The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Winchester Ammunition a $51.8 million modification to an existing contract for manufacturing 5.56 NATO, 7.62 NATO and .50 BMG cartridges. The second-source contract award from the DoD is in addition to the company’s recently awarded U.S. Army pistol ammunition contract and other ongoing agreements with various state and federal agencies.
“Winchester employees have built a reputation with its customers that is unrivaled,” said Brett Flaugher, president of Winchester Ammunition. “For decades, we have successfully demonstrated industry-leading capabilities in quality, innovation and on-time delivery as well as partnering with multiple agencies in developing solutions that service the U.S. warfighter.”
Winchester is the largest small-caliber enterprise in the world and has supported America’s military, federal government and law enforcement for more than a century. The ammunition produced under this contract is manufactured at Winchester’s centerfire facility in Oxford, MS. The company is the second-largest employer in the area, and always looking to add hardworking and talented individuals to its team.
The 156-year-old firm’s services continue to be in high demand. Last month the U.S. Army entered into a $15 million agreement with Winchester for the design of a 6.8 mm Next Generation Squad Weapon ammunition production facility. Work on that project will take place at the only U.S. government-owned small-caliber ammunition production site, the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, MO, where Winchester assumed management duties in October, 2020. The 3,935-acre facility produces roughly 2 billion cartridges a year and has a staff of nearly 2,000—the vast majority civilians.
In December Winchester was also awarded a $13 million contract for development of 7.62 NATO manufacturing processes at the same site. The FBI choose Winchester 169-grain Sierra bottail hollowpoint .308 Win. loads for its precision shooters in 2021.
