Lake City Contract for Non-Std Ammo

[unlimited4x4]

What's everybody make of this? Pretty general little blurb, but what does non-standard mean? Is this just another normal occurrence?

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2016/10/03/US-orders-non-standard-ammunition-for-allies/3521475507459/

 

[Havok7416]

Cartridges not used by US forces. It looks like 7.62x39mm in the photo.

 

[denton]

Havok7416 has it right. Anything that doesn't fit a standard issue US military firearm is nonstandard ammo.

In many cases, the US government has been buying Eastern Bloc production for our allies. Reportedly, quality is spotty. I am not at all surprised that they decided to bring some of the production into Lake City.

 

[Salmoneye]

I seem to remember the original NSA (Non-Standard Ammo) contract was awarded to ATK early this year...

Found it:

http://www.benzinga.com/news/16/04/...-to-supply-non-standard-ammunition-to-defence

 

[rodregier]

I wonder if in addition to 7.62x39 they would also be producing 7.64x54R which
is used by our allies in the Dragunov for example.

The two links aren't very specific.

 

[Torian]

Now I'm curious if there will be any "overages" and if so, will this ammo be available for sale to civilians here in the states? We typically don't have a lot of quality loadings in 7.62x39 and 7.62x54R to choose from.

 

[Cannibul]

I'd really like to get some decent 7.62X54R ammo. Or even decent reloadable brass.

 

[rodregier]

As I understand the gov't contract ammunition production process, the contracts are for specific number of pieces. The plant intentionally overproduces to allow for a certain amount of rejects.

If there is anything left over from that production once the specific numerical goals have been fulfilled, the plant may sell it in commercial channels as a way to recover the value from that intentional over-production. There are probably restrictions on how that sell-off is conducted.

 

[Malamute]

I wonder if in addition to 7.62x39 they would also be producing 7.64x54R which
is used by our allies in the Dragunov for example.

More likely x54 would be for the PKMs. Dragunov use would be incidental. I believe they commonly delink PKM ammo for Dragunov use in Syria. Chinese ammo is reportedly not that great. It may be reject stuff somebody is filtering in. No way to know though I guess.

There are probably restrictions on how that sell-off is conducted.

Unless real AP, I wouldn't guess there would be anything truly restricted about overrun ammo in what is fairly common ammo. Just a guess. They sell tons of standard US ball ammo overrun.

 

[jonnyc]

If you read carefully, the original contract presented says "supply", not "produce". I highly doubt ATK will actually set up US production lines for 7.62x39 or 7.62x54R production. I know of 2 previous contracts let to Igman, using special US headstamp codes, that wound up in Iraq. I would guess the new ATK contracts will follow a similar scenario.

 

[Havok7416]

They already make non standard ammo for the commercial market. All they would have to do is put a different head stamp on it. I would take supply to mean produce in this case.

 

[FLIGHT762]

Nothing new, Lake City made 7.62X39 MM ammo during the Vietnam conflict to use in captured weapons.