An Army Ammunition Plant's Bullets Keep Showing Up in Mass Shootings. Lawmakers Want Answers.

[rangerrebew]

An Army Ammunition Plant's Bullets Keep Showing Up in Mass Shootings. Lawmakers Want Answers.
 
Military.com | By Steve Beynon
Published July 16, 2024 at 2:17pm ET

Before Payton Gendron stormed into a Buffalo, New York, supermarket and killed 10 people in a racially motivated rampage in 2022, he stocked up on ammunition made for the Army.

"Since I will be expecting to shoot through the front door windows at the security guard, I will have to use the best barrier penetration ammo I can get," he said in his manifesto. On his shopping list was 5.56mm ammunition made in the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Missouri.
 
A New York Times investigation found that ammunition from that plant has been used in at least 12 high-profile mass shootings, including at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas; Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida; and the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Ammunition from Lake City has also been seized by law enforcement from gangs, Mexican cartels, and anti-government militias.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/07/16/army-ammo-plants-connections-mass-shootings-spark-inquiry-democratic-lawmakers.html

[PeteS in CA]

Lake City, which the military has invested some $860 million in to beef up its production lines since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, is contractually required to produce some 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition per year for the Army, though the service hasn't come anywhere close to buying that much ammo in a given year, according to the lawmakers' letter.

The Army has a deal with Winchester that whatever ammo isn't purchased by the service can be sold commercially on the civilian market. The idea behind the excess capacity is that the service can quickly ramp up its ammunition stockpiles in the event of war but won't need to drain Lake City's inventory during typical years.

My guess is that because the manufacturer sells a significant % of its capacity to the US military in what amounts to a guaranteed buy, it has an economies of scale advantage over competitors, making it a bit less expensive than its competitors. Unless I'm missing something, this looks like a hoplophobic faux scandal.

[Smokin Joe]

Lake City Ammo is commonly available on the civilian market.

If the military does not buy the full amount the manufacturer is required to make available, the surplus is sold to civilians via a bunch of retailers. This is nothing new, and merely guarantees a supply of ammo to civilians, too, which is up to spec. I have fired Lake City Ammo, and never had a problem with it, essentially the same result I have had with Remington, Winchester, Federal, CCI Blazer, and other commercially available brands. It is what it is, relatively inexpensive 'ball' (full metal jacket) ammo with no special expansion capabilities that is good for target shooting.
 
If you want 'deadlier' bullets (with controlled/high expansion, which are banned in warfare by the Hauge Convention of 1899) or differing weights and styles of bullet from that which is used by the military, then either buy what you want on the commercial (hunting, usually) market, or load your own.

[PeteS in CA]

... This is nothing new, and merely guarantees a supply of ammo to civilians, too, which is up to spec. ...

Having been made to mil spec probably doesn't hurt consumer perceptions of quality.

[Smokin Joe]

Having been made to mil spec probably doesn't hurt consumer perceptions of quality.

No, it doesn't, but being available in quantity for less, for avid shooters, and of consistent quality makes it attractive for individuals and groups of recreational shooters alike. Plus, selling that surplus of ammo that the military did not require keeps production levels stable and keeps workers employed.
Intermittent work will send even highly paid employees looking for something else to pay the bills.