Explosion at Hornady plant

[griz]

One worker killed and two injured.  They're not one of the biggest but I'll bet the effects on the ammo market will still be felt.

https://nebraska.tv/news/local/fatal-explosion-at-hornady-manufacturing-under-investigation-in-wood-river

[WLJ]

And combine that with this

According to multiple news sources, the Lake City ammo plant has cancelled all of its commercial contracts.

This means that stores will no longer be able to purchase ammo from Lake City, which currently supplies 30% of the civilian market for 5.56 ammunition.

Lake City Ammo Plant Cancels All Commercial Contracts
https://stapledefense.com/lake-city-plant-commercial-contracts/

Plus the mid east is going to be eating up supply.

[HankB]

Contracts must have had some sort of "escape clause" for them to be able to cancel without penalty.

[Ben]

Contracts must have had some sort of "escape clause" for them to be able to cancel without penalty.

I'm betting that cutting off commercial production as needed is actually part of their gov contract.

[HankB]

I'm betting that cutting off commercial production as needed is actually part of their gov contract.

I wouldn't bet against you on that (since I think you're right) but the commercial contracts they signed must have some relevant clause in them too, something along the lines of "We'll sell you X rounds for Y dollars over the next 12 months unless fed.gov needs more of our capacity, in which case our deal with you commercial guys is off."  If something like the part in italics isn't there, a lawsuit compelling specific performance (I THINK that's the term) demanding enforcement of the commercial contract would be likely.

I wondered when fed.gov was going to start upping their ammo purchases - we've shipped a LOT of ordnance to Ukraine, and people have been worrying out loud about replenishing our war stocks of ALL KINDS of things that go boom - and not just small arms ammunition.

[Ben]

I wondered when fed.gov was going to start upping their ammo purchases - we've shipped a LOT of ordnance to Ukraine, and people have been worrying out loud about replenishing our war stocks of ALL KINDS of things that go boom - and not just small arms ammunition.

Not to mention transporting things that go boom. That Jackass Brandon has destroyed the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and we can be pretty sure the oily stuff will be going through the roof. I saw Qatar was cutting natural gas production.

[JTHunter]

Thankfully, 5.56 is one caliber I don't use.
And I have enough 7.62x39 to burn out my barrel as the manual indicated that the service life was ~6K rounds.

[MechAg94]

Interesting.  I need to see what the budget looks like.  Another case of 5.56 might be in order.  I need to think about that.  Would 308 be a better buy?

[dogmush]

I wondered when fed.gov was going to start upping their ammo purchases - we've shipped a LOT of ordnance to Ukraine, and people have been worrying out loud about replenishing our war stocks of ALL KINDS of things that go boom - and not just small arms ammunition.

The Army did about a year ago.

[dogmush]

Thankfully, 5.56 is one caliber I don't use.
And I have enough 7.62x39 to burn out my barrel as the manual indicated that the service life was ~6K rounds.

Huh, I'd have expected more than that.  I wonder if they are assuming use of steel-cased ammo, or what.  7.62x39 isn't a particularly fast round, weird that it eats barrels so fast.

[Brad Johnson]

Huh, I'd have expected more than that.  I wonder if they are assuming use of steel-cased ammo, or what.  7.62x39 isn't a particularly fast round, weird that it eats barrels so fast.

Pressure-related throat erosion.

Brad

[Ben]

Pressure-related throat erosion.

Brad

Thaaaat's what she said.

[dogmush]

Pressure-related throat erosion.

Brad

For a rifle round 7.62x39 is pretty low pressure though.  5.56 is quite a bit higher pressure and barrels are good for like 15,000-25,000 rounds.  It's curious.

[WLJ]

Remember some articles that stated the cause of the faster barrel wear is not the steel case but the bi-metal bullets that are usually found in steel case rounds

[HankB]

Remember some articles that stated the cause of the faster barrel wear is not the steel case but the bi-metal bullets that are usually found in steel case rounds

Yeah, a lot of imported ammo is steel jacketed with a lighter wash of copper than they should have, and some off-brands reputedly have a harder steel jacket than they should have.  Then there's the quality of the barrel steel on some ComBloc rifles, chrome-lined or not.

Problem is, everything I've seen is anecdotal, so I can't say for sure what the real story is. As for myself, in my good rifles, I follow the old adage "Don't shoot ammo that comes from a place that you wouldn't drink the water."

[MechAg94]

I am not in need of 7.62x39 if it is just me shooting it.  If I need anything there it might be some US made hunting/self defense ammo. 

Not sure I really need any 5.56, but I don't have as much of that on hand.  The only rifles/builds I am considering are 5.56 and 308 so I need think about it.  My budget says to wait until next month. 

[AZRedhawk44]

Remember some articles that stated the cause of the faster barrel wear is not the steel case but the bi-metal bullets that are usually found in steel case rounds

Shitty obturation due to steel rather than brass material, and a tapered case.

[MechAg94]

Read more: https://www.ammoland.com/2023/10/explosion-hornady-ammunition-mfg-facility-results-tragedy/#ixzz8GUwseUOG
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
Follow us: @Ammoland on Twitter | Ammoland on Facebook

Explosion at the Hornady Ammunition Mfg Facility Results in a Tragedy


I don't know if this has more information.  They name the person who was killed.

[HankB]

Read more: https://www.ammoland.com/2023/10/explosion-hornady-ammunition-mfg-facility-results-tragedy/#ixzz8GUwseUOG
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
Follow us: @Ammoland on Twitter | Ammoland on Facebook

Explosion at the Hornady Ammunition Mfg Facility Results in a Tragedy


I don't know if this has more information.  They name the person who was killed.

The explosion " . . .  took place during the mixing process of the primer compound."

I didn't realize Hornady was manufacturing their own primers - that's another tidbit of information to feed into any thoughts about primer shortages and enormous recent component price hikes.

[K Frame]

OH BULLSHIT!

IT WAS THE ISRAELIS! OR THE PALESTINIANS!

Hornady manufactures several types of rimfire ammunition. My guess is that it was rimfire priming compound that went boom.

[K Frame]

And hell, Vista Outdoors just agreed to sell their ammunition business, which includes Federal and others, to the Czechs.

[WLJ]

And hell, Vista Outdoors just agreed to sell their ammunition business, which includes Federal and others, to the Czechs.

Yep.
They've been looking for a buyer a awhile but seems a lot of American companies/investment firms are gun shy at the moment.
Colt is Czech owned too (CZ)

[HankB]

OH BULLSHIT!

IT WAS THE ISRAELIS! OR THE PALESTINIANS! Ultra MAGA Trumpist Republican Insurrectionists.

Hornady manufactures several types of rimfire ammunition. My guess is that it was rimfire priming compound that went boom.

Hmmm . . . couple of .17 rimfire rounds plus .22 Mag. Not having any of these, their rimfire ammo wasn't even on my radar.

[K Frame]

Hmmm . . . couple of .17 rimfire rounds plus .22 Mag. Not having any of these, their rimfire ammo wasn't even on my radar.

Same here. I didn't realize that Hornady was actually manufacturing rimfire ammo.

Most rimfire manufacturers have had rimfire primer compounding explosions over the years. IIRC Western had a particularly bad one back in the 1950s??? that killed something like 6 people.

[bedlamite]

Same here. I didn't realize that Hornady was actually manufacturing rimfire ammo.

The 17 HMR has been around at least 20 years