Sierra Bullets — Leading Bullets and Ammo Makers for 76 YearsHere is the original Sierra Manufacturing Facility in Whittier, CA. In August 22, 2017, Sierra Bullets were acquired by Clarus Corporation, a Utah-based holding firm that also owns Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. which makes ski and mountain gear/apparel. Sierra is one of America’s largest producers of loaded ammunition and bullets. This article reviews Sierra’s history and its processes for crafting and evaluating bullets.
Sierra Bullets began in a Quonset Hut in California in the late 1940s. In 1947, Frank Snow Jim Spivey and Loren Harbor rented machine space in order to produce rivets and fishing rod guides for aircraft, along with rifle front sight ramps. Sport shooting became very popular in the years following World War II, but ammunition was scarce. Reloading was the answer for shooting enthusiasts to the shortage of ammo. Snow, Spivey, and Harbor realized this and created Sierra Bullets to fill the void. They were soon selling a 53 grain match bullet to Hollywood Gun Shop. Sierra still produces these bullets today under the Sierra #1400 53 grain MatchKing. A few years later a competitive shooter named Martin Hull was hired by Sierra. Hull was responsible for the development of new bullet types, and he managed Sierra’s ballistics lab for almost 20 years. Sierra’s production grew rapidly with Hull’s assistance. The California company had outgrown several locations before moving to a large facility at Santa Fe Springs, CA in 1963.
The Leisure Group purchased Sierra Bullets in 1968. Other Leisure Group companies include Lyman Reloading (which made Oscar and Rose Bowl Game Trophies), High Standard Manufacturing Company (which made Yard Man), Thompson Sprinkler Systems (which made Flexible Flyer Sleds), and Dodge Trophies. Hayden, a mechanical engineering engineer who worked for Remington Arms, was hired by the Leisure Group as President and General Manager. Hayden was the president of Sierra from 1972 until 2012, when Pat Daly took over as president.
Sierra Bullets employs over 100 people, including five full-time ballistic technicians who answer daily reloading and firearms questions by phone and e-mail. Sierra Bullets employs more than 100 people, including five ballistic technicians that answer questions about reloading or firearms by phone and e mail. The Making of MatchKings – How Sierra Produces SMKsAll Sierra Bullets begin as a strip of gilding material, an alloy consisting of 85% copper and 15% zinc. To meet Sierra’s quality standards, the gilding material must be three times more precise in terms of dimensions and quality than what is standard in the copper industry. A blanking press forms a uniform disc that will then be drawn into the MatchKing Jacket. The cup is polished, then sent to a drawing press to be drawn in a jacket that will be longer than required for the future MatchKing. This allows for the trimming process. Press operators are constantly checking concentricity in order to ensure we only have quality jackets. The jackets are then sent to a trimmer, where they undergo a visual inspection. After being polished a second-time, the jacket is sent to the bullet press. The core wires are made from 80-pound lead sheets. This is done with great care to avoid stretching the core wire. The core wire is lightly oil before it is sent to the bullet presses to be swaged. The lead core wire is formed on the top of the bullet presses and then fed into the jacket. Quality control technicians pull samples of each lot of MatchKings in order to ensure that they meet Sierra’s strict standards. Sierra’s 300 meter underground test range is used to shoot samples for accuracy using mechanical mounts called “unrestricted battery rests”. Sierra designed and manufactured these in-house. After inspection, the bullets go into the familiar green boxes with reloading label. The bullets are then shrink-wrapped before being shipped around the world. Sierra Factory Ammunition With Modern Tipped Bullets
Sierra also produces popular hunting and competition factory ammunition. Sierra’s modern GameChanger ammunition has proven to be very reliable and consistent. Sierra’s GameChanger ammunition line features a re-engineered MatchKing bullet with a hollow point for quick expansion, and a green tip to ensure ballistic uniformity. The lead-core GameChanger Bullets provide excellent penetration and expandability at a wide range of distances. Similar Posts:Tags: California, Clarus Corporation, GameChanger Ammo, MatchKing Bullets, Missouri, Sierra Bullets, Test Tunnel
