Winchester Awarded NGSW Ammunition Production Contracts by the US Army -The Firearm Blog

Winchester have been awarded several new contracts to produce ammunition for the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons – the XM7 rifle and XM250 machine gun. The contracts will be undertaken at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP) in Independence, Mo. which is run by Winchester, on behalf of the Department of Defense.

Winchester Awarded NGSW Ammunition Manufacturing Facility Design Contract

An aerial view of the near 4,000-acre Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (US Army)

In May 2022 the Department of Defense awarded Winchester a contract to prepare LCAAP to become the prime production hub for the Army’s various 6.8mm ammunition needs. The $15 million cost-plus contract called on Winchester to design a new manufacturing facility for the NGSW ammunition.

SIG Sauer XM7 Rifle with the XM157 Fire Control (US Army)

Here’s Winchester’s statement on the contract award:

Winchester, the largest manufacturer of small caliber ammunition for the U.S. military, today announced that the U.S. Army has awarded the company a contract to manufacture, test, and deliver 5 million 6.8mm Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) cartridges.

The NGSW cartridges will be produced at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP) in Independence, Mo., the United States’ only government-owned, contractor-operated small caliber ammunition production facility.

The award of Lake City’s first production order of the 6.8mm NGSW cartridge represents several years of hard work, dedication, and collaboration between Winchester, the U.S. Army, and industry partners,” said Brett Flaugher, President of Winchester. “The Winchester team is honored to have been entrusted with the opportunity and responsibility of producing the ammunition which will keep our nation safe for years to come.”

SIG Sauer’s 6.8mm hybrid cartrige in a belt for the XM250 (SIG Sauer)

In addition to the first contract, Winchester have also been awarded another contract to produce 6.8mm tracer ammunition for the NGSWs. Back in November 2022, the US Department of Defense awarded Winchester a cost-plus contract to carry out a manufacturing study to produce tracer projectiles for the US Army’s new family of 6.8mm weapons. Here’s Winchester’s statement in full:

The U.S. military has awarded a $9 million manufacturing study contract to Winchester Ammunition for the purpose of exploring tracer-ammunition production for the Army’s new 6.8 mm Common Cartridge outlined in the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program. The results of the study will take what is currently prototype tracer technology and adapt it to mass production, thereby making it available for in-field use.

“Winchester is very excited to begin executing this critical 6.8 mm NGSW tracer ammunition study at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant,” said Brett Flaugher, president of Winchester. “This NGSW tracer ammunition produced at Lake City will equip the future American warfighter and help maintain the safety and defense of our nation.”

Winchester Awarded NGSW Ammunition Production Contracts by the US Army

Matthew Moss