match. Both are standard target loads (40 grain subsonic).

Alliant Lake City Small Caliber Ammunition Co., LLC is a subsidiary of Alliant Techsystems (ATK) who among other things manufacture military and commercial ammunition. They own the CCI and Federal premium brands. In the fiscal year 2008 ATK’s annual report says “military small-caliber ammunition business again delivered more than 1.4 billion rounds to our nation’s armed forces.”.

ATK won the government owned Lake City Army Ammunition Plant operating contract in 2000 and took over from Olin (Winchester) in 2001 who were the operating contract since 1985.

DefenseLink.mil (December 30 2008):

Alliant Lake City Small Caliber Ammunition Co., LLC, Independence, Mo., was awarded on Dec 29, 2008 a $49,236,000 firm fixed price requirements contract for modernization and upgrade of small caliber production equipment. Work will be performed at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, Independence, Mo., with an estimated completion date of Sep 30, 2009. One bid was solicited and one bid received. U.S. Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (DAAA09-00-D-0016).

ATK is sure doing well!