I just finished reading an article in the newest edition of Guns and Ammo magazine about Aquila ammunition, made in Mexico.
I'm familiar with the brand, at least in small caliber ammo. I've actually shot quite a bit of the .22 offerings.
What really took me aback in the article was the description of the factory.
"Tecnos (owner of Aquila) has had a long history of supplying ammunition to the United States. You might be more familiar with it wearing the Remington brand.
The plant was originally set up by by Remington in 1961 with a staff of 70 people.
If you've shot Remington ammo in the past 30 years, there's a high likelihood that you were shooting ammunition made here.
Today, Tecnos is Mexico's largest ammunition company and produces in excess of a billion cartridges annually.
It is the main supplier to the Mexican military and law enforcement, and it exports to five continents, supplying ammo to the armed forces in several countries.
Today. the ammunition facilities sit on 120 acres with 870 employees working 24 hours a day.
The plant includes a shot tower (shotgun pellets are formed using gravity) several ammo production buildings, a shooting range, a ballistics facility, a training range and storage buildings that each house 18 tons of powder.
Since thundershowers are common in this area, lightning rods are a must along with weather monitors..."
O.K.
The highlighted part caught my eye. 18 TONS of powder? In EACH building!!!?
How would you store 18 TONS of powder?
It can't be delivered in an open container, like grain, and you wouldn't want it packaged in pound packages if you're working with that volume.
I'm curious now.
How WOULD you store that much powder? How long would it take to go through 18 tons of powder, even producing a billion rounds a year?
You would need to worry about temperature/humidity control, static electricity would be a killer, literally.
The logistics just boggles my mind.
Has anyone here ever been on a tour through an ammunition pant?
I would think it would be a fascinating tour.
I'm familiar with the brand, at least in small caliber ammo. I've actually shot quite a bit of the .22 offerings.
What really took me aback in the article was the description of the factory.
"Tecnos (owner of Aquila) has had a long history of supplying ammunition to the United States. You might be more familiar with it wearing the Remington brand.
The plant was originally set up by by Remington in 1961 with a staff of 70 people.
If you've shot Remington ammo in the past 30 years, there's a high likelihood that you were shooting ammunition made here.
Today, Tecnos is Mexico's largest ammunition company and produces in excess of a billion cartridges annually.
It is the main supplier to the Mexican military and law enforcement, and it exports to five continents, supplying ammo to the armed forces in several countries.
Today. the ammunition facilities sit on 120 acres with 870 employees working 24 hours a day.
The plant includes a shot tower (shotgun pellets are formed using gravity) several ammo production buildings, a shooting range, a ballistics facility, a training range and storage buildings that each house 18 tons of powder.
Since thundershowers are common in this area, lightning rods are a must along with weather monitors..."
O.K.
The highlighted part caught my eye. 18 TONS of powder? In EACH building!!!?
How would you store 18 TONS of powder?
It can't be delivered in an open container, like grain, and you wouldn't want it packaged in pound packages if you're working with that volume.
I'm curious now.
How WOULD you store that much powder? How long would it take to go through 18 tons of powder, even producing a billion rounds a year?
You would need to worry about temperature/humidity control, static electricity would be a killer, literally.
The logistics just boggles my mind.
Has anyone here ever been on a tour through an ammunition pant?
I would think it would be a fascinating tour.